CIA Information Report
Originator: CIA
Document date: 09/23/1963
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

176-10036-10141

2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10141

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM :

TO :

TITLE : CIA Information Report

DATE: 9/23/1963

PAGES : 3

SUBJECTS:

• DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 200: Vietnam,9/22/63-10/6/63. Box 2

---

## Page 2

Sanitred via Rais ilis

TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT

contains intormation

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

the National Defanse of tho

(3)

TELEGRAM

EXEMPT

N44-82-56

the Espionago Lame, Titlo 18, U.S.C

S-E-C-R-E-T

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO DISSEM ABROAD/NO FOREIGN DISSEM/BACKGROUND USE ONLY

COUNTRY

SUBJECT

SOUTH VIETNAM

REPORT NO. TDCSDB-3/656,793

INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF TREUATE DISTR. 23 SEPTEMPER 1963

EIGETH REGIMENT, FIFTA INFANIRY DIVISION,

IN

DANG DUC KHOI' COUF D'ETAD PLAN

PRECEDENCE ROUTINE

DATE OF

INFO.

PLACE &

DATE ACO.

APPRAISAL

22 SEFYEMBER 1953 AND AS SEATED

REFERENCES

IN

SOURCE

APPR

VIETNAM, SAIGON (22 SEPTEMBER 1963)

SEE BELOW

FIELD REPORT NO

THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.

AN AMERICAN OBSERVER (B); FROM MAJOR NGUEN VAN TỪ.

IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT MAJOR TU HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN COUP D'ETAT. PLANNING WITH

DANG DUC KHOI, BUT WHETHER THE GROUP WILL EVER BE ACTIVATED CANNCT BE ASSESSED.

TO'S STATEMENT THAT THE COUP WILL BEGIN WITH THE REVOLT OF HALF OF THE

PRESIDENTIAL GUARD, AS WELL AS PART OF THE AIRBORNE, IS UNUSUAL AS THE GUARD HAS

BEEN THOUGHT TO BE EXTREMELY LOYAL TO PRESIDENT DIEM.

I. SUMMARY. MAJOR NGUYEN VAN TU, COMMANDING OFFICER, EIGHTH REGIMENT OF

THE FIFTH INFANIRY DIVISION; THIRD MILITARY AREA, SAID ON 22 SEPTEMBER 1963 THAI

HIS REGIMENT IS PREPARED TO MOVE AS À COUNTER-COUP D'ETAI FORCE IN SUPPORT OF A

COUP D'ETAI PLAN TO WHICH DANG DUC KHOI BELONGS. TU CLAIMED THAT THE COUP WOULD

BEGIN WITH THE REVOLT OF HALF OF THE IRESIDENTIAL GUARD AND FOUR BATTALIONS OF

THE AIRBORNE. TU REMARKED THAT HE WAS KEEPING ALL FIS TRANSPORT UNDER REGIMENTAI

CONTROL IN ORDER TO MOVE ONE BALTALION AT A TIME, THAT HE HAS STOCKED FIFTY-SEVEN

MM RIFLES, AMMUNITION, SAND BAGS, RARBED WIRE, AND HAS ATTEMPTED TO ODIAIN 3.5

ROCKETS :

S-E-C-R-E-T

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE

GROUP 1

Encluded Iram outomatu

downgrading and

STATE/OIR: (FOR HUGHES ONLY)

DD/I

AD/CI AD/NE

TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM

FORM 1K6 OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.

(15-20)

---

## Page 3

CLASSLICATION - DISSIMINATION CONTROLS

SECRET:

NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD

BACKGROUND USE ONLY

TDCS DB-3/656, 793

IN

PAGE

TWO

2..

MAJOR TU STATED THAT FOR SOME MONTHS HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN COUP

D'ETAT PLANNING WITH DANG DUC KHOI, ASSISIANT DIRECTOR GENERAL, DIRECIORATE

GENERAL OF INFORMATION. TU SAID THAI THE COUP WILL BEGIN WITH THE REVOLT OF

HALF OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD AND FOUR BATTALIONS OF THE AIRBORNE. HIS

REGIMENT, WHICH IS DESIGNATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (GVN) AS A PRIMARY

ANTI-COUP D'ETAT STRIKE FORCE, WILI MOVE ONE OR TWO OF THE THREE. BAITALIONS TO

SAIGON AS A COUNTER-COUP D'ETAI FORCE. TU SAID THAT HE HAD SEALED ORDERS. WHICH

WERE TO BE OPENED ONLY ON RECEIPT OF A CODE WORD.

?

3. TU REMARKED THAT HE WAS NOW KEEPING ALL THE TRANSPORT UNDER HIS

REGIMENTAL CONTROL, WEICH WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO MOVE ONLY ONE BATTALION AT A

TIME: HE HAS ALSO STOCKED FIFTY-SEVEN MM RECOILLESS RIFLES WITH AMMUNITION, AND

HE HAS ATTEMPIED TO OBTAIN 3.5 ROCKETS.

HE HAS ALSO RECENTLY STOCKPILED SAND

BAGS AND BARBED WIRE.

4.

TU COMMENTED THAT. HE PLANNED TO USE THE FIRST BATTALION AS AN INITIAL

" FORCE, BACKED BY THE SECOND BATTALION. THE COMMANDING 'ÖFFICER OF THE FIRST

BATTALION; CAPIAIN IRUONG VAN PIUC, IS ACCRESTYS, RUTHLESS, AND A COURAGEOUS

OFFICER, WHO IS ALSO OUTSPOKENLY OPPOSED TO THE NGO FAMILY, ALTHOUGE a IS

SYMPATHETIC TO PRESIDENI DIEM. (SOURCE COMMENT. BOTH PHUC AND IU WERE DIS

.. COURAGED UPON HEARING OF TRAN KIM TUEN'S DEPARTURE FROM SOUTE VIETNAM.)

TU REMARKED THAT CAPTAIN NONG VIET NGOC, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE

SECOND: BATTALION, IS A CAO DAI AND ALSO STRONGLY ANTI-NGO DINE NHU, BUT IS NỚT

THE SAME TYPE OF COURAGEIOUS LEADER AS PHUC. CAPTAIN HA MAI VIET, COVMANDING

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

SECRET

NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND US ONLY

---

## Page 4

- CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD

When Filled IT6)

BACKGROUND USE ONLY

TDCSDB-3/656, 793

IN

PAGE THREE

OFFICER, FIFTH MSCHAVIZED RIFLE COMPANY IS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE COUP D'ETAT

PLANNING AND READY 1O SUPPORI IT, AS IS LIEUENANT ELEN, REGIMENTAI.S-3, WHO

IS A DEVOUT BUDDHIST. TU SAID THAT HIS LIAISON WITH THE OTHER PLOTIERS IN

SAIGON IS A MR. CHIN, AT THE SAIGON INFORMATTON BUREAU.

6.

COLONEL NGUYEN VAN THIEN, COMMANDING OFFICER, FIFTH DIVISION, IS NOT

AVARE OF THE PLAN, AND TU BOTH DISLIKES AND FEARS HIM. CAPTAIN NGUYEN VAN THIEP,

DIVISION G-1, CAPTAIN LE DAI CONG, DIVISION C-2, CAPTAIN PRAM DONG NHAC, DIVISION

CAPTAIN TRAN VAN THANE, COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE FIFTE RECONVAISANCE COMPANY,

RE

MOST FRIENDLY WITH TU, FUT ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE PLAN. CAPATIN BANG,

U'S REGIMENTAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER, IS A DEVOUT CATEOLIC. AND SIRONGLY PRO-REGIME,

ID

HE HAS BUEN SENT ON AN EXTENDED UNJUSTIFIED SICK LEAVE.

7:

FIELD DISSEM. STATE

END OF MESSAGE

SECRET

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS.

NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE : ONLY

---