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176-10036-10149

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

!

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10149

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM :

TO :

TITLE : CIA Information Report

DATE: 10/2/1963

PAGES : 6

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

Reports. Box 2

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

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TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPURT

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

TELEGRAM

793 and

co tronsmition dior.

SECRET

(When Filled IT8)

COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM

SUBJECT FURTHER PLANNING OF LANG COUP GROUP

of tho Espronage Lams, Tille .18, U.S.C Seca.

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

DO MEET BOREING DISSEM ABROAD

BACKGROUND USE ORLY

REPORT NO. TDCS DB-3/657,031

DATE DISTR.

2 OCTOBER 1963

PRECEDENCE

PRIORITY

REFERENCES

DATE OF

26-30 SEPTEMBER 1963

IN 31.379

INFO.

PLACE &

VIETNAM, SAIGON

(30 SEPTEMBER 1963)

DATE ACO.

APPRAISAL SEE BELOW

FIELD REPORT NO. FVS. 9725

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

SOURCE

A CLOSE ASSOCIATE (C) OF LANG, FROM LANG.

APPR: LANG MAY BE MAKING .COUP. PLANS AS REPORTEDBUT THE DEGREE. TO. WHICH.OTHER IN

DIVIDUALS NAMED MAY BE INVOLVED CANNOT BE JUDGED.

GENERAL TY PROBABLY HAS SUPPORTED THE

GENERALS' DEMANDS ON PRESIDENT DIEM.. THE MEETING OF DIEM WITH THE TROOP COMMANDERS POS-

SIBLY TOOK PLACE AS REPORTED.. LANG PROBABLY HOLDS:THE VIEWS CITED:

1.. SUMMARY. ON 3$ SEPTEMBER 1963 HUYNH VAN LẠNG, PROFESSOR

OF ECONOMICS AT SAIGON UNIVERSITY SAID THAT: LIEUTENANT GENERAL

L'E VAN TY CHIEF, JOINT GENERAL STAFF (UGS), HAD REINFORCED THE

GENERALS' DEMANDSFFOR GOVERNMENTAL REFORMS BUT THAT SOME

GENERALS WERE CONVINCED THAT THE COUP SHOULD TAKE PLACE

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER DIEM INTTIATES REFORMS.

BRIGADIER GENERAL

TRAN THIEN KHIEM, CHIEF OF STAFF, UGS, WASCOUNEERNED ABOUT

VIET CONG MILITARY ACTIVITY NEAR SAIGON. HE AND OTHER GENERALS

WANTED TO BE ASSURED OF UNITED STATES SUPPORT IN THE EVENT THAT

A COUP SUCCEEDED. COLONEL DO MAU, CHIEF, MILITARY SECURITY

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CIB

GROUP I

linstuded trom outsmate

@dungradng. and

dollarufuaron

STATE/INA DIA ARMY/ACS! NAVY.

AIR JOS SECOEF NSA

ХЛАХИ*ХК

XXXX EXO

STATE/DIR

TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT

TELEGRAM

FORM

10-62

1K:

OBSOLETE PREVIOUS FOrTIONS.

113;

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"i4

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PAGE

3137

2

SERVICE, HAS ATTEMPTED TO INFLUENCE VIETNAMESE AIR FORCE (VNAF)

OFFICERS TO ATTACK GIA LONG PALACE.. THE COUP PLOTTERS WERE

CONCERNED ABOUT PRESIDENT DIEM'S MEETINGS WITH ARMY OFFICERS

DURING WHICH THE LATTER RECEIVED

GIFTS OF MIONEY.. LANG'S PLAN FOR

REORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWING THE COUP HAS BEEN

ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE BY THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE AND HE HAS

STARTED SELECTING MEMBERS OF A SHADOW GOVERNMENT. LANG HAS

ADVISED POSTPONING THE COUP UNTIL HIS GOVERNMENTAL PLANNING

HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

2. LANG MADE THE. FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ABOUT MILITARY

DEVELOPMENTS:

A. LIEUTENANT GENERAL LE VAN TY, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM

THE UNITED STATES, MET WITH OTHER GENERALS ON 26 OR 27

SEPTEMBER AND THEN SAW PRESIDENT DIEM TO URGE GOVERNMENTAL REFORMS,

INCLUDING THE APPOINTMENT OF GENERALS TO THE MINISTRIES

OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AND INTERIOR.

B. GENERAL KHIEM AND OTHER GENERALS WERE BECOMING

CONVINCED THAT REFORMS ALONE WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT AND. THAT

THE ENTIRE NGO FAMILY HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE.

C.

KHIEM WAS CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASED VIET CONG (VC)

MILITARY ACTIVITY NEAR SAIGON AND THE COUP PLOTTERS: FEARED

POSSIBLE VC EXPLOITATION OF AN ATTEMPTED COUP D'ETAT.

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PAGE

D. KHIEM AND OTHER GENERALS DID NOT WISH TO ATTEMPT A

COUP. UNTIL IT. WAS DETERMINED. THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD

SUPPORT THEM IF THEIR COUP SUCCEEDED.

E.. COLONEL DO MAU, WORKING THROUGH LIEUTENANT COLONELS

NGUYEN CAO KY, IST TRANSPORT GROUP COMMANDER AND DO KHAE MAL,

VNAF CHIEF OF STAFF, HAS INDEPENDENTLY ATTEMPTED TO INFLUENCE

VNAF OFFICERS TO MOUNT A COUP AND ATTACK GIA LONG PALACE.

LANG'S GROUP BELIEVED THAT MAU WAS TOO INDISCREET BUT PLANNED

TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SITUATION IF THE VNAF DID BEGIN A COUP.

(FIELD COMMENT. ITIMAS BEEN REPORTED THAT MAÏ AND MAU WERE

DISAPPOINTED THAT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AGAINST THE REGIME.)

F. GENERAL KHIEM CLAIMED THAT HELICOPTER UNITS WERE

INCLUDED IN THE LANG COUP GROUP.

G. PRESIDENT DIEM RECENTLY SUMMONED. MILITARY OFFICERS,

WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN AND ABOVE, WHO COMMANDED TROOP UNITS IN

AND NEAR SAIGON. AND GAVE THEM SUMS OF MONEY RANGING FROM

30, DOD TO 1DD, DOD PIASTERS. THE MONEY OSTENSIBLY WAS SEIZED

FROM THE VC: COLONEL NGUYEN VAN THIEN, VIETNAMESE ARMOR COMMANDER

RECEIVED IDD, DDD PIASTERS, WHICH APPARENTLY HAS CAUSED HIM TO

RENEW HIS ALLEGIANCE TO DIEM. SOME JUNIOR OFFICERS COUNTED ON

TO SUPPORT THE COUP HAD BEEN IMPRESSED BY THEIR MEETING WITH THE

PRESIDENT, BUT OTHERS WERE NOT AND HAVE JOINED THE COUP GROUP.

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313:

4

(FIELD COMMENT.. SEE FVS 9712 (TDCS-3/560,375

) FOR THAO'S STATEMENT T

THAT NHU HAD GIVEN LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO MILITARY OFF ICRS.)

H. DIEM HAS GIVEN LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO COLONEL HUYNH

HUU HIEN, VNAF COMMANDER. ACCORIONG TO GENERAL KHIEM, DIEM HAS

GIVEN HIEN ORDERS TO USE THE VNAF FOR COUNTERCOUP ACTION AND

FOR EVACUATION OF THE PRESIDENT IF NECESSARY.

1. DIEM OFFERED LIEUTENANT COLONEL PHAM NGOC THAO,

INSPECTOR OF STRATEGIC HAMLETS, THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR

GENERAL OF NATIONAL POLICE WHILE NHU OFFERED HIM COMMAND OF THE

SPECIAL FORCES. THAO, HOWEVER, HAS NOT WAVERED IN HIS SUPPORT:

OF THE COUP.

• 3. "LANG SAID THAT HE HAS URGED DELAY IN MOUNTING THE

COUP UNTIL HE HAS COMPLETED HIS PLANS FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT

SO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO VOID FOR THE VC TO EXPLOIT. HE

SAID THẠT THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE HAS ACCEPTED IN

PRINCIPLE HIS IDEAS CONCERNING ORGANIZATION OF A NEW GOVERNMENT.

(FIELD COMMENT: IN LANG'S PROPOSED GOVERNMENT. THE REVOLUTIONARY

COMMITTEE WOULD REPLACE PRESIDENT DIEM.. THE TERM MINISTER WOULD

BE USED INSTEAD OF COORDINATING SECRETARY OF STATE AND

MINISTER OF SECURITY AND MINISTER OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS WOULD

BE ADDED TO THE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE, WHICH WOULD NOT

DIFFER DRASTICALLY FROM THE PRESENT ONE.) LANG HAS SELECTED

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15T:

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31379

5

THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF A SHADOW CABINET:

A. GENERAL KHIEM, MINISTER OF SECURITY

B. VO VAN HIEN, CURRENTLY A SAIGON LAWYER, MINISTER OF

JUSTICE.

C. LANG, EITHER MINISTER OF ECONOMY OR DEPUTY MINISTER

OF ECONOMY FOR FINANCE.

D. NGUYEN TON HOAN, PROMIENT OPPOSITION LEADER IN

EXILE, MINISTER OF CULTURAL AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS.

E. NGUYEN. THAI, OPPOSITION LEADER IN THE UNITED STATES,

EITHER MINISTER OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS OR DEPUTY MINISTER OF

POLITICAL AFFAIRS FOR CIVIC ACTION.

F. MAJOR GENERAL TRAN VAN MINH, DEPUTY MINISTER OF

SECURITY FOR DEFENSE.

•G. NGUYEN HUY NGHIA, GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (GVN):

AMBASSADOR TO TOKYO, DEPUTY MINISTER OF SECURITY FOR INTERIOR.

н.

NGUYEN HUU CHAU, FORMER MINISTER OF INTERIOR UNDER

DIEM CURRENTLY IN EXILE, DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

1: AU TRUONG THANH, PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIST, DEPUTY

MINISTER OF ECONOMY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS.

J: LIEUTENANT COLONEL PHAM NGOC THAO, DIRECTOR GENERAL

OF NATIONAL POLICE.

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LANG. HAS CONTACTED ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCEPT NGHIA, CHAU AND HOA,

HE HAS SENT A CATHOLIC PRIEST TO PARIS TO CONTACT CHAU AND

WAS PLANNING TO CONTACT THE OTHERS EVENTUALLY.

4. LANG SAID THAT HE WAS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THE

INCLUSION OF TRAN KIM TUYEN, RECENTLY ASSIGNED AS GUN CONSUL

GENERAL TO CAIRO, IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT, NEVERTHELESS, THAO

HAS ASSURED TUYEN'S SUPPORTERS IN SAIGON THAT TUYEN WILL BE A

MEMBER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO ASSURE

THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE COUP.

5. FIELD DISSEM. STATE (AMBASSADOR LODGE) USMACY (GENERAL

HARKINS) CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF.

Sirdita.:

END OF MESSAGE

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