## Page 1

176-10036-10142

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

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10142

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM :

TO :

TITLE : CIA Information Report

DATE: 9/24/1963

PAGES: $4.

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

---

## Page 2

sin tired id RAis illS

TELEGRAM INFURMATION REPERT TELEGRAM

This material

contains information aflecting

transmission or revelation

SECRET

(When Filled In)

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

the National Dalenso of the

United States

within

in any manner to on unauthoried

person is prohibited

bo' lato Espionas

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

EN ADROAD

um

Laws.. Tillo

18. U.S.C Secr

COUNTRY

SOUTH VIETNAM

REPORT NO.

SUBJECT

HUYNH VAN LANG COUP MOVE TIMING

DATE DISTR.

BACKEROUND USE ONLY

TOCS DB-3/656,830

24 SEPTEMBER 1963

PRECEDENCE

PRIORITY

DATE OF

24 SEPTEMBER 1963

REFERENCES

IN 25834

INFO.

PLACE &

VIETNAM, SAIGON (24 SEPTEMBER 1963)

DATE ACO.

APPRAISAL SEE BELOW

ATHS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADIOS ARE DEFINTIVE: APORASAL OF CONTENTIS TENTATIVE.

SOURCE A CLOSE ASSOCIATE (C) OF HUYNH VAN LANG, FROM LANG.

APPRAISAL: THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS INDICATING THAT A COUP. IS BEING PLANNED AND

SOME OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN AGREES WITH THAT IN OTHER REPORTS. CLAIMS OF

SUPPORT INDICATED HEREIN CANNOT BE ACCURATELY APPRAISED AT THIS TIME, NOR CAN

-

THE ACTUAL TIMING OF THE COUP.

1. SUMMARY, HUYNH VAN LANG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT

SAIGON UNIVERSITY, SAID ON 24 AUGUST 1963 THAT HIS COUP GROUP

WAS GOING TO LAUNCH A COUP BEFORE 5 OCTOBER AND PROBABLY ON 26

OR 28 SEPTEMBER BECAUSE TROOPS WILL BE IN SAIGON AT THAT TIME.

• THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES GENERALS TRAN THIEN

KHIEM, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF, NGUYEN KANH,

COMMANDING GENERAL OF 11 CORPS, AND DUONG VAN MINH, MILITARY ADVISOR

TO THE PRESIDENT. EVERY EFFORT IS BEING TAKEN TO REDUCE THE

POSSIBILITY OF EXTENSIVE BLOODSHED. LANG CLAIMS TO HAVE. SIX DIVISIONS

SECRET

STATE/ INA DIA ARMY/ACSI NAVY AIR JOS SECDEF MSA

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTRO

NO FOREIGN DISSER/NO DISSEM ABROADS

BACKGROUND

UNIT

NIC

AID USIA 1

ONE

OCR

CIB

GROUP 1

Encluded Irom auromares

doungrading and

declanification

ORR

EXO.

STATE/DIR

TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT

TELEGRAM

FORM

10-62

1K

OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.

(15-20)

---

## Page 3

SECRET

(When Filled In)

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO CERERE ROSEMESE DOOR MESONE

TDCS DB-3/656,830

IN 25834

PAGE 2

PLUS AIRBOR:VE, MARINE, AND ARMOR ELEMENTS READY TO PARTICIPATE IN

THE COUP. BRIGADIER GENERAL DO CAO TRI IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE

GROUP.

2, LANG MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE STATUS OF THE COUP:

A. IŸ IS TO BE INITIATED BEFORE 5 OCTOBER, POSSIBLY ON 26

OR 28 SEPTEMBER. TROOPS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO SAIGON ON 26 SEPTEMBER

FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION. MILITARY UNITS WILL REHEARSE

ON 28 SEPTEMBER FOR THE 26 OCTOBER NATIONAL DAY PARADE, AND THESE

TROOPS WILL REMAIN UNTIL 5 OCTOBER. GENERAL KHIEM WAS TRYING TO

ARRANGE THAT HE TROOPS BROUGHT TO SAIGON WOULD BE THOSE WHO WOULD

SUPPORT A COUF.

B. NO COUP HAS BEEN INITIATED AS YET BECAUSE EVERY EFFORT

IS BLING

TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT IT BE RELATIVELY BLOODLESS.

LONE ATTEMPT WAS CANCELLED AT THE POINT OF EXECUTION BECAUSE IT

WAS THOUGHT THAT FURTHER PREPARATION WOULD PREVENT BLOODSHED.

C. & MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF SUITABLE EXPLOSIVES TO

BLAST A CONCRETE BUNKER WHERE PRESIDENT DIEM IS EXPECTED TO HIDE.

THE OLY OPENING TO THE BUNKER, OTHER THAIN A HEAVY DOOR, IS THE

VENTILATION SYSTEM AND THE COUP GROUP HESITATES TO USE FLAME

THROWERS OR POISON GAS BECAUSE THEY PREFER TO TAKE DIEM ALIVE.

D. THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES LANG AND GENERALS

KHIEM, KHAN,

AND DUONG VAN MINH. GENERAL TRI HAS AGREED TO JOIN

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMiNATION CONTROLS

SECRET

---

## Page 4

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

SECRET

(When Filled In)

TDCSDB- 3/656,830

S22UN WON 1459

IN 25834

PAGE 3

THE COUP ATTEMPT. COLONEL BUI DINH DAM, SEVENTH DIVISION COMMANDER,

IS BELIEVED READY TO SUPPORT THE COUP BUT HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED.

COLONGL GUYER HUU TANH, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE IV CORPS, WHO IS A

COUF GROUF MEMBER, BELIEVES THAT BRIGADIER GENERAL HÜŸNH VAN

CAO l" CORPS COMMINDER, WOULD SUPPORT THE COUF SUi OTHER GROUP

MEMBERS ARE :10: COVINGED.

E. GENERAL. KHEM WILL COMMAND THE COUP FORCES. MAJOR LAM.

TRAiNG THO, FORMER SECOND ARMOR SQUADRON COMMANDER AND NOW WITH THE

JOINT GENERAL STAFF, WILL COMMAND ARMOR UNITS, INCLUDING SOME ELEMENTS

OF I! & OLD SQUACRON PLUS THE FIRST TANK COMPANY AND THE FIFTI

MECHANIZED RIFLE COMPANY OF THE FIRST ARMOR SQUADRON.

F. THREE EAFTALIOINS OF THE AIRBORNE BRIGADE UNDER A MAJOR.

WILL. 10L ARMOR WITS IN THE SHOCK FORCE.

G. THE. THIRD MARINE BATTALION UNDER CAPTAIN MAHVIET BANG

WILL SERVE AS A BLOCKING FORCE TO PREVENT REINFORCEMENT OF THE

PRESIDERIDAL PALACE BY THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD.

*' LIEU.! *ANi COLONAL PHAM NGOC THAO, STRATEGIC HAMLET.

INSPECTOR FOR 0 DINH NHU, WILL NOT COMMAND THE SHOCK TROOPS BUT

WILL INVE di iN ORTANT MILITARY FUNCTION DURING THE COUP.

1. LIEUTES IT COLONEL NGUYEN DINH PHAT, KIEN PHONG PROVINCE

CHIEF, WILL COME TO SAIGON AND ALSO HAVE AN IMPORTANT

ROLE.

SECRET

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

te reemer enemyster thee yard

2162iG

---

## Page 5

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

IN

SECRET

(When Filled In)

TDCSDB-3/656,830

EACKCROYND ESE CHLY

PAGE

25834

4

J. MAJOR NGUYEN VAN TU, COMMANDER OF THE EIGHTH REGIMENT,

FIFTH DIVISION, WILL SUPPORT THE COUP WITH HIS FORCES. ALSO INVOLVED

IS THE FIFTH RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY OF THE FIFTH DIVISION.

K. GENERAL KHANH WILL COMMANDSIX DIVISIONS, ASSISTED BY

GENERAL TRI. THESE DIVISIONS INCLUDE THE FIRST, SECOND, TWENTY-

SECOND, TWENTY-FIFTH, TWENTY-THIRD, AND THE NINTH. ACCORDING TO

KHANH, COLONEL BUI DZINH, NINTH. DIVISION COMMANBER, IS NOT

IN ÄGREEMENT WITH HIM: BUT WILL SUPPORT HIM IN THE COUP.

L. TIMING FOR THE COUP WILL PROBABLY BE IODE HOURS, 14DD

HOURS, OR @58O HOURS, SO THAT FAVORABLE UNITS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL

GUARD WILL BE ON DUTY. THESE HOURS ALSO FALL BETWEEN THE NORMAL

HOURS FOR CHANGING THE GUARD.

M. ARRIVAL OF HIGH-LEVEL. UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

• OFFICIALS DISCOURAGED THE COUP GROUP WHICH IS RELUCTANT TO PROCEED WITH

THEM PRESENT IN SAIGON. THE GROUP HAS EVEN SPECULATED THE ARRIVAL

OF THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT SIGNIFY THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS

PREPARING A COUP OF ITS OWN; ARTICLES IN THE VIETNAM PRESS WERE

CITED AS EVIDENCE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.

3. FIELD DISSEM. STATE (AMBASSADOR LODGE) USMACV (GENERAL

HARKINS) CINCPAC PACAF ARPAC PACFLT.

END OF MESSAGE

SECRET

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

To Tara been AS Ande

SAOREROORO USE DALY

---