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176-10036-10103

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

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10103

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR. : CIA

FROM :

TO :

TITLE : CIA Information Telegram

DATE: 3/20/1963

PAGES : 3

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 197: Vietnam, 2/63-3/63. Box 2

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JENSION

TELEGRAM INFURMATION REPCRT TELEGRAM

CENTRAL. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

*co feinsmission di re

which ion al Demanne

menser to hn undunorstede beritin

bombinid o' aho Espionage Lams, Tilla 18. U.S.C Sect

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

COUNTRY

C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

SOUTH VIETNAM

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

REPORT NO. TDCS -3/541,020

SUBJECT

THE SEEKING OF AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR

THE OVERTHROW OF THE DIEM REGIME

DATE DISTR. 20 MARCH 1963

PRECEDENCE

ROUTINE

DATE OF

MID-MARCH 1963

REFERENCES

IN 89614

INFO.

PLACE &

VIETNAM, SAIGON (14 MARCH 1963)

DATE ACO.

APPRAISAL SEE BELOW

FVS-8662

FIELD REPORT NO.

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

SOURCE A HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL (C), WITH EXTENSIVE CONTACIS AT THE PRESIDENCY.

APPR THIS REPORT IS TYPICAL OF VIEWS HELD BY CERTAIN OPPOSITIONISTS, INCLUDING THOSE

IN THE FELLOW-TRAVELLING CATEGORY. COMMENTS OF TRIS NATURE HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE

BY GOVERNMENT PROVOKERS SEEKING 10 PROVOKE AMERICAN REACTION. THE LINE THAT

DIEM IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT THAT HIS FAMILY, ADMINISTRATION, AND PROGRAMS ARE NOT,

IS ALSO CHARACTERISTIC OF VARIOUS OPPOSITION ELEMENTS AS WELL AS SOME SEGMENTS

OF THE LEFT. THE ESTIMATE CONTAINED HEREIN ON A NUMBER OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING

THE APPRAISAL THAT THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM IS HICHLY DANGEROUS TO THE

GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM OR TO AMERICAN OBJECTIVES, IS NOT ACCEPTED:

I.:: AMERICAN AID IS ESSENTIAL TO AN OVERTHROW OF TRE DIEM REGIME,

ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS MADE BY TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF A COMMITTEE OF

NATIONALISI ANTI-COMMUNIST POLITICAL OPPOSITIONISTS IN MID-MARCH 1963, IN

...

THE PRESENCE OF AN OFFICIAL OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY SERVICE (SEPES),

WHO MAY ALSO BE A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE. THE COMMITIEE IS ENGAGED IN A

STUDY OF THE. PRESENT SITUATION IN SOUTE VIETNAM AND MAKING PLANS FOR ITS

IMPROVEMENT..

. ALTHOUGH SEPES' CHIEF TRAN KIM TUYEN IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE

COMMITTEE, BECAUSE OF HIS POSITION, HE HAS PROVIDED CERTAIN SUPPORT FROM TIME TO TIME.

•CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

GROUP I

Excluded Irom auromorre

•C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-I-1-A-1

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

downgrading and

declassification

STATE/INA DIA ARMY/ACS! NAVY

AID USIA OCI ONE OCR

EXO

& TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT

TELEGRAM

SANITIZED 12K: 01.197-5-7-3

FOR 1K6 OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.

5-62

(15-20)

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CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

CONFIDENTIAL

NO. FOREIGN DISSEM

TDCS - 3/541,020

IN 89614

PAE-

TWO,

THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED THAT, IF AMERICAN AID IS NOT

FORTHCOMING, OTHER SOURCES WILL BE CONTACTED. IF THE AMERICANS

HELP THE NATIONALIST CAUSE OF THE OPPOSITIONISTS, THEY WILL

HAVE SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER THE RESULTS; OTHERWISE;

THEY WILL HAVE NONE: (FIELD COMMENT. FVS 8654, IDCS-3/540,447, REPORTEC

AN EARLIER DISCUSSION BY THESE INDIVIDUALS.)

2. ACCORDING TO THESE OPPOSITIONISTS,. THE COUNTRY HAS

REACHED A COMPLETE IMPASSE AND SOMETHING MUST HAPPEN SOON. IF

DIEM SHOULD DIE SUDDENLY, THE RESULT WOULD BE CHAOS, OUT OF

WHICH THE COMMUNISTS WOULD EMERGE AS THE ONLY BENEFICIARIES:

DIEM REMAINS IN POWER ONLY AS THE RESULT OF AMERICAN MILITARY

SUPPORT, WITHOUT WHICH HE WOULD BE COMPLETELY LOST. THE DIEM.

GOVERNMENT IS WORSE THAN IMPOSSIBLE: 'THERE ARE

A NUMBER OF. GROUPS IN THE COUNTRY, SUCH AS THE HOA HO AND THE

CAO DAI, THAT ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO COMMUNISM BUT CANNOT

POSSIBLY SUPPORT THE PRESENT REGIME, WHEREAS THEY COULD

SUPPORT

• SOME OTHER NATIONALIST TYPE OF GOVERNMENT. PRESIDENT DIEM

IS PERSONALLY A DECENT AND HONORABLE MAN, BUT NGO DINH NHU AND

HIS WIFE MUST BE ELIMINATED; WITHOUT THEM, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE

¡TO RE-ORIENT DIEM...

3. THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE,

ALTHOUGH THE AMERICANS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ARE EITHER

CONFIDENTI

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

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## Page 4

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

CONFIDENTIAL

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

TDCS - 3/541,020

IN

89614

PAGi: THREE

UNAWARE OF ARE UNWILLING TO FACE IT, THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS ARE

HEAVILY INFILTRATED WITH VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS (VC), WHOSE

PRESENCE WILL MAKE ITSELF KNOWN IN DUE COURSE. THE REPUBLICAN

YOUTH MOVEMENT IS ONLY A LONG SERIES OF MEETINGS AND IS

COMPLETELY LACKING IN "DEPTH AS AN ORGANIZATION; IT IS A

SUPERFICIAL VENEER; GOING THROUGH VARIOUS FRUITLESS MOTIONS.

THE PRINCIPAL CRITERION FOR SELECTION OF PROVINCIAL AND

DISTRICT LEADERS IS PERSONAL OBEDIENCE TO THE REGIME; COMPETENCE

IS ONLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT.

4. IF THE SITUATION CONTINUES IN ITS PRESENT VEIN, THERE

WILL BE A RENEWED VC OFFENSIVE ON A LARGER SCALE SOON AFTER

THE ONSET OF THE RAINY SEASON, WHEN BAD WEATHER REDUCES THE

EFFECTIVENESS OF HELICOPTERS AND AIR CAPABILITY IN GENERAL.

THIS WILL_ BEGIN NEAR THE SAIGON AREA, AND, - AT THE SAME TIME

THE VE WITHIN THE "STRATEGIC HAMLETS WILL GO INTO ACTION.

5. FIELD DISSEM. STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACU MAAG AID

USIA CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR DIVISION.

END. OF MESSAGE

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

CONFIDENTIAL

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

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