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

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176-10036-10140

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

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER

: 176-10036-10140

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

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SORTER 110 1C1'1

LAYMIA ORMATION REI IRT TELEGRAM

SEK

SANITIZED

VERSION

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

NL4-82-56

This matorial contains information allecting

193 and 794.

or revelation

Chinational Dolene of tha

United Stater within

an unauthorized

Do mbinid 6v' Ato Espionage Lams, Tollo 18. U.S.G

Sect

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

S-E-C-R-E-T

NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY

COUNTRY

SOUTH VIETNAM

REPORT NO. TDCS DB-3/656, 792

SUBJECT

DATE DISTR. 23 SEPTEMBER 1963

PHAM NGOC THAO'S COUP GROUP'S STRATEGY;

HIS OPINION OF THE ARMY GENERALS; AND,

HIS BELIEF THAT NGO DINE NHU COMPARES

WELL WITH COMMUNISIS

13 SEPTEMBER 1963 AND AS STATED

PRECEDENCE ROUTINE

DATE OF

REFERENCES

IN

INFO.

PLACE &

DATE ACO.

VIETNAM, SAIGON (13 SEPTEMBER 1963)

APPRAISAL

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

MIS IS URE VALUATEO MPORMATION

SOURCE

AN AMERICAN OBSERVER (B); FROM LTEUTENANI COLONEL PHAM NGOC THAO.

APPR

PHAM NGOC THAO'S GROUP PROBABLY IS PLANNING A COUP D'ETAT AGAINST THE DIEM REGIME,

BUT WHETHER OR NOR THEY EVER ACHIEVE THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF UNIIS TO TAKE ACTION

CANNOT BE ASSESSED. THAO'S OPINION OF THE ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIEINAM GENERALS

IS PROBABLY ACCURATE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES. THAO'S JUDGMENTILOF. NGO DINH NHU'S

PERSONALITY AND CHARACIER IS POSSIBLY. ACCURATE SINCE THAO IS A FORMER VIETNAMESE

COMMUNIST.

1. SUMMARY, LIEUZENANT COLONEL PRAM NGOC THAO, SPECIAI INVESTIGATOR OF

STRATEGIC HAMLETS FOR THE PRESIDENCY, SAID ON 13 SEPTEMBER 1963 THAT THE COUP

D'ETAI PLANNING OF HIS GROUP IS PROGRESSING WELL, BUT THAT IT WILL NOT TAKE ACTION

UNTIL IT IS REASONABLY CERIAIN OF SUCCESS. THAO MAINTAINED THAT THE SOUTH

VIEINAMESE GENERALS ARE UNDEPENDABLE AS THEY ARE AFRAID OF LOSING THEIR PRIVILEGED

POSITIONS. HE ALSO CLAIMED THAI NGO DINH NEU WAS SIMILAR TO A COMMUNIST AS NHU

IS ALSO DEVIOUS, DISRESPECITUL OF LEGALITY, AND WILL DO ANYTHING IO FURTHER HIS •

OWN GOALS:

S-E-C-R-E-T

STATE/INR

DIA ARMY/ACSI| NAVY

STATE/DIR

TELEGRAM

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USE ONLY

CIP

SECDEF. NSA NIC

XXXXXXX

OCI ONE

GROUP I

Escluded team

doungroding and

declasslirarion

INFORMATION REPORT

00

EX

TELEGRAM

FORM 1Kb. OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.

115-20

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TDCSDB-3/656, 792

PAGE TWO

2. COLONEL THAO SAID THAI THE COUP D'ETAT GROUP TO WHICH HE BELONGS IS

PLANNING CAREFULLY AND MOVING CAUTIOUSLY TOWARD A COUP SINCE THEY WISH TO BE

REASONABLY CERTAIN OF SUCCESS. HE STATED THAT THE GROUP WILL TAKE ACTION WHEN

THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF UNITS IS ACHIEVED. HE CLAIMED THAT THE MOVEMENT OF

MILITARY UNITS TO SUPPORT AN ATTEMPIED COUP WAS GOING FAIRLY WELL AND THAT THE

GROUP WAS NOW TRYING TO OBTAIN THE SUPPORT OF THE ARMORED UNITS IN SAIGON, WHICH

WOULD MAKE A SUCCESSFUL: COUP MUCH EASIER TO ATTAIN AND WOULD CAUSE LESS BLOODSHED.

3. THAO REMARKED THAT THE DEPARTURE OF TRAN KIM TUYEN, FORMER DIRECTOR OF

THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY SERVICE, FROM SOUTH VIETNAM WILL PROBABLY HAVE AN

ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE TUYEN GROUP COUP D'ETAT PLANNING, BUT MIGHT PROVE BENEFICIAI

TO THAO'S GROUP AS NGO DINE NHU MIGHT RELAX IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ONE OF THE

GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM'S MOST DANGEROUS ENEMIES IS OUT OF THE WAY.

4. THAO MAINTAINED THAT. THE GENRALS OF THE ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

ARE UNDEPENDABLE; THEY CLAIM THAT THEY ARE AWAITING A POSITIVE INDICATION THAT THE

NGO FAMILY IS PLACING PRESERVATION OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL POWER ABOVE THAI OF THE

COUNTRY, AND/OR POSITIVE PROOF THAI NHU IS DEALING WITE THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF

VIETNAM. THAO REMARKED THAI THESE ARE MERELY EXCUSES AND THAT THE GENERALS ARE

AFRAID OF LOSING PRIVILEGED POSITIONS.

5.. THAO REMARKED THAI, IN HIS OPINION, NEU MIGHT THINK THAT HE CAN MAKE A

DEAL WITH THE COMMUNISTS AND END UP BY TRICKING THEM. THAO CLAIMED, HOWEVER, THAT

IF NHU ACTUALLY BELIEVES SUCH A THING, HE IS VERY MUCH MISTAKEN. THAO STATED THAT

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TDCS DB-3/656, 792

IN

PAGE THREE

NEU COMPARED WELL WITH HIGH-RANKING COMMUNISTS, BUT THAT HE MAKES UNILATERAI

DECISIONS WHILE THE COMMUNISTS MAKE DECISIONS ONLY AFTER DISCUSSIONS, THUS

PRECLUDING SERIOUS ERRORS. THAO SAID THAT, WHEN SPEAKING WITH NHU, HE HAS OFTEN

FELT TRAT HE WAS SPEAKING WITH A COMMUNIST SINCE NEU IS ALSO DEVIOUS, DISRESPECI-

FUL OF LEGALITY; AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO FURTHER HIS OWN GOALS.

6.

THAO COMMENTED THAT. NHU RECENTLY TOLD THAI LANG. NGHIEM, A CLOSE. FRIEND

OF NEU, THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING SOON THAT WOULD BE VERY SURPRISING,

BUT THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO DIVULGE WHAT HE HAS IN MIND. THAO HAD NO IDEA WHAT

NHU HAD IN MIND, BUT SPECULATED THAT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH NORTH

VIETNAM.

7. FIELD DISSEM. STATE USMAÇV CINCPAC ARPAC PACAF PACFLI.

ENd OF MESSAGE

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