Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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176-10036-10128

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10128

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR :

FROM : Saigon

TO: Washington

TITLE :

DATE: 9/17/1963

PAGES : 3

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 199: Vietnam,9/17/1963-9/21/63. Box 2

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Fiction

r. Bendy

SEE SANITICED VERSION

NLV-82-60

17 SEPTEMBER 1963

TO:

WASHINGTON

FROM: SAIGON - 0940

A 50

FOLL OVING IS GIST 40 MINUTE: MEETING OF MR ESPERA WITH

GENERAL TRAN THIEN KHIEM AFTERNOON 16 SEPT. MEETING ORIG-NATED BY

KHIEM THROUGH MAJ NHON WHO NOTIFIED SPERA ON MOMENT&S NOTICE

THAT KHIEM HAD SOME PIME, AVAILABLE AND WOULD LIKE SPERA TO DROP IN

RIGHT AVAY FROM STARTE AND AT KHIEMS INITIATIVE, DISCUSSION

DEVOTED TO STATUS OR SITUATION SINCE KHLEMS TALK WITH HARKS

AUGUST;

KHEEM VERY CAND ID THROUGHOUT WAS AS USUAL THOUGHTFUL,

BUT APPARENTLY STRAIGHT FORWARD®

ANSWER ED AQUE ST-IONS W IT HOUT

ESITATION.

THE GENERAL SPARE STILLÄCTING WITHIN LEGALITY AND PLAN

CONTINUE DOING,

SO AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BUT BECOMING INCREASINGLY

CONCERNED OVER PRITTONAL EVIDENCE NHU NEGOTIATING FOR SENTLEMENT

WITH NORTH.

SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER GENERALS FORMALLy REQUESTED

FRESIDENT DIEM TO TURN 'OVER TOIMILITARY KEY DEPARTMENTS OF DEFENSE

INTERIORS SYCHOLOGICAL ARMORE ANDREDUCAT TO DEPOROSING PRECIREC

NAVES AS RELATED IN FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH PRESIDENT. HAS TAKEN

PROPOSAL UNDER CONSIDERAT ION BUT HAS ALREADY NOTI PIEDAT HEN THAT

SEUKEL.

RPRODUGTION BY OTHER THAN THE ISSUING OFFICE IS PROMETED.

COpy

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CLASSIFIED MESSAGE

SEUL

IN 2111433

A NO DECISION WILL BESMADE UNTIL AFTER ELECTIONS ARE HELD

SHOUL DE

HER OPOSAL BE TURNEDDOWN GENERAL'S PREPARED CONTINUE PUSHE IN OTHER

(NO AMPLIFICATION OBTAINED) DIRECTIONS.

404

HEOR DEFENSE, THEY HAVE PROPOSED GEN. DUONG VAN MINHOR

TRAN VAN DON OR NGUYEN KHANH.*

THEY ANTICIPATE THAT IF DECISION IS

FAVORABLE GEN: DON WILL BE CHOSEN, FOR INTERIOR, THEIR CANDIDATE:

IS TONATHAT DINHO RATIONALE IS THAT DINH WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TOI

DIEM S

FOR PSYWAR, EITHER GENERAL TRAN TU DAI OR LE VAN KIMO

FOR EDUCẤT TONG TRAN VAN MINH OR PHẠM XUAN CHIEU.

COUNSELL OR NHU HAS DISCUSSED WITH SOME GENERALS CHIM

STATED HE WAS NOT IN ON DISCUSSION AND ONLY MENTIONED BIG MINH

AND GENERAL ENG HIEM AS BEING AMONG THOSE WITH WHOM NHU DISCUSSED:

HESITEM THIS CONVERSATION WITH POLISH COMMISSIONER MANELI

TOLD GENERALS THAT: MANELI HAD BROUGHT HIM A PROPOSAL FROM DRV PRIME

MINISTER, PHAM VAN DONG FOR START OF TRADE BETWEEN NORTH AND

SOUTH VIETNAM. NHU HAD INFORMED THE GENERALS THAT HE HAD TAKEN

HIS UNDER CONSIDERATION AND WOULD CONSULT WITH THEM IN ANY FUTURE

MOVE •

ACCORDING TO NHU, MANELI HAD STATED THAT HE WAS AT NHUS

COMPLETE DISPOSAL AND READY TO FLY TO HANDI AT MOMENT'S NOTICE

NHU HAD ALSO STATED THAT FRENCH AMBASSADOR: LALOUETTE HAD ALSO

OFFERED HIS SERVICES TOWARD SAME END.

IN CONNECTION WITH NECESSITY MAINTAIN UTMOST SECURITY AT

PRESENT MOMENT, KHIEM STATED THAT THE KEY GROUP IS COMPOSED OF THREE

GENERAL SEBIG MINH, NGUYEN KHANH, AND, HIMSELF WHO ONLY FULLY

CONFIDE AMONG: THEMSELVES.

ALLIED GENERAL'S SUCH AS KIM, CHIEUD

ANDROT HER SHARE CONSULTED ONLY AS. NEED: ARISES BUT ARE NOT PRIVY OF

LL THOUGHTS AND PLANNING OF THE TRIUMVIRATES

AKHIEM PLEASED THAT.

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CLASSIFIED MESSAGE."

IN 21114 PAGE 310

FAR AS HE CAN DETERMINE, THERE HAS BEEN NO LEAK AS TO EXACTLY

VIHAT CONTACTS USG HAS HAD WITH ANY MENTER GO TRIO.

IN A SIDE NOTE, KHIEM SAID THAT GENERAL DINH WAS ACTING

UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM COUNSELLOR: NHU WHEN CONEIN WAS CALLED IN

FOR INTERVIEW. DINH HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DELIBERATELY INTIMIDATE

CONETN HENCE POINTED GUNS PROP DURING INTERVIEW.

ESPERA DID

NOT ASK SOURCE OF KHIEM'S INFO.

S2 ANOT HER INCIDENTAL COMMENT, KHIEM SAID THAT GENERAL

DINH CLAIMS THAT AN AMERICAN OFFICIAL HAS OFFERED HIM THE AMOUNT

OL 20 MILLION PIASTERS IF HE, DINH, WOULD OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT

AND HAS SO REPORTED TO: COUNSELLOR NHU.

M CLOSING, KHIEM REITERATED THAT THE GENERALS WOULD UNDER

A CONDIT TON GO ALONE WITH NHU SHOULD HE MAKE ANY STEP TOWARD.

THE NORTH OR

EVEN TOWARD NEUTRALIZATION A LA LAOS.

EXCRET

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