Comments of President Diem on the Situation
Originator: CIA
Document date: 11/20/1962
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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176-10036-10089

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

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10089

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM :

• TO :

TITLE : Comments of President Diem on the Situation

> DATE : 11/20/1962

PAGES : 2

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 197: Vietnam, 11/62. Box 2

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1.1. 30

TELEGRAM

INGORMATION REPORT;

TELEGRAM

contains information

phe National Delense of the

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY GET -TEm

the. Espionage Lame, Tillo 18, U.S.C Sect

tha transmission or revelation

an unauthorized

person is prohibited

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

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

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

COUNTRY

SOUTH VIETNAM/ SOUTHEAST ASIA /CHINA

SUBJECT

COMMENTS OF PRESIDENT DIEM ON THE

SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

REPORT NO. TDCS - 3/528,822.

DATE DISTR.

20 0 38 196 la

PRECEDENCE

ROUTINE

DATE OF

14 NOVEMBER 1962

REFERENCES

IN

INFO.

PLACE &

VIETNAM, SAIGON (14 NOVEMBER 1962)

DATE ACO.

APPRAISAL

SEE BELOW

FIELD REPORT NO. FVS-8190

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

SOURCE AN AMERICAN OBSERVER (B); FROM PRESIDENT DIEM.

APPR. IT IS PROBABLY TRUE THAT PRESIDENT DIEM HOLDS THE VIEWS EXPRESSED, AND THAT HE KNEW

THAT THEY WOULD REACH AMERICAN OFFICIALS.

1. PRESIDENT NGO DINE DIEM STATED ON 14 NOVEMBER 1962 THAT THE FRENCH WERE

ATIEMPTING TO MAINTAIN THEIR CONTROL IN SOUTHEAST ASIA BY THE NEUTRALIZATION OF

THE AREA AND BY THE DIMINUTION OR EJECTION OF SIGNIFICANI AMERICAN PRESENCE. DIEM

STATED THAI SUCH IS HAPPENING IN LAOS AND WHAT IS UNDER WAY IN CAMBODIA, WITH THE

POSSIBLE FORCED WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ASSISTANCE AND ADVISORY

GROUP THERE. THE UNITED STATES WILL DISCOVER THAT THE FRENCH ARE INCAPABLE OF

DISCHARGING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES EITHER IN LAOS OR IN CAMBODIA. FRENCH JURISTS

ARE DRAWING UP THE NEUTRALIZATION PROPOSAL IN PHNOM PENH, DIEM REMARKED.

2. DIEM CLAIMED THAT THE SITUATION IN LAOS WILL FALI, TO PIECES, BECAUSE

THERE IS NO BASIC STRUCTURE ON WHICH TO WORK. HE FELT THAT IT IS AN ABSURD ATTEMPT

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

• C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-I-I-A-L

NO FOREIGN DISSEM

GROUP I

Encluded from automorie

downgrading and

declosulatron

STATE/INR. DIA ARMY/ACSI NAVY

AIR SOS SECDEFNSA NIC AID USIA OCI ONE OCR ORR

081

00

XO

STATE/DIR

TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM

FORM : 1Kb

OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.

(15-20)

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10

CLASSIFICATION- CONTROLS CONTROLS.

C-0-N-F-I-D-E-N-I-I-A-L

• NO FOREIGN DISSEM

TDCS -3/528,822

IN

PAGE TWO

TO IMPOSE: IN LAOS A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM CHARACTERISTIC OF THE OLD AND ESTABLISHED

COUNTRIES OF WESTERN EUROPE, AND EVEN MORE CHARACTERISTIC OF THOSE COUNTRIES AT

THE END

OF THE NINETEENIH CENTURY. ALL OF THE LAO ARMED FORCES: ARE NOT

COMPLSTELY LACKING IN FIGHTING SPIRIT, DIEM STATED, BUT CHANGING AMERICAN

POLICIES IN LAOS HAVE TENDED TO DEMORALIZE THE LAO FORCES AND DESTROY THEIR

SPIRIT. DIEM SAID THAI THAILAND STILI HAS SEVERAL COURSES OF POSSIBLE ACTION

CONGARNING LAOS, FOR INSTANCE, THAILAND COULD DENY RICE SUPPLIES AND CUT OFF

ACCESS FOR OTHER IMPORTS INTO LAOS.

THAILAND SHOULD HAVE INVADED LAOS AT THE

BEGINNING OF THE SOVIET AIRLIFT, AND SHOULD HAVE WITHDRAWN STEP BY STEP IN

ACCORDANCE WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROOPS FROM NORTH VIETNAM.

COMMUNIST

CHINA MAY HAVE STARTED THE LAO VENTURE IN ORDER IO CONSOLIDATE PHONG SALY, SAM

NEUA, AND NORTHERN LAOS IN GENERAI, AS A PROJECIION FOR UNVAN PROVINCE, WHICH

DIEM DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS ON MAINLAND CHINA.

DIEM.

BELIEVED. THE CHINESE. NATIONALISIS SHOULD DIRECT PROBING ACTIONS INTO SÜCH AREAS

AS YUNNAN, INSTEAD OF CONDUCTING THEM FRONTALLY AGAINST THE COASTAI AREAS.

3. FIELD DISSIM. SIATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACV MAAG AID USIA 9TE

FIELD STATION ND AIR DIVISION CINCPAC ARPAC PACFIT PACAF.

END OF MESSAGE

CLASSIFICATION- DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

CONFIDENIIAL

NO. FOREIGN DISSEM

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