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176-10036-10162

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10162

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM :

TO.:

TITLE : Government of Vietnam Acting Foreign Minister

DATE : 10/18/1963

PAGES : 3

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 201: Vietnam, 10/15/63-10/28/63, Memos

and Miscellaneous. Box 2

NW 49061

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10.7

18 October 1963

SUBJECT

: Government of Vietnam Acting Foreign

Minister Cuu'a Commenta to Ambassador

Lodge on the Budhist Issue and Alleged

American Involvement

REFERENCES: A. Saigon EMBTEL 724, dated 17 October 1963

B. Saigon EMBTEL 717, dated 17 October 1983

1. The GVN strongly resents United States refusal to turn over

Trl Quang to GVN juradiction. The GVN considers Trl Quang as the

primary instigator and leader of a revolutionary eflort to overthrow

the government. As long as the question of Tri Quang's sanctuary in

"the-American Embassy remains unresolved we will continue to have

strained relations with the GVN. Under present circumstances, we

can expect the GVN to strike back by accusing American officials of

complicity in causing and aggravating the Buddhist crisis.

3. Aside from the problem of Tr! Quang's sanctuary in the

American Embassy, the GVN has other reasone for suspecting

American oficials of tilegitimate activities in cooperation with the

Buddhist leaderahtp. During the heat of the Buddhist eriale and prior

to the declaration of martial law on 21 August 1963, about ten or eleven

American oficials were vaiting Xa Lol pagoda weekly to debrief

Buddhist leaders on their plans and reactions. These officiale repre-

sented J-2, CIC, other intelligence components of the American miesion.

the Embassy security Office and the USOM Publie Safety Divleion. The

Saigon Station had two or three representativestin direct touch at one

time or another with the Buddhist leadership in Xa Lol. We aurfaced

this fact together with the names of our officers to Ngo Dinh Nhu, State

Secretary Thuan and to Interior Minister Luong. We pointed out that

the purpose of our relationship was to obtain a correct estimate of the

altuation, to avoid rellance on exaggerated foreign press reports, and

to urge moderation on the Buddhist leadership. Both Thuan and Luong

seemed to accept our statement and to concur in the Stationis relation-

ship with the Buddhist leadership. As time went on, Ambassador

, Noiting became disturbed at the considerable number of American

officiale viaiting the Budchist leadership at Xa Lol. He thought that

the size and frequency of American representation at &a Lol could be

misconstrued by the Buddhist leadership and by the GVN as constituting

Excluded iza. cabmalic

deniagrating and

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encouragement of the Buddhist movement. Nolting finally cancelled

all United States official visits to Xa Lot with the exception of Station

liaison. The Station reduced the frequency of its visite to about twice

a week and finally began to use only one officer for liaison with the

Buddhists.

3. Cuu's charge that Tri Quang ordered the self-cremation of the

bonze on 5 October in cooperation with American representatives 1e

without foundation in actual fact. To the best of my knowledge, Tri

Quang is under continual guard; he has access to no telephone; and

there appears to be no way for him to establish communication with

outsiders. When Cuu speaks of the United States conducting an operation

of thie kind through another Embassy, I have no basis for speculation

as to which Embassy he has in mind.

together odds and ends of gossip, rumor, and malicious deception infor

mation, and it may believe that it has a case. On the other hand, the

GVN may simply be striking back at the United States over the sanctuary

question, knowing that its Information le fabricated. I assume that

Thich Thin Khlet'a appeal to the Embassy that Trl Quang be turned over

to Khiet'a religlous custody resulted from pressure on Khiet by the GVN

to make an appeal of this nature.

With respect to Cuu's charges against John Heible, Consul in

Hue, I feel that Cur is greatly exaggerating. To the best of my knowledge

nelther Helble nor other American offlcials in Hue had any part in organiz-

Ing the original Buddhist Incident or in keeping the 1esue alive. Helble

had many contacts in Fue among professors, studente, other intellectuals,

and probably with a number of politically dissident elements. As the

Buddhist situation developed, certain of these contacts were detained

or arrested. The Buddhist criate and ensuing GVN repreasion had.

I believe, a strong impact on Helble, who probably spoke out among

Vietnamese friende and contacts with candid and firm empressions of

disapproval over the way the GVN was handling the Buddhist problem.

Regardless of the inaccuracies or exaggerations of the GVN case. :...

against Helble, it is probable that the GVN feels Heible constitutes

a oritical and antagonistic element in Fue. Personally, I regard

Helble as an able and dedicated officer.

8. The USIS Chiel, John Mecklin, has led one of the most

effective USIS programs that I have seen anywhere. Apart from

programmatic progrese, however, Mecklin and his deputy, David

Sheppard, have perhaps become increasingly critical with respect to the

GVN. In this respect, they are not much different from a large number

of the civilian officials representing components of the United States

misalon in Vietnam. I reject completely Cuu's charges that Mecklin

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bribed reporters or pald out money for photographs of burning bonzes.

The Australian correspondent, Dennis Warner, stayed at Mecklin's

home in Saigon during part of his visit to South Vietnam. However,

there was no complicity between Mecklin and Warner in the appearance

of a copy of Warner's manuscript at the &a Lol pagoda. The more

plausible story as we have beardit is that this manuscript was being

worked on by Warner while he was staying either at Mecklin's home or

at the Caravelle hotel. This manuscript story was entitled something

like "The Decline and Fall of the Diem Regime" and represented a

partially fiaished draft of a contemplated newspaper or magazine article.

The manuscript was stolen from Warner's lodging and was, we belleve,

planted in the &a Los pagoda by the GVN, itself, in order to discredit

Warner and, as it now turns out, Mecklin as well.

0. I do not doubt that the GVN will bitterly resent contact by the

UNGA delegation and Trt Quang in the Embasay. On the other hand,

I am inclined to skepticiam at the thought that the GVN will attempt to

delay or prevent the arrival of the UNGA delegation at this late date.

Nor do I belleve that there is much real possibility of a GVN-inatigated

Invasion of the Embassy to seize Tr Quang.

7. On the queation of declaring United States officials personna

non grata, my impression is that the GVN would be reluctant to take

this step. Ngo Dinh Nhu and, I believe, Cuu as well have expressed

Din Ki a than the coy

the hope that the United States misaion would "put its own house in

order"

Nevertheless, the continued presence of Trd Quang in the

Embassy and the intensification of other strains in United States-GVN

relations may overoome GVN reservations about declaring one or

more of the American offictals in Saigon personna non grata.

John H. Richardson

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