[1]176-10036-10142 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
[3]JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM ,
[4]IDENTIFICATION FORM
[5]AGENCY : NARA
[6]RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10142
[7]RECORD SERIES : National Security Files
[8]AGENCY FILE NUMBER :
[10]FROM :
[11]TO:
[12]TITLE : CIA Information Report
[13]DATE : 9/24/1963
[14]PAGES YY.
[15]SUBJECTS :
[16]DOCUMENT TYPE :
[17]CLASSIFICATION :
[18]RESTRICTIONS :
[19]CURRENT STATUS :
[20]DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000
[21]OPENING CRITERIA :
[22]COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 200: Vietnam,9/22/63-10/6/63, CIA
[24]Reports. Box 2
[26]ALE hard ~iel (e:
[28]CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Vv by ; . _
[29]Laws, Tittle 18, U.S.C Secs
[31]This. material contains information effecting the Nationo! Cefense of the United Stal ithin hi
[32]793 and 794, he transmission ar revelation of which in any manner to an uaauthor: ted person is Ore ee be tae Erpona
[34]SECRET CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[35](When Filled In) : NO FORESY POSE /N0 BISSES ABROAD BACKGROUND USE ONLY
[37]COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM | “ REPORT NO. TDCS DB-3/656,830 -
[39]SUBJECT HUYNH VAN LANG COUP MOVE TIMING “DATE DISTR. 24 seetemBer 1963
[40]L : PRECEDENCE PRIORITY
[42]pateor 24 septemBeR 1963 , REFERENCES 25
[44]INFO. . m 25634
[46]PLACE = VIETNAM, SAIGON (24 sertemBer 1963)
[48]DATE ACQ.
[50]APPRAISAL 5 FIELD REPORT NO. 969
[52]THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
[54]SOURCE a CLOSE associATE (c) OF HUYNH VAN LANG, FROM LANG.
[56]APPRAISAL! THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS INDICATING THAT A COUP IS BEING PLANNED AND
[57]SOME OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN AGREES WITH THAT IN OTHER REPORTS. CLAIMS OF
[58]SUPPORT INDICATED HEREIN CANNOT BE ACCURATELY APPRAISED AT THIS TIME s NOR CAN
[59]— THE ACTUAL TIMING OF THE COUP,
[61]1, SUMMARY. HUYNH VAN LANG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT
[62]SAIGON UNIVERSITY, SAID ON 24 AUGUST 1963 THAT HIS COUP GROUP
[63]WAS GOING TO LAUNCH A COUP BEFORE 5 OCTOBER AND PROBABLY ON 26
[64]OR 28 SEPTEMBER BECAUSE TROOPS WILL BE IN SAIGON AT THAT TIME.
[65]THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES GENERALS TRAN THIEN
[66]KHIEM, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF, NGUYEN KHANH,
[67]COMMANDING GENERAL OF I! CORPS, AND BUONG VAN MINH, MILITARY ADVISOR
[68]TO THE PRESIDENT. EVERY EFFORT 1S BEING TAKEN TO REDUCE THE
[69]POSSIBILITY OF EXTENSIVE BLOODSHED. LANG CLAIMS YO HAVE.SIM DIVISIONS”
[71]Group 1
[72]facluded from automans
[73]downgrading and
[74]declonificotion
[76]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CON
[78]SECRET WD FOREIGN ST Mi > CIB
[79]meGRGTNG USE ONLY
[80]a [nT [TT Care Pa usta oct]
[82]FORM 1K OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS. _ 20
[84]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[86]SECRET
[88](When Filled in)
[90]PLUS AIRBORNE, ARINE, AND ARMOR ELEMENTS READY TO PARTICIPATE 11
[91]THE COUP, BRIGADIER GENERAL DO CAO TRI IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE
[92]GROUF,
[93]2, LANG MAGE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS OM THE STATUS OF THE COUP: -
[95]A, If 18 TO BE INITIATED BEFORE 5 OCTOBER, POSSIBLY ON 26
[96]OR 28 SEPTEMBER. TROOPS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO SAIGON ON 26. SEPTEMBER
[97]FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION, MILITARY UNITS WILL REHEARSE
[98]ON 28 SEPTEMBER FOR THE 26 OCTOBER NATIONAL DAY PARADE, AND THESE
[99]TROOPS WILL REMAIN UNTIL 5 OCTOBER, GENERAL KHIEM WAS TRYING TO
[100]ARRANGE THAT HE TROOPS BROUGHT TO SAIGON WOULD BE THOSE WHO WOULD
[101]SUPPORT A COUP, |
[103]B.. NO COUF HAS BEEN INITIATED AS YET BECAUSE EVERY EFFORT
[104]IS BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT IT BE RELATIVELY BLOODLESS.
[105]LONE ATTEMPT WAS CANCELLED AT THE POINT OF EXECUTION BECAUSE. IT
[106]WAS THOUGHT THAT, FURTHER PREPARATION WOULD PREVENT BLOODSHED.
[108]C. A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF SUITABLE EXPLOSIVES TO
[109]BLAST A CONCRETE BUNKER WHERE PRESIDENT DIEM 1S EXPECTED TO HIDE.
[110]THE OLY OPEXING TO THE BUNKER, OTHER THAN A HEAVY DOOR, 1S THE
[111]VENTILATION SYSTEM AND THE COUP GROUP HESITATES TO USE FLAME
[112]THROWERS OR PO1SON GAS BECAUSE THEY PREFER TO TAKE DIEM ALIVE.
[114]D. THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES LANG AND GENERALS
[115]KHIEM, KHANH, AND DUONG VAN MINH. GENERAL TRI HAS AGREED TO JOIN
[117]. CLASSIFICATION — DISSGNii.7ON CONTROLS
[119]SECRET -
[121]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[125](When Filied In)
[127]SECRET Re eres rc set
[129]THE COUP ATTEMPT. COLONEL BUI DINH DAM, SEVENTH DIVISION COMMANDER,
[130]1S BELIEVED READY 70 SUPPORT THE COUP BUT HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
[131]COLONEL HGUYEN HUU IJANH, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE 1V CORPS, WHO IS A
[132]COUF GROUP MEMBER, BELIEVES THAT BRIGADIER GENERAL HUYNH VAN
[133]CAO. 1% CORPS COMMANDER, WOULD SUPPORT THE COUP SUY OTHER GROUP
[134]MEMBERS ARE NOY COVER WCED, | |
[136]cE. GUNERLL, KHIEEM WILL COMMAND THE COUP FORCES. MAJOR LAM-
[137]TRANG THO, FORMER SECOND ARMOR SQUADRON COMMANDER AND ‘NOW WITH THE
[138]JOINT GENERAL STAFF, WILL COMMAND ARMOR UNITS, INCLUDING SOME ELEMENTS
[139]OF fi! OLG SQUAURON PLUS THE FIRST TANK COMPANY AND THE FIFTH
[140]MECHANIZED RIFLE COMPANY OF THE FIRST ARMOR SQUADRON. .
[142]F.  FYREE, BATTALIONS OF THE AIRBORNE BRIGADE UNDER A MAJOR.
[143]WILL JON ARMOR UNITS IN THE SHOCK FORCE.
[144]9. TNE THIRD MARINE BATTALION UNDER ‘CAPTAIN MAHVIET BANG
[146]WILL SERVE, AS A BLOCKING FORCE TO PREVENT REINFORCEMENT OF THE
[147]PRESVOE Tr PAL PALACE BY THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD.
[148]| YEU ANY COLONAL PHAM NGOC THAO, STRATEGIC HAMLET
[149]INSPECTOR FUR CO DINK NHU, WILL NOT COMMAND THE SHOCK TROOPS BUT
[150]WILL StAVE sy iM OGRTANT MILITARY FUNCTION DURING THE COUP.
[151]1. LIEUTENANT COLONEL NGUYEN DINH PHAT, KIEN PHONG PROVINCE
[152]CHIEF, WILL USE *Q SAIGON AND ALSO HAVE AN IMPORTANT
[154]ROLE.
[156]” CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[158]5 E C R E T. : “a prema wager] Trnenae xen npatemmanr eng cones
[161]“ss ante Fe at ep een ee ee
[163]* CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[165]SECRET Re RES PSE ae Biogen Ben TDCSDB- 3/656 ,830
[167](When Filled Imp a BACKERGUR USE CHLY
[169]J. MAJOR NGUYEN VAN TU, COMMANDER OF THE EIGHTH REGIMENT,
[171]FIFTH DIVISION, WILi SUPPORT THE COUP WITH HIS FORCES. ALSO INVOLVED
[172]IS THE FIFTH RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY OF THE FIFTH DIVISION.
[174]K. GENERAL KHANH WILL COMMANDSIX DIVISIONS, ASSISTED BY
[175]GENERAL TRI. THESE DIVISIONS INCLUDE THE FIRST, SECOND, TWENTY~
[176]SECOND, TWENTY- FIFTH, TWENTY-THIRD, AND’ THE NINTH, ACCORDING TO
[177]KHANH, COLONEL BU! DZINH, NINTH DIVISION COMMANBER, 1S NOT
[178]IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM. BUT WILL SUPPORT HIM IN THE COUP.
[180]L. TIMING FOR THE COUP WILL PROBABLY BE 199 HOURS , No
[181]HOURS, “OR 2500 | HOURS, SO THAT FAVORABLE UNITS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
[182]GUARD WILL BE ON DUTY. THESE HOURS ALSO FALL BETWEEN THE NORMAL
[183]HOURS FOR CHANGING THE GUARD. |
[185]M. ARRIVAL OF HIGH-LEVEL.UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
[187]- OFFICIALS DISCOURAGED THE COUP GROUP WHICH IS RELUCTANT TO PROCEED WITH
[188]THEM PRESENT IN SAIGON. THE.GROUP HAS EVEN SPECULATED THE ARRIVAL
[189]OF THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT SIGNIFY THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS
[190]PREPARING A COUP OF ITS OWN; ARTICLES IN THE VIETNAM PRESS WERE
[191]CITED AS EVIDENCE OF THIS POSSIBILITY. .
[192]3. FIELD DISSEM, STATE (AMBASSADOR LODGE) USMACV (GENERAL
[193]HARKINS) CINCPAC PACAF ARPAC PACFLT.
[195]END OF MESSAGE oy
[197]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[199]Pers h TASES ARM BACKERGUAT USE HETY