[1]176-10036-10103
[3]AGENCY :
[6]RECORD SERIES :
[7]AGENCY FILE NUMBER :
[9]RECORD NUMBER
[11]ORIGINATOR. :
[12]FROM :
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[16]TITLE :
[20]DATE
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[23]SUBJECTS :
[24]DOCUMENT TYPE :
[25]CLASSIFICATION :
[26]RESTRICTIONS :
[27]CURRENT STATUS : .
[29]OPENING CRITERIA :
[30]COMMENTS :
[32]DATE OF LAST REVIEW
[34]| 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
[36]JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM
[37]IDENTIFICATION FORM
[39]NARA
[41]National Security Files
[43]CIA Information Telegram -
[45]3
[47]National Security Files, Box 197: Vietnam, 2/63-3/63. Box 2
[49],
[51]VERSLON
[52]. mK -Gi- sas to
[54]INFORMATION REPORTE
[56]CENTRAL. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY J ore
[58]This material contains information affecting the Nations! Defente of the. United States within the meaning of the Espionage Lows, Title 16. U.S.C Sect
[59]793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unaulhoried person is prohibited by lew.
[61]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[63]C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L NO FOREIGN DISSEM
[64]COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM REPORT NO. TOCS -3/541,020
[66]SUBJECT THE SEEKING OF AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR _DATE DISTR. ‘20 MARCH 1963
[67]: THE OVERTHROW OF THE DIEM REGIME
[68]PRECEDENCE ROUTINE ¢
[70]DATE OF MID-MARCH 1963 ; REFERENCES © In 89614
[71]INFO.
[73]PLACE & VIETNAM, SAIGON (14 MARCH 1963)
[75]DATE ACQ.
[77]APPRAISAL SEE BELOW FIELD REPORT NO, FVS~8662
[79]THIS Is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
[81]source A HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL (C),.WITH.EXTENSIVE CONTACTS AT THE PRESIDENCY.
[83]APPR THIS REPORT IS. TYPICAL OF VIEWS HELD BY CERTAIN OPPOSITIONISTS, INCLUDING THOSE
[84]IN THE FELLOW-TRAVELLING CATEGORY. COMMENTS OF THIS NATURE HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE
[85]BY GOVERNMENT PROVOKERS SEEKING TO PROVOKE AMERICAN REACTION. THE LINE THAT
[86]DIEM IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT THAT HIS FAMILY, ADMINISTRATION, AND PROGRAMS ARE NOT,
[87].IS ALSO CHARACTERISTIC OF VARIOUS OPPOSITION ELEMENTS AS WELL AS SOME SEGMENTS
[88]OF THE LEFT. ‘THE ESTIMATE CONTAINED HEREIN ON A NUMBER OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING
[89]THE APPRAISAL THAT THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO THE
[90]GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM OR TO AMERICAN OBJECTIVES, IS NOT ACCEPTED.
[92]1. AMERICAN AID IS ESSENTIAL TO AN OVERTHROW OF THE DIEM REGIME,
[93]ACCORDING TO. THE STATEMENTS MADE BY TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF A COMMITTEE OF
[94]| NATIONALIST ANTI-COMMUNIST POLITICAL OPPOSITIONISTS IN MID-MARCH 1963, IN
[95]THE PRESENCE OF AN OFFICIAL OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY SERVICE (SEPES),
[96]- WHO MAY ALSO BE A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE IS ENGAGED IN A’
[97]STUDY OF THE PRESENT SITUATION IN SOUTH ‘VIETNAM AND MAKING PLANS FOR ITS
[99]IMPROVEMENT... ALTHOUGH SEPES' CHIEF TRAN KIM TUYEN IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE
[100]COMMITTEE, BECAUSE OF HIS POSITION, HE HAS PROVIDED CERTAIN SUPPORT FROM TIME TO TIME.
[102]"CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[103]-C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L NO FOREIGN DISSEM
[105]raven Tova owun/neai] wy [ave [aes [seever] wen [ vie [ove [esta] oer [ove [eee Tone [oor [oe TZ
[107]PLGISIV YM NFORMATION REPORT Mgaiaeny
[111]FORM 1Kb OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.
[113]Group |
[114]* [Excluded from avtomone
[115]downgrading ond
[117]deciowficaton
[119](15-20)
[121]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS ”
[123]NO. FOREIGN DISSEM TDCS -3/541,020
[125]THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED THAT, IF AMERICAN AID 1S NOT
[126]FORTHCOMING, OTHER SOURCES WILL BE CONTACTED. IF THE AMER I CANS
[127]HELP THE NATIONAL IST CAUSE OF THE OPPOSITIONISTS, THEY WILL
[129]HAVE SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER THE RESULTS; OTHERWISE, .
[130]THEY WILL HAVE NONE. (FIELD COMMENT. FVS 8654, TDCS-3/540,447, REPORTER
[131]AN EARLIER DISCUSSION BY THESE INDIVIDUALS. )
[132]2. ACCORDING TO THESE OPPOSITIONI'STS, THE COUNTRY HAS
[133]REACHED A COMPLETE IMPASSE AND SOMETHING MUST HAPPEN SOON, IF
[134]DIEM SHOULD DIE SUDDENLY, THE RESULT WOULD BE CHAOS, OUT OF
[135]WHICH THE COMMUNISTS WOULD EMERGE AS THE ONLY BENEFICIARIES.
[136]DIEM REMAINS IN POWER ONLY AS THE RESULT OF AMERICAN MILITARY
[137]SUPPORT, WITHOUT WHICH HE WOULD BE COMPLETELY LOST. THE DIEM .
[138]GOVERNMENT 1S WORSE THAN IMPOSSIBLE,.’ “THERE ARE
[139]A NUMBER OF. GROUPS IN THE. COUNTRY, SUCH AS THE HOA HAO “AND THE
[140]CAO DAI, THAT ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO COMMUNISM BUT CANNOT
[141]POSSIBLY SUPPORT THE PRESENT REGIME, WHEREAS THEY COULD SUPPORT
[142]_ SOME OTHER NATIONAL | ST TYPE OF GOVERNMENT. PRESIDENT DIEM
[143]| |S PERSONALLY A DECENT AND HONORABLE MAN, BUT NGO DINH NHU AND
[145]HIS WIFE MUST BE ELIMINATED; WITHOUT THEM, iT WOULD BE POSSIBLE
[147]10 RE-ORIENT DIEM..
[148]3. THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM 1S HIGHLY ‘DANGEROUS BECAUSE,
[150]ALTHOUGH THE ‘AMERICANS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ARE EITHER
[152]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS a
[154]NO FOREIGN DISSEM
[157]+ CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
[159]CONFIDENTIAL NO FORBIGN DISSEM | TDCS -3/si,020
[161]UNAWARE :OF QR UNWILLING TO FACE IT, THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS ‘ARE
[162]HEAVILY INFILTRATED WITH VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS (VC), WHOSE
[163]PRESENCE WILL MAKE ITSELF KNOWN IN DUE” COURSE. THE REPUBLICAN
[164]YOUTH MOVEMENT 1S ONLY A LONG SERIES OF MEETINGS AND 1S
[165]COMPLETELY LACKING IN“DEPTH AS AN ORGANIZATION; IT 1S A _
[166]SUPERF IC IAL’ VENEER, GOING” THROUGH VARIOUS FRUITLESS MOTIONS.
[167]THE PRINCIPAL CRITERION FOR.SELECTION OF PROVINCLAL AND
[168]DISTRICT LEADERS’ I'S “PERSONAL ‘OBEDIENCE TO THE REGIME; COMPETENCE
[169]1S ONLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT. .
[171]4. IE THE SITUATION.<GONTINUES IN ITS PRESENT VEIN, THERE
[172]WILL BE A RENEWED VC OFFENSIVE ON A LARGER SCALE SOON AFTER
[173]THE ONSET OF* THE: RAINY SEASON, WHEN BAD WEATHER REDUCES THE
[174]EFFECTIVENESS ‘OF HELICOPTERS AND AIR CAPABILITY IN GENERAL.
[175]THIS WILL BEGIN NEAR THE SAIGON AREA, AND,-AT THE SAME TIME
[176]THE VC WITHIN THE “STRATEG!C’ HAMLETS WILL GO INTO ACTION,
[178]5. FIELD DISSEM, STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACV MAAG AID
[179]‘USIA CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR DIVISION.
[181]END..OF MESSAGE
[183]CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS : .
[185]_NO FOREIGN DISSEM