176 10036 10142

176-10036-10142 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY: NARA RECORD NUMBER: 176-10036-10142 RECORD SERIES: National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR : CIA FROM : TO : TITLE: CIA Information Report DATE: 9/24/1963 PAGES: 4 SUBJECTS: DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS: National Security Files, Box 200: Vietnam,9/22/63-10/6/63, CIA Reports. Box 2

TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.

SECRET (When Filled In) CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS NO FOREIGH DISCEGINO DISSEN ADROAD COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM SUBJECT HUYNH VAN LANG COUP MOVE TIMING DATE OF INFO. 24 SEPTEMBER 1963 PLACE & VIETNAM, SAIGON (24 SEPTEMBER 1963) DATE ACO. APPRAISAL SEE BELOW BACKGROUND USE ONLY REPORT NO. TDCS DB-3/656,830 DATE DISTR. 24 SEPTEMBER 1963 PRECEDENCE PRIORITY REFERENCES IN 25834

FIELD REPORT NO. Fvs-9691 THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE. SOURCE A CLOSE ASSOCIATE (C) OF HUYNH VAN LANG, FROM LANG. APPRAISAL:

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS INDICATING THAT A COUP IS BEING PLANNED AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION HERE IN AGREES WITH THAT IN OTHER REPORTS. CLAIMS OF SUPPORT INDICATED HEREIN CANNOT BE ACCURATELY APPRAISED AT THIS TIME, NOR CAN THE ACTUAL TIMING OF THE COUP.

SUMMARY. HUYNH VAN LANG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT SAIGON UNIVERSITY, SAID ON 24 AUGUST 1963 THAT HIS COUP GROUP WAS GOING TO LAUNCH A COUP BEFORE 5 OCTOBER AND PROBABLY ON 26 OR 28 SEPTEMBER BECAUSE TROOPS WILL BE IN SAIGON AT THAT TIME. THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES GENERALS TRAN THIEN KHIEM, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF, NGUYEN KHANH, COMMANDING GENERAL OF 11 CORPS, AND DUONG VAN MINH, MILITARY ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT. EVERY EFFORT IS BEING TAKEN TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENSIVE BLOODSHED. LANG CLAIMS TO HAVE. SIX DIVISIONS SECRET CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS NO FOREIGN DISSEMINO DISSE ABROAD BACKGROUND USE ONLY STATE/INR DIA ARMY/ACSI NAVY AIR JCS SECDEF NSA NIC STATE/DIR CIB AID USIA OC I ONE OCR ORR EXO

TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM FORM 10-62 1K OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS. (15-20) SECRET (When Filled In) CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS IN 25834 TDCS DB-3/656,830 PAGE 2

PLUS AIRBORNE, MARINE, AND ARMOR ELEMENTS READY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COUP. BRIGADIER GENERAL DO CAO TRI IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE GROUP. 2. LANG MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE STATUS OF THE COUP: A IT IS TO BE INITIATED BEFORE 5 OCTOBER, POSSIBLY ON 26 OR 28 SEPTEMBER. TROOPS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO SAIGON ON 26 SEPTEMBER FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION. MILITARY UNITS WILL REHEARSE ON 28 SEPTEMBER FOR THE 26 OCTOBER NATIONAL DAY PARADE, AND THESE TROOPS WILL REMAIN UNTIL 5 OCTOBER. GENER AL KHIEM WAS TRYING TO ARRANGE THAT HE TROOPS BROUGHT TO SAIGON WOULD BE THOSE WHO WOULD SUPPORT A COUP.

B. NO COUP HAS BEEN INITIATED AS YET BECAUSE EVERY EFFORT IS BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT IT BE RELATIVELY BLOODLESS. LONE ATTEMPT WAS CANCELLED AT THE POINT OF EXECUTION BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT THAT FURTHER PREPARATION WOULD PREVENT BLOODSHED.

C. A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF SUITABLE EXPLOSIVES TO BLAST A CONCRETE BUNKER WHERE PRESIDENT DIEM IS EXPECTED TO HIDE. THE ONLY OPENING TO THE BUNKER, OTHER THAN A HEAVY DOOR, IS THE VENTILATION SYSTEM AND THE COUP GROUP HESITATES TO USE FLAME THROWERS OR POISON GAS BECAUSE THEY PREFER TO TAKE DIEM ALIVE.

D. THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES LANG AND GENERALS KHIEM, KHANH, AND DUONG VAN MINH. GENERAL TRI HAS AGREED TO JOIN SECRET CLASSIFICATION DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

SECRET (When Filled In) CLASSIFICATION DISSEMINATION CONTROLS TDCSDB-3/656,830 4 IN 25834 3 PAGE

THE COUP ATTEMPT. COLONEL BUI DINH DAM, SEVENTH DIVISION COMMANDER, IS BELIEVED READY TO SUPPORT THE COUP BUT HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. COLONEL NGUYEN HUU HANH, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE IV CORPS, WHO IS A COUR GROUP MEMBER, BELIEVES THAT BRIGADIER GENERAL HUYNH VAN CAO IV CORPS COMMANDER, WOULD SUPPORT THE COUP SUT OTHER GROUP MEMBERS ARE NOT CONVINCED. Ε. GENERAL KHIEM WILL COMMAND THE COUP FORCES. MAJOR LAM TRANG THO, FORMER SECOND ARMOR SQUADRON COMMANDER AND NOW WITH THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF, WILL COMMAND ARMOR UNITS, INCLUDING SOME ELEMENTS OF 115 OLD SQUADRON PLUS THE FIRST TANK COMPANY AND THE FIFTH MECHANIZED RIFLE COMPANY OF THE FIRST ARMOR SQUADRON.

F. THREE BATTALIONS OF THE AIRBORNE BRIGADE UNDER A MAJOR. WILL. JOIN ARMOR UNITS IN THE SHOCK FORCE.

G. THE THIRD MARINE BATTALION UNDER CAPTAIN MAHVIET BANG WILL SERVE AS A BLOCKING FORCE TO PREVENT REINFORCEMENT OF THE PRESIDENTAL PALACE BY THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD.

H. 110EANT COLONAL PHAM NGOC THAO, STRATEGIC HAMLET INSPECTOR FOR 10 DINH NHU, WILL NOT COMMAND THE SHOCK TROOPS BUT WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT MILITARY FUNCTION DURING THE COUP.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL NGUYEN DINH PHAT, KIEN PHONG PROVINCE CHIEF, WILL COE TO SAIGON AND ALSO HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE SECRET CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS ۳۰۰۱ CLASSIFICATION DISSEMINATION CONTROLS SECRET (When Filled In) TDCSDB-3/656,830 44 IN 25834 4 PAGE

J. MAJOR NGUYEN VAN TU, COMMANDER OF THE EIGHTH REGIMENT, FIFTH DIVISION, WILL SUPPORT THE COUP WITH HIS FORCES. ALSO INVOLVED IS THE FIFTH RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY OF THE FIFTH DIVISION.

K. GENERAL KHANH WILL COMMAND SIX DIVISIONS, ASSISTED BY GENERAL TRI. THESE DIVISIONS INCLUDE THE FIRST, SECOND, TWENTY- SECOND, TWENTY-FIFTH, TWENTY-THIRD, AND THE NINTH. ACCORDING TO KHANH, COLONEL BUI DZINH, NINTH DIVISION COMMANBER, IS NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM BUT WILL SUPPORT HIM IN THE COUP.

L. TIMING FOR THE COUP WILL PROBABLY BE 1000 HOURS, 1400 HOURS, OR Ø500 HOURS, SO THAT FAVORABLE UNITS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD WILL BE ON DUTY. THESE HOURS ALSO FALL BETWEEN THE NORMAL HOURS FOR CHANGING THE GUARD.

M. ARRIVAL OF HIGH-LEVEL UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS DISCOURAGED THE COUP GROUP WHICH IS RELUCTANT TO PROCEED WITH THEM PRESENT IN SAIGON. THE GROUP HAS EVEN SPECULATED THE ARRIVAL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT SIGNIFY THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS PREPARING A COUP OF ITS OWN; ARTICLES IN THE VIETNAM PRESS WERE CITED AS EVIDENCE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.

FIELD DISSEM. STATE (AMBASSADOR LODGE) USMACV (GENERAL HARKINS) CINCPAC PACAF ARPAC PACFLT.

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