The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and t. e. Ng nh Dim ( / djm / [1] or / zim /; [2] Vietnamese: [ n jm] ( listen); 3 January 1901 - 2 November 1963) was a South Vietnamese politician who was the final prime minister of the State of Vietnam (1954-1955), and then served as the first president of South Vietnam ( Republic of Vietnam) from 1955 until he . According to Lodges report of the two-hour discussion, many of the points he raised were nearly verbatim with those he discussed with Kennedy on August 15 including the importance of U.S. public opinion, the role of Madame Nhu, and the recent unrest in Saigon. Kahin donation, The following day, Hughes wrote to Secretary of State Dean Rusk on the subject of Nhu. The quote has been used in virtually every account of the Diem coup written since that time. By this juncture, 1963, that optimism had evaporated and Kennedy felt that obstructionists in Saigon were losing ground against a communist insurgency. Nhu suggested that he was not a central figure in the actions undertaken against the Buddhists, although he was in support of them. [8] This quote appears in the Church Committees interim report on Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders (p. 221), as well as the note card we present here, compiled by committee staffer Rhett Dawson on June 29, 1975. Silence from the Vietnamese generals made Washington officials wary of getting too far ahead of Saigon politics. In addition, Minh said it was vital that American foreign aid would continue to flow after a coup. We have been exploring ways and means to permit our aid to Viet-Nam to be more effective and to make a greater contribution to the welfare and stability of the Government of Viet-Nam. D. inhibit the growth of radical Islam. Author Luke A. Nichter found the document in the Vietnamese archives. Gi nh Mnh (T Gn - Si Gn Nh), Bn 204, f.: Vietnam: Subjects: Top Secret Cables (Tab C) 10/3-10/27/63.. This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-EPRES: Eisenhower, Dwight D.: Papers as President of the United States. A Viet Cong member reflects on its approach to war (1985) Rather than revisit all of that debate, here we want to touch on a few points, presenting nuances in the form of the Thomas Hughes notes (Document 6) and meetings with Diem and Nhu that were taking place within this timeframe (Documents 8, 14, 15), amplifying the evidence. According to recollections by DCI John McCone, made in the course of interviews conducted by the Church Committee in 1975, he met with President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy on or around October 5 after Conein reported that Big Minh discussed a possible assassination plan. The Presidents Intelligence Checklist for the morning of November 1 began with an update that a coup had begun in Saigon. CIA Saigon Station Chief John Richardson met with Ngo Dinh Nhu for a conversation that focused primarily on the evolving Buddhist crisis. Letter from President Lodge told Diem that he knew little about Vietnam but hoped to advise him on American affairs. Phan Boi Chau on Vietnams awakening (1914) John Prados: Letter from President Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam, October 23, 1954. Back at the embassy Lodge confronted Harkins over his intervention with the South Vietnamese officer (Document 22). After his country's . The Saigon government was headed by President Ngo Dinh Diem, an autocratic, nepotistic ruler who valued power more than either his relations with the Vietnamese people or progress in fighting the communists. and political ideology which they abhor, are being fulfilled. Nolting conceded that Nhualso a man of integrityhad become a liability, but he rejected the proposition the Vietnamese generals would carry out a coup. Even now the views of Kennedy and some of his top aides about the advisability of a coup specifically have been shrouded by an incomplete documentary record that has led scholars to focus more on the attitudes of subordinates. 735-736. both at home and abroad and discourage any who might wish to impose a foreign ideology on Unless otherwise indicated disassembling Kennedy's firm but cautious action in the Cuban missile crisis resulted in the _________ of Russian missiles. needed reforms. Diem and Nhu seemed to desire to present Lodge with a fait accompli regarding the Buddhists upon his arrival in Saigon. Rufus Phillips describes one White House meeting around this time that ended in complete pandemonium. University Press of Kansas, 2009 President Kennedy meets with newly-appointed Ambassador to South VietnamHenry Cabot Lodge. Unlike Nolting, who saw no possible candidates, the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) produced an extensive list (Document 16). One opposition faction centered on former Ambassador Nolting. a leaflet calling for the people to rise up against the oppressor Diem; A letter to the Vietnamese Army telling them that Diem is just carrying on French colonialism; a 41-page document alleging Diem crimes against the people; and a leaflet that said "For the past eight years our land . aid will be met by performance on the part of the Government of Viet-Nam in undertaking President Eisenhower authorized CIA agents to undermine Mohammad Mossadegh's political power to Select one: A. apply the domino theory to the Middle East. 05/08/1957 ARC Identifier: 542189 Item from Record Group 342: Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations, 1900 - 2000 Rust; fromRust's articleon Conein inStudies in Intelligence (cia.gov). v. t. e. Ng nh Dim, the President of South Vietnam, made a state visit to the United States, the main ally of his government, in 1957. Cross examination of Lieutenant William Calley (1970) Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. met with President John F. Kennedy alone in the Oval Office for his farewell meeting prior to leaving for Vietnam. This shows that Nhu, even when calm, as Richardson observes, obsessed with Buddhists spreading propaganda and hiding communist agents among their monks at some of the most important pagodas. The former ambassador argued that no one other than Diem could keep South Vietnam together. In a meeting with Nhu, some officers went so far as to express interest in taking part in a coup. JFKL: Roger Hilsman Papers, b. This text is part of the Internet Anyone can read what you share. The United States' changing connection with Vietnam is demonstrated by the letters from Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy to President Ngo Dinh Diem, as Anderson's chapter "The United States and Vietnam" in-depth examines. While Colby emphasized that Saigon had stabilized, Kennedy asked numerous questions about the likelihood of success should the disaffected generals move forward with a coup attempt. He represented the Pagoda Raids as some sort of victory for Diem, absolved Nhu of responsibility for them, pictured Diem as a man of integrity who had tried to carry out all the promises he had made to the United States, and framed Vietnamese Buddhism as manipulated by Cambodia. I am, accordingly, instructing the American Ambassador to Viet-Nam to examine with you in your capacity as Chief of Government, how an intelligent program of American aid given directly to your government can serve to assist Viet-Nam in its present hour of trial, provided that your Government is prepared to give assurances as to the standards of performance it would be able to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future providing web space and server support for the project. FRUS, IV, pp. 328 (April 6, 1965) 242 Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense: Excerpt from Memorandum for President Lyndon Johnson (April 21, 1965) 244 Ho Chi Minn: Letter to Lyndon Johnson (February 15, 1967) 245 Le Duan reminds agents in the South of tactics (November 1965) Here we supplement the 2003 coverage with some new evidence. The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding the future of a country temporarily divided by an artificial military grouping, weakened by a long and exhausting war and faced with enemies without and by their subversive collaborations within. By that time Secretary McNamara and General Taylor were in Saigon on their fact-finding mission. The Archive is indebted to Dr. Roland Popp, researcher at the Swiss Military Academy ETH Zurich, for Documents 9 and 11. At this late date Bobby Kennedy still opposed the coup and Maxwell Taylor sided with him, while other officials looked ahead to the composition of a future Saigon government, or focused on tactics or the balance of forces on the coup and palace sides. McNamara and Taylors report on South Vietnam (October 1963) The cycle of meetings opened on Monday, August 26, after the Hilsman cable had been sent and when the object was whether to confirm the instruction it had contained. 199, f.: Vietnam 9/11-9/17/63, CIA Reports.. Nguyn Vn Thiu with you in your capacity as Chief of Government, bow an intelligent program The purpose of this offer is to assist the Government of Viet-Nam in developing and Kennedy said his two top officials in Saigon should build up the coup forces, since at present it did not look as though they could successfully topple Diem. Ho Chi Minh seeks Vietnamese independence in Paris (1919) Le Duan: The path of revolution in the South (1956) Nhu commented that the South Vietnamese military officers, many of whom were Buddhist themselves, started off in sympathy with the Buddhists following the uprising that occurred in Hue on May 8. Eisenhower called Diem the "miracle man of Asia." . On November 1 we have the PICL which shows the coup underway (Document 25). As . The War Powers Act curtails the presidents authority to wage war (November 1973) The Internet several hundred thousand loyal Vietnamese citizens away from areas which are passing under Together, these materials offer comprehensive documentation on the Kennedy administrations August coup talk. Nhu thought it would take involvement by the United States to seek an end to the present crisis. ND c c lm Th Tng (HNT & TTN) ND c c lm Th Tng (HNT & TTN), TT While Minh said he did not expect U.S. support for a coup, he wanted to ensure that no effort would be made to thwart a change in government. ngh sao v C TT Ng nh Dim? in its present hour of trial, provided that your Government is prepared South Vietnams president Nguyen Van Thieu resigns (April 1975) Seymour Hersh breaks the story of the My Lai killings (1969) President, if I was manager of a baseball team, [and] I had one pitcher, Id keep him in the box whether he was a good pitcher or not. The Diem Coup After 50 Years John F. Kennedy and South Vietnam, 1963 While in support themselves, Lodge and Harkins did not feel as though U.S. support had gone so far that the only option was to have a coup. Nhus attempts to fend off criticism or ingratiate himself with Washington failed. I am, accordingly, instructing the American Ambassador to Viet-Nam to examine collaborators within. Again, the 2003 E-book presented an array of materials on these events (Documents 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28), ranging from Kennedys White House sessions to monitor events, to the CIA daily situation reports, to a cable relating several versions of how Diem and Nhu died, to a CIA retrospective analysis of press coverage of the deaths. In 2009 the Kennedy Library made a release of the tapes that actually covered the White House conversations of late August. Eisenhower made it clear to Diem that U.S. aid to his government during Vietnams hour of trial was contingent upon his assurances of the standards of performance [he] would be able to maintain in the event such aid were supplied. Eisenhower called for land reform and a reduction of government corruption. Reprinted from The Department of State Bulletin (November 15, 1954), pp. Letter From Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem - The Vietnam War A Letter From Eisenhower to Ngo Dinh Diem October 23, 1954 Dear Mr. President, I have been following with great interest the course of developments in Vietnam, particularly since the conclusion of the conference at Geneva. Tng - Bn c n cn (T Gn) Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research Thomas L. Hughes made notes of White House conversations with National Security Council staff member Michael Forrestal and Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman during August 24-28, 1963, which he referred to as coup planning week. Vietnam took up most of the discussions, including criticism of Nhus explanation for the series of events that led to the pagoda raids which Forrestal said was what he wanted us to hear. They agreed that the Diem government could not survive another 12 months. The Presidents Intelligence Checklist for the morning of November 2 led with the deaths of Diem and Nhu in the wake of what appeared to have been a successful coup. Quotations about the massacre at My Lai hamlet (1968) by a long and exhausting war and faced with enemies without and by their subversive I am glad They spoke with academic Vietnam experts, the CIA station chief, and President Diem. Edward C. Keefer. On the morning of October 5, Lucien Conein, acting as intermediary, met with Gen. Duong Van Big Minh. In 1963, he became leader of South Vietnam after a coup in which Diem. John Kerry anti-war testimony to the US Senate (April 1971) Bn The received history on this is that Hilsman, Harriman, and NSC staffer Michael Forrestal advocated going ahead with a coup, while other factions opposed it. Suite 701, Gelman Library The US Congress Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (August 1964) 2130 H Street, NW View Full Article in Timesmachine , See the article in its original context from. embassy.[9]. @table of contents. The receptions during the visit were in large part organized by the American . Today, the National Security Archive is posting for the first time materials from U.S. and Vietnamese archives that open the window into this pivotal event a little bit wider. Lodge and Kennedy met in the Oval Office on August 15 (Item 2, Document 3). That post included a selection of essential documents, including the CIA briefing where the agencys director, John McCone, informed the president of the initial approaches by South Vietnamese plotters to CIA officers. But within hours he would be deposed and 24 hours later summarily executed by the military. Here we present Roger Hilsmans record of that meeting from State Department files (Document 24). We present both the audio of that meeting and a transcription of it crafted by Luke Nichter. Our additional records do not change the impression we expressed in 2009 that Nolting had essentially gone native (Documents 9, 10). The implications of the agreement concerning Viet-Nam have caused grave concern regarding JFK sent a succession of study groups to SaigonHuntington Sheldon of the CIA, Robert McNamara plus Maxwell Taylor, General Krulak plus Joseph Mendenhallall to report to him. TT 24, f.: Meetings on Vietnam, August-November 1963.. The Government of the United States expects that this aid will be met by performance on the part of the Government of Viet-Nam in undertaking needed reforms. JFK Papers: NSF: Country File, b. Flying from Hawaii on President Dwight Eisenhower's private plane, Columbine III, and greeted at National Airport by the President, Diem received full military honors including a 21-gun salute. In a meeting between President Kennedy and his top advisors, even at that late hour they seemed divided over a possible coup. JFK Papers: Kennedy Tapes, Tape/Conversation 104/A-40/004; transcription by Luke Nichter. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Nhu claimed that Ngo Dinh Diem himself approved the pagoda raids against the Buddhists in response to demands made by South Vietnamese army officers for Diem to deal with recent political agitation in Saigon. in purpose and effective in performance, that it will be respected both Nhng Lodge left for Saigon, planning to stop in Hawaii and Japan on his way to receive various briefings and touch base with senior U.S. officials. Kennedy became more specific when he said, The time may come, though, weve gotta just have to try to do something about Diem, and I think thats going to be an awfully critical period. While never directly speaking about a coup, Kennedy signaled that he was willing to accept regime change under certain circumstances. December 11, 2009, The Last Brahmin: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the Making of the Cold War ideology on your free people. Subscribers may view the full text of this article in its original form through TimesMachine.
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