TOP SECRET

CIA
RICHARDSON, John (CIA station
chief in Saigon)
Saigon Embassy
DIEM

OCCURRENCE:
On August 22, 1963, in a CIA cable from Saigon (SAIG 0208) Chief of Station RICHARDSON forwarded his personal views concerning alternate leadership: "... Recent events have made us feel that hope for civilian government to replace DIEM administration is unrealistic. The solution seems even more improbable than ever before. Would appear that we should have either DIEM or military junta... View time factor have not coordinated this message with embassy but we have exchanged views fully on subject matter." (3-i)

SOURCE:
1967 I.G. Report, part C, pp 34

STAFF:
RD

FILE:
Case

DATE:
6/28/75

PERSONS/ENTITIES:
HILLSMAN, ROGER
LODGE, HENRY CABOT
CONEIN

DATES:
22 or 23 August
1963

CATEGORIES:
DIEM

OCCURRENCE:
LODGE arrived on 22 or 23 August. When he arrived he found that Saigon was armed camp. "During this period of these attacks on the pagodas, there had been many contacts made by a lot of people to anybody who would listen to them talking about doing something about doing away with the existing regime. I had talked with different generals and the one in August -- I don't recall if it was the 23rd or 24th, we received a cable which later became known as the famous ROGER HILLSMAN cable which practically gave us the go-ahead that this type of thing could not continue." pp. 21-22

TOP SECRET

SOURCE:
Hearings, SSCI, June 20, 1975, Conein

STAFF:
R. DAWSON

DATE: