PERSONS/ENTITIES:
Dawson
National Security Council
State Dept.

DATES:
1963

CATEGORIES:
Diem

TOP SECRET

OCCURRENCE:
Colby stated that the policy of the chain of command wanted a determination whether it be by the Security Council or by other authority is made to carry out that policy is normally transferred from the National Security Council to the ambassador. "The ambassador is the President's representative and has overall authority of all agencies in that country, and therefore, an important question like this (the Diem coup) would be passed to the ambassador to handle." "Now, the other agencies in town would be informed of the policy directive that we might have additional communication as to the details as to how to implement them, which in this case (the Diem coup) were done through directive to our Station Chief to make sure he operated very directly and immediately under the control of the ambassador." Page 55.

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

STAFF:
Dawson

FILE:

DATE:
7/1/75.

PERSONS/ENTITIES:
Special Forces
Colby

DATES:
1963

CATEGORIES:
Diem

OCCURRENCE:
Colby stated that "The Special Forces first arrived in Vietnam working for CIA in this country program of developing villages for their own defense. Then it got to be as I remember 750 of them the question arose as to whether they should be transferred out of CIA into military control, and this was done during 1963; military took over responsibility for that program and I will have some more words to say about that at another time." Page 28-29.

TOP SECRET

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

STAFF:
Dawson