PERSONS/ENTITIES:
DATES:
CATEGORIES: Diem
(CARD 3 of 4)

OCCURRENCE:
... to persuade DIEM to fire his brother, release the Buddhist rebels, end press censorship, and restore other democratic liberties suspended under martial law. And if, as the cable anticipated, DIEM would not do these things, then the EMBASSY was to contact the VIETNAMESE GENERALS and tell them that the United States would no longer stand in the way of a revolt.

"... the controversial August 24 cable was dispatched from Washington Saturday evening after being cryptically summarized to PRESIDENT KENNEDY at the summer White House at Hyannis Port.

"The ACTING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, ROSWELL GILPATRIC ... had the cable described to him over the telephone. MR. GILPATRIC says he was frankly surprised that such an (cont.)

PERSONS/ENTITIES:
DATES:
CATEGORIES: Diem
(CARD 4 of 4)

OCCURRENCE:
important set of instructions should be rushed out on a weekend. But he did not feel that he ought to veto the telegram since ... it had the 'approval of the PRESIDENT.'

"In McCONE's absence, the cable was described, again cryptically, to RICHARD HELMS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR of the CIA, who also did not feel disposed to veto something 'approved by the PRESIDENT.'" (5-6)

CARD 4 of 4