PERSONS/ENTITIES: Milting, Ambassador Lodge, Ambassador Diem Thich Tri Quang DATES: Aug. 21, 1963 CATEGORIES: Diem OCCURRENCE: Higgins claims that "...the raids by the Vietnamese Army and the pagodas took place five days after the departure of Ambassador Milting from Saigon, and a week before Henry Cabot Lodge was expected to arrive on his first tour of duty in Viet Nam." Higgins goes on to explain that Diem claimed that the reason that the raids were performed at this time was because: "It had become clear that Thich Tri Quang of Buddhist was that no intention of coming to any agreement with the government, irrespective of how many concessions were made. Since the raids would create an anti-Diem propaganda explosion, it would be less embarrassing to the United States if they took place when the new Ambassador was absent from Vietnam. For the same reason, care was taken not to inform the United States of the pagoda plans. The reasoning was that Washington could be blamed for something about which they knew nothing." (page 183) SOURCE: STAFF: FILE: DATE: PERSONS/ENTITIES: CONEIN, CIA Officer (Saigon) DON, General DIEM DATES: 8/21/63 CATEGORIES: Diem OCCURRENCE: On August 21, 1963, at a meeting between CONEIN [an officer of the CIA Saigon station] and General DON, the latter asked for US government assurances of support for moves against the DIEM regime." (3) SOURCE: 1967 I.G. Report, Part C, p.93 STAFF: RD FILE: DATE: