PERSONS/ENTITIES: DIEM DATES: August 1963 CATEGORIES: DIEM OCCURRENCE: COLBY testified that during August, 1973 between the change of ambassadors from NOLTING to LODGE, that the government of South Vietnam took that period and raided Buddhist pagodas and essentially sought to suppress the Buddhist dissidence. COLBY stated that DIEM went out and suppressed this kind of active dissidence, justifying it in his mind and publicly as not accepting this kind of disobedience during a wartime situation, which that country was faced with. COLBY claimed that this suppression only served to adversely affect DIEM's image here in the United States and intensify the feeling of dissent within the educated class in Saigon and in the cities, weakened himself, rather than strengthen himself. TOP SECRET SOURCE: Hearings, SSCI, June 20, 1975, Colby, pp. 8-9 STAFF: R. DAWSON FILE: DATE: 29 June 1975 PERSONS/ENTITIES: DIEM DATES: Aug. 7, 1963 CATEGORIES: DIEM OCCURRENCE: Higgins asked Diem in an interview on August 7, 1963 whether Diem thought the United States was plotting against him. Diem replied: "I do not think Ambassador Nolting is plotting against me. I do not think Richardson (of the CIA) is plotting against me. I know there are American officials who are preparing the way in the event the decision is taken to try and get rid of me. I cannot foresee the future. And I cannot believe that America would turn against an ally under attack, engaged in a struggle for its very existence. But some people are crazy--and the world is crazy. Still, Miss Higgins, I hope that your government will take a realistic look at these young generals plotting to take my place. How much maturity or political understanding do they have--of their own country, let alone the world?" (169) SOURCE: Our Viet Nam Nightmare, Higgins, Harper STAFF: Dawson, R.