IV. The Deepening Crisis, June 17-August 20:
Repudiation of the June
16 Agreement, U.S. Efforts To Promote Conciliation, Press Coverage and
International Opinion, July 18 Address by Diem, Renewed Denunciation of the Buddhists by the
Nhus
180. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
181. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIEI Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Rice and, in draft by Hilsman. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
182. Message From President Kennedy to Prince Sihanouk
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Confidential. Transmitted to Phnom Penh in telegram 763, June 20, which is the source text. Telegram 763 was drafted by Daniel N. Arzac, Officer in Charge of Cambodian Affairs and cleared by Koren, Wood, Hilsman, and, in draft, by President Kennedy.
183. Research Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Hughes) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State,S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199, Vietnam 1963. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Limit Distribution. A note on another copy of this memorandum indicates that it was placed in the President’s weekend reading file. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 6/63)
184. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret; Limit Distri” button. Repeated to CINCPAC.
185. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limited Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
186. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret; Priority; Eyes Only.
187. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate; Eyes Only; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Rice and Hilsman.
188. Special National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR-NIE Files. Secret; Controlled Dissem. Special National Intelligence Estimates (SNIEs) were high-level interdepartmental reports presenting authoritative appraisals of vital foreign policy problems on an immediate or crisis basis. According to a note on the cover sheet, “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and The Joint Staff.” All members of the United States Intelligence Board concurred in this estimate on June 26, except the Atomic Energy Commission Representative and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.
189. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution.
190. Central Intelligence Agency Information Report
Source: U.S. Army Military Historical Institute, Kraemer Papers, VN 61-63. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Background Use Only. TDCS information reports contained telegraphically-dispatched, unevaluated intelligence information which was distributed by the CIA to other appropriate government agencies.
191. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Heavner and cleared by Hilsman. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
192. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15-1 S VIET. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Received at 7:39 p.m.
193. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
194. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution.
195. Telegram From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy), at Rome
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 7/1/63-7/20/63. Secret. Bundy was in Italy with President Kennedy and Secretary Rusk on the last leg of a four-nation visit to Europe which concluded on July 3.
196. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET-US. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Hilsman and Nolting. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
197. Research Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Denney) to the Acting Secretary of State
Source: Department of State,S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199. Vietnam 1963. Unclassified.
198. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET-US. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. Received at 5:36 a.m.
199. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET-US. Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Hilsman, Harriman, Ball, and Forrestal. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
200. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
201. Letter From the Charge in Vietnam (Trueheart) to President Diem
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 12 S VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution. Transmitted to the Department of State in telegram 18 from Saigon, July 3, which is the source text.
202. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office File, Staff Memoranda, Forrestal. Secret. Also sent to McGeorge Bundy, under cover of a note from Forrestal which reads: “For your and the President’s week end reading.” (Ibid., National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSC Staff Memoranda: Michael Forrestal 11/62-11/63)
203. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 12-1 S VIET. Secret; Priority; Eyes Only.
204. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 S VIET. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
205. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Kennedy Library, Hilsman Papers, Memoranda of Conversation: 7/63. Top Secret. Drafted by Hilsman. The source text indicates that the meeting took place at the Department of State, but the President’s Appointment Book confirms that the meeting took place at the White House, as indicated on the copy printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 12, pp. 526-528.
206. Memorandum From the Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State,S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199, Laos. Secret. Also sent to Harriman, Johnson, and Hilsman. A note on the source text indicates that Secretary Rusk saw the memorandum.
207. Report by the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (Krulak)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 67 A 4564, Vietnam 1963. Secret. Attached to a brief transmittal memorandum sent on July 5 by General Taylor to Secretary of Defense McNamara. A handwritten note on the covering memorandum indicates that Secretary McNamara saw the report. On July 9, Michael Forrestal sent a copy of the report to McGeorge Bundy for the President. Forrestal indicated, in his covering memorandum, that he felt the report gave “a fair and soundly optimistic picture of the part of the iceberg which is under water, i.e. the war against the Viet Cong.” A note on the covering memorandum indicates that the report was placed in the President’s weekend reading file. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 7/1/63-7/20/63)
208. Memorandum of a Conversation
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330, July 1963. Secret. Drafted by Wood and approved in U on July 18. The meeting was held in the Department of State. Also printed in Pentagon Papers: Gravel Edition, Vol. II, pp. 728-729.
209. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19 US-S VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong, Hue, Kuala Lumpur, Rangoon, Vientiane, Manila, Paris, London, New Delhi, and Djakarta.
- The source text provides this date/time group and an indication that the message was sent on July 2. Internal evidence establishes the July 1 date as accurate.↩