214. Telegram From the Commander, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Harkins) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor)1
MAC 1993. Have just seen CAS Saigon [document number not declassified]2 Copy received after dispatch. Apparently there is a discrepancy somewhere along the line. It appears the discrepancy is in how the interpretation of what was actually stated gets put down on paper.
This Gen Don agreed must be the case where [when] we talked last night. CAS Saigon [document number not declassified]2 is another case in point. I did not mention any Presidential directive to Gen Don nor have I in any discussions with him. Nor did I say my statement was inadvertent. I did tell Don my reason for mentioning Col Khuong was indicated in my MAC 19913 to avoid having advisors approached on matters that are not within their domain.
Gen Don asked to see me again this afternoon. He wanted to discuss further Col Khuong. I told him I had nothing further to discuss other than as stated above. I told Don that I would not discuss coups that were not my business though I had heard rumors of many.4 He agreed there were. He informed me Col Khuong had been sent to Dalat with his family for a vacation.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, Defense Cables. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Exclusive. Repeated exclusive to Felt. Received at the Pentagon at 3:35 p.m. Sent for information to the White House for Bundy; to the Department of State for Rusk, Harriman, and Hilsman; and to the CIA for McCone and Colby.↩
- Reference is to the second CIA telegram described in Document 209.↩
- Reference is to the second CIA telegram described in Document 209.↩
- Supra.↩
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In telegram JCS 4137-63, October 25—8:45 a.m., Taylor informed Harkins:
“View here is that your actions in disengaging from the coup discussion were correct and that you should continue to avoid any involvement.” (Department of State, Har-Van Files, Coup South Vietnam)
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