AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHIEF OF STATE THIEU AND PRIME MINISTER KY THAT THIEU, AS PRE

Created: 7/3/1967

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

AMnOVEOIORIElUSE HE1

cTnTIAL INTILIIOINCE AGINCT

Intelligence Information Cable

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I. (SUMMARY: IT IS AGREED AMONG PRIME MINISTER KY, CHIEF OF STATE THIEU AND THE ARMED FORCES COUNCIL CAFC) THAT THEIU WILLIGUREHEAD AS PRESIDENT AND KY WILL BE DE FACTO IN COMMAND. THIEU'S PERSONAL PRESTIGE HASDECLINED CONSIDERABLY AMCX3 AFC OFFICERS BECAUSE OF HIS SELF-SEEKING BEHAVIOR DURING THE DELIBERATIONS WHICH PRECEDED THE DECISION TOOINT THIEU-KY TICKET. KY'S BIGGEST

TO HIS BACKERS THAT

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UILL ACTUALLY HAVE BROAD AUTHORITY IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT AS THOUGH HE WERE PRESIDENT IN FACT, AND TOHIS CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION TO WORK FOR THE NEW THIEV-KY SLATE.)

2. CHIEF OF STATE THIEU AND PRIME MINISTER KYAN AGREEMENT ON WHAl THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES WILLELECTED AS PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. THIEU , "j,

FUNCTIONIMITED, FIGUREHEAD CAPACITY ONLY, WITH KY AS DE FACTO COMMAND"* OF THE ARMED FORCES AND THE ONE WITH

EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE MINISTRIES OF DEFENSE,

ASY DEVELOPMENT, AND INFORMATION, EACH OF WHICH WILL LIKELY BE HEADEDILITARY OFFICER. KY WILL ALSO SELECT ALL THE CABINET MEMBERS. THE PRIME MINISTER WILLIVILIAN! AND ALTHOUGH HE HAS NOT YET BEEN SELECTED, HE WILL PREFERABLY BE SOMEONEACKGROUND IN ECONOMICS AND WILL HANDLE THE OTHER MINISTRIES WITH PERHAPS OCCASIONAL GUIDANCE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT. THIEU UNDERSTANDS THIS ENTIRECLEARLY AND IS WILLING TO ACCEPT HIS LARGELY TITULAR ROLE. TO AVOID MISUNDERSTANDING OR LATER MANEUVERING BY THIEU, THE AGREEMENT WILL BE PUT IN WRITING, KEPT ON AN UNOFFICIAL AND CONFIDENTIALBASIS, AND WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY BOTH

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AND KY IN PRESENCE OF THE SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS OF THE ARMED FORCES COUNCIL.

J. THERE KASROAD AND RATHER STRONG REACTION TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE THIEU-KY SLATE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN THE PAST TWO DAYS, AfcDEOPLE, INCLUDIN3 THE -BABY-TURKS-OFFICERS, HAVE rOuMO I" DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THIS COMBINATION. UMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE STATED THEY FEEL THAT THIEU'MAY BE AN ALBATROSS AS THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE SLATE TC tfIN DESPITE KY'S OWN CONSIDERABLE PERSONAL POPULARITY AND VOTER APPEAL. THERE IS ALSO THE DISTINCT PR03LEH OF THE GENERAL PERVERSITY OF THE VIETNAMESE, WHO IF FORCED I- ACCEPT SOMEONE THEY DO NOT FAVOR FOR PRESIDENT, SUCH AS THIEU, MAY CAST THEIR VOTES ELSEWHERE SIMPLY TO EXPRESS THEIR DISPLEASURE. KY'S PREVIOUSLY-ORGANIZED AND PERSONAL CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN REQUESTING INSTRUCTIONS FROM KY| AND ITS UNITS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY ARE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THIS SWITCH IN PLANS AND HAVE ASKED WHETHER THEY SHOULD CONTINUE nWMUm XY FOR PRESIDENT DESPITE THE AGREEMENT REACHED

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KY TO RUN AS VICE P>

*. KY PLANS TO LET THE EX-

AND CONFUSIOf

TEEW MORE DAYS AND THEN

HIS SUPPORTERS

TO WORK FOF THE THIEU-KY

4. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR KY TOECISION TO MOVE DOWN TO THE VICE PRESIDENCY, AND PARTICULARLY TO SET THE WORD TO HIS SUPPORTERSUBTLE FASHION THAT HE WILLROAD AUTHORITY IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT AND THAT THIEU'S ROLE WILL BE TITULAR. INFLUENTIAL VIETNAMESE, INCLUDING BUDDHIST LEADER THICKHAU, HAVE CONTACTED KY IN THE PAST TWO DAYS TO ASCERTAIN THE RATIONALE BEHIND HIS MOVE. ENLIGHTENING pEOPLE SUCH AS THIS AND LINING UP BROAD SUPPORT FOR THE NEW THIEU-KY TICKET WILLOOD DEAL OF PATIENCE AS WELL AS TIME. IF IT IS TO BE DISCREETLY DONE. GENERAL NGUYEN NGOC LOAN JAS EXPRESSED HIS BELIEF TO KY THAT THE LATTER MUST HAVE "LOST HIS MIND" ON THIS MOVE AND HAS SAID HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND KOW KY COULD "LET DOWN' HIS MANY SUPPORTERS WHO REALLY BELIEVE IN HIM AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND ' IN HIS QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP. LOAN HAS ACCEPTED THIS TURN

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Z? EVENTS,UCH AS HE DID HIS OWN RECENT REMOVALHIEF OF THE MILITARY SECURITY SERVICE, AND LOAN WILL rQIZIECENT ORDER FROM KY THAT HE STAY OUT OF POLITICS AND ELECTION CAMPAIGN ARRANGEMENTS.

5. KY'S DECISION TO STEP DOWN TO THE ROLE OF VICEWAS NOT ADECISION,IT WAS ARRIVED AT PRIMARILY TOAD SITUATION FROM GETTING WORSE WITHIN THE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT WHICH HAS BEEN" DIVIDED OVER THE THIEU-KY CONFRONTATION. IT MAY DEVELOP HOWEVER, THAT IT WILL ADD TO XY'S POLITICAL STAIURE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HIS SUPPORTERS BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE MILITARY RANKS. THE ARMED FORCES COUNCIL <AFC> MEETINGSUNE WHiCH RESULTED IK FORMATION OF THE THIEU-KY TICKET HAVE ALSO RESULTEDONSIDERABLE LESSENING OF THIEU'S PERSONAL PRESTIGE AMONG ALMOST ALL THE AFC OFFICERS WHO HAD THIS

TO OBSERVE THIEU CLOSELY AT FIRST HAND DURING

THESE MANY CRUCIAL HOURS. THESE OFFICERSLEAR HIS LACK OF REAL PATRIOTISM AND HIS TOTALAND CONCENTRATION ON HIS OWN PERSONAL AMBITIONS,OF THEIR DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE UNITY OFFORCES AND FUTURE OF THE

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THE CLINCHER WAS THIEU'S APPARENT AGREEMENT TO ABIDE BY WHATEVER

DECISION THE AFC REACHED, EVEN IF IT WAS WITHDRAWAL OF HIS OWN

CANDIDACY, AND THIS HE RENEGED ONEW HOURS LATER

DURING THE DISCUSSIONS. THIS AFFORDED THE AFC OFFICERS A

REAL INSIGHT INTO THIEU'S CHARACTER, AND THEY DID SOT LIKE

WHAT THEY SAW. CURIOUSLY, DURING THE LATE EVENING SESSION orUNE, CHIEF OF THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF (JGS> 3ENERAL

CAO VAN VIEN AND THE FOUR CORPS COMMANDERS HAD CONFERRED

PRIVATELY AND RESOLVED TO PRESENT THIEU WITH AN ULTIMATUM

EITHER TO ACCEPT THE POSITION OF CHIEF OF THE JGS IN THE

NEW GOVERNMENT, OR TO RESIGN AS CHIEF OF STATE AND FROM

THE ARMED FORCES IMMEDIATELY, AND TO PRESENT HIMSELF ENTIRELY

IVILIAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. WHEN GENERAL VIEN

CAME INTO THE ROOM TO PRESENT THIS ULTIMATUM TO THIEU, THE

LATTER APPARENTLY SENSED THAT IT WAS COMINT, AND IMMEDIATELY

ANNOUNCED HE WOULD ACCEPT AND ABIDE BY WHATEVER DECISION

THE AFC WOULD REACH. VXEK AND THE CORPS COMMANDERS WERE THUS

CLEVERLY LED TO 3ELIEVE THAT TKEIU WOULD WITHDRAW ENTIRELY

FROM THE^RACE IN FAVCR OF KY, AND THEREFORE THEY DID NOT CONVEY

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ULTIMATUM TO THIEU. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING THIEU

HIMSELF COMPLETELY WITH HIS ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE

WOULD ENTER THE RACE FORHIS DUPLICITY, COUPLED

WITH KY'S DEMONSTRATED WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE HIS OWN

PERSONAL POSITION AND DO WHATEVER WAS REQUIRED OF HIM TO PRESERVE

THE UNITY OF THE MILITARY, HAS CONSIDERABLY INCREASED KY'S

SUPPORT AND INFLUENCE IN THE MILITARY. MANY OF THE SENIOR

ARMED FORCES CO UNCIL OFFICERS PERSONALLYOINT

OF COMMENDING KY FOR HIS DECISION TO STEP DOWN TO THE ROLE

OF VICE PRESIDENT, WHILE THIEU WAS LARGELY IGNORED EVEN

THOUGH SELECTED AS THEIR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. GENERAL

VINH LOC, II CORPS COMMANDER, FOR EXAMPLE, EXPRESSED HIS

ADMIRATION FOR KYAN, INDICATING HE HAD NEVER BEFORE

USED THE WORD "ADMIRE" TO DESCRIBE HIS FEELINGS FOR ANOTHER

OFFICER, AND GENERAL MINK, ACTING COMMANDER OF THE AIR FORCE,

STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE PERSONALLY HAD FELT

REAL ESTEEM FOR ONE OF HIS SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS.

Y'S PRESENT DILEMNA IS THAT ALL OF THESEWILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO GENERATE BROAD POPULAR SUPPORT

HEIHIEU-KY TICKET. SINCE IT REQUIRESENTAL

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VIETNAM. THE VARIOUS CIVILIAN POLITICAL GROUPS OR WOULD-BE GROUPS ARE POORLY ORGANIZED AND ARE SO SELF-SEEXING THAT THEY CANNOT GET TOGETHER EVEN TO INSURE THEIR OWN SUCCESS AT THE POLLS. THE MANY SENATE LISTS AREEVEN TO EDUCATED, INTELLIGENT VIETNAMESE, AND TO THE AVERAGE CITIZEN THEY ARE ALMOST USELESSEANINGFUL LIST FROM WHICH HE CAN SELECT OUR QUALIFIEDOF HIS CHOICE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE.SENATE ITSELF WILL PROBABLYISORGANIZED AND INEFFECTUAL BODY. FOREIGN MINISTER TRAN VAN DO AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN LUU VIEN RECENTLY STATED TO KY THAT THEY NOW REALIZE THE FALLACY OF EXPECTING PURE UNLIMITED DEMOCRACY TO WORK IN TODAY'S VIETNAM, AND CITED THE MANY CUMBERSOME SENATE LISTS AS CASES IN POINT. ANOTHER INTERESTING PROBLEM IS HOW TO ROVIDE EQUAL FACILITIES SUCH AS AIRCRAFT, RADIO-TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPER COVERAGE FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTIAL ALTHOUGH KY WILL ATTEMPT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, IT WILL BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO ARRANGERACTICAL POINT OF VIEW.

8.'S PERSONAL CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION WHICH HAS FORMED

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TO PROMOTE HIS OWN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN UILL LIKELY BE USED TO SUPPORT THE THIEU K* SLATE SINCE THIEU HAS NOOF HIS OWN AND WILL PROBABLY NOT MAKE ANY CONCERTED EFFORT TO PUT ONE TOGETHER. ALTHOUGH THIS DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN REACHED, FULL USE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO BE MADE OF THE KY CAMPAIGN MECHANISM SINCE THE THIEU-KY COMBINATION WILL REQUIRE AN EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION THAN IF KY

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DISSEM I STATE (AMBASSADOR BUNKER, DEPUTY AMBASSADOR

HIMSELF WERE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

Original document.

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