Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume II, Vietnam, January–June 1965

38. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam¹

Washington, January 26, 1965, 6:49 p.m.

1539. 1. Concur line you have taken and are taking concerning possible evacuation US personnel from Hue (Embtels 2279,² 2300).³

2. Have read with interest your 2295⁴ sorting out likely intentions of Khanh. All evidence available supports your theory of opportunistic de facto alliance between Khanh and Buddhist Institute leaders to bring down Huong government and replace it with regime which will be both weaker and more inclined towards negotiation with Communists.

3. Point on which we not clear is degree of opposition to such move within armed forces and effectiveness with which it could mobilize itself.

Three questions occur to us:

a) Is there in fact a possible combination of military officers capable of removing Khanh and neutralizing the current Buddhist effort by strong action?

b) Is there a possibility of backstopping such an effort by aligning some Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Dai Viet and non-Institute Buddhist elements behind Huong?

c) Can Ambassador Tran Thien Khiem play a useful role in developing the sort of military combination described in (a) above?

4. If the answers to at least (a) and (b) are yes, we would be inclined let it be known discreetly but immediately to the appropriate military officers individually that Khanh and the Institute are skating on thin ice in their undercutting of the lawful government and we should not be sorry to see them fall through.

Rusk

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, EP 6–1 HUE. Top Secret; Flash; Limdis. Drafted by Corcoran, cleared by W. Bundy, and approved by Unger.1
2. In telegram 2279 from Saigon, January 25, Taylor reported on Buddhist-inspired, anti-American demonstrations in Hue. He said that with the agreement of the U.S. Mission Council, he, U. Alexis Johnson, and Westmoreland had met that day with Huong, Vien, and Generals Khanh, Thieu, and Minh and informed them that the United States was considering withdrawing all American civilians from Hue, except for Consul Samuel B. Thomsen and Voice of America personnel. Taylor also told the Department of State that he had given the Consul authority to evacuate all Americans at once on his own decision if the situation required. (Ibid., POL 18 VIET S)
3. In telegram 2300 from Saigon, January 26, Taylor described how in a conversation with Vien that day he had expressed “renewed concern” for the safety of the Americans in Hue. Taylor also indicated that he and Thomsen had decided that they should probably plan to evacuate American dependents from Hue the following day. (Ibid., POL 15 VIET S)
4. In telegram 2295 from Saigon, January 26, the Embassy speculated on Khanh’s motives in permitting anti-government demonstrations by Buddhists. (Ibid.,POL 23–8 VIET S)