Word: diem
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Charged Atmosphere. Coups and rumors of coups have been an established part of Viet Nam's political life-style since the overthrow and murder of Ngo Dinh Diem in November 1963. In the current supercharged atmosphere many observers have noted a chilling similarity between then and now. Like Diem, President Nguyen Van Thieu has become increasingly isolated from the realities of Viet Nam and dependent on a small group of advisers who, in the opinion of one former Diem official, are "too self-confident and judge too subjectively." But, unlike 1963, Thieu's government enjoys strong U.S. backing...
...event, Thieu is taking no chances. The number of troops around Independence Palace has been nearly doubled, and security has been increased at the main radio station and public utilities. In recent weeks an old Diem regulation has been revived, which prohibits Vietnamese Air Force planes from overflying Saigon. As a final perverse touch, rumors have been floated that Thieu might launch a phony coup as a pretext to arrest...
...looked utterly hopeless, Ky's forces made a last-minute stab at the Assembly. There, 59 members had remained uncommitted despite Thieu's pressure tactics. Suddenly, as if on cue, Dr. Tran Tarn, a Catholic theologian and former Director of Information in the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem, declared himself a candidate, and 28 Assemblymen just as suddenly endorsed him, thus leaving an insufficient number to validate Ky's candidacy. Even before the filing deadline passed, Tarn dropped from the race. Few observers believe the Tam candidacy was anything other than a Thieu ploy to block...
...document, whose authenticity has not been verified by any of the principals involved, is a transcript of a tape of an alleged informal two-day "trial" of the coup leaders held in March 1964 by Nguyen Khanh, the stumpy general who overthrew the Minh junta three months after the Diem coup because he feared it was going "neutralist...
...transcript, purchased from a South Vietnamese lieutenant colonel who saw a chance to profit by the example of the Pentagon papers. Though Minh has long cast himself as a man untainted by involvement with the U.S. in general and with the blood of the Ngos in particular, the Diem document supports a fact well established in the Pentagon papers: that Americans had been in contact with Minh's group before the coup. It also implies that Minh knew that the brothers were doomed. According to the transcript, Minh told Khanh "even though we knew it was inhuman to kill...