More Trouble Likely in Viet

Item

derivative filename/jpeg

363-04853.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-04853

Title

More Trouble Likely in Viet

Description

Article published in the New York Herald Tribune about an immanent major confrontation between South Vietnamese and Communist forces, page unknown

Transcript

--------------------
- Page 1
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MORE
TROUBLE
LIKELY
IN VIET
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON.
South Viet Nam is bracing
for more trouble as a major
confrontation is expected in
coming weeks between the
stanchly anti Communist
armed forces and potentially
pro-neutralist elements.
The battle started taking
shape Monday. Three hun-
dred Buddhist dominated
youths milled around the
Premier's office that after-
noon, dispersing only after
realizing that American-
backed Premier Nguyen
Khanh was elsewhere. Six
blocks away, 400 students
met at their headquarters on
the main street of Saigon,
impeding traffic, while pro-
testing against last Sunday's
so-called "Catholic coup" and
against former members of
late President Ngo Dinh
Diem's predominantly Catho-
lic regime.
An increasing number of
Saigonese believe the Bud-
dhist leaders are pro-neu-
tralists and some are sus-
pected of being pro-Commu-
nist.
PRESSURE
the
The protest meetings openly
ignored Sunday's warning by
rebel army units. That revolt
appeared directed by anti-
Communist Catholic generals
and officers loyal to
Right-wing Dai Viet political
party. It seemed designed not
to oust Premier Khanh but
to pressure him to make no
more concessions to pro-Bud-
dhist elements-concessions
which have had the effect of
weakening the authority of
the central government.
The demonstrations Mon-
day had been planned before
the attempted coup. As they
took place, middle-level Bud-
dhist priests in Saigon tossed
away their brown robes and
donned civilian suits and
narrow-brimmed hats to con-
ceal their shaven heads. "We
are in hiding," one explained.
High-level Buddhist monks,
including leader Thich (Ven-
erable) Tri Quang, fled to
their stronghold provinces in
central Viet Nam more than
18 hours before the coup at-
tempt.
The dimensions of the im-
pending confrontation de-
pend primarily on how
quickly, firmly and decisively
Premier Khanh consolidates
his position within the armed
forces and reasserts his lead-
ership of the government. On
Monday, he briefly consulted
with the young militant army
officers wanting a hard line
against the Buddhists and
then decided to exile or re-
assign at least 10 dissident
officers. These were known to
include the principal leaders
of the bloodless revolt. He
may also transfer those key
generals who were neutral
instead of for him.
SOME CAME
Gen. Khanh also held a
brief cabinet meeting Monday
after one of his top aids had
sided with the rebel generals
and attempted to establish a
defacto government without
Gen. Khanh.
Nguyen Xuan Oanh…whom
Gen. Khanh had named as
acting Premier and then dis-
missed-accepted the invita-
tion of the rebel generals Sun-
day and called a cabinet meet-
ing. Some of the ministers
turned up but the meeting
was not held.
Gen. Khanh has been at-
tempting to establish a work-
able government with promi-
nent politicians and civilian
leaders-possibly to be named
this week but he's been
having difficulty persuading
people to join him.
is
Besides these troubles, there
a growing impression
among Gen. Khanh’s associ
ates and top aids that the
Americans have not been
supporting him completely.
American intelligence of-
ficers knew about the threat
of a coup at least 18 hours
before
it was attempted.
While Gen. Khanh's aids had
given him some reports, he
discounted them as rumors.
Key pro-Khanh generals in
Saigon were preparing to
spend a leisurely Sunday-
two were going to the beach-
when the rebels hit Saigon.
ABOUT TO LEAVE
Gen. Khanh himself learned
about the coup from a Viet-
namese Army major one hour
after rebel units had disarmed
police at a checkpoint on the
city limits of Saigon.
Gen. Khanh was just pre-
paring to leave the mountain
resort of Dalat to fly to Sai-
gon.
Rebel troops from the Me-
kong Delta area began push-
ing northward towards Saigon
at 4 a. m. Sunday. Unusual
troop movements like this
automatically alert the com-
bat operations center in the
American Military Assistance
Command. To the bewilder-
ment of Asian diplomats,
American advisers accompa-
nied at least one battalion
which had been ordered on
an operation."

Date

1964, Sep. 16

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Campaigns--Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Campaigns--Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Container

B4, F6

Format

newspaper clippings

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Copyright Information

These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Language

English