U.S. Supports Viet-Nam Coup d'etat

General Nguyen Khanh during January 29,1964 met with U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge in Sai Gon and accused generals Tran Van Don, Le Van Kim and Mai Huu Xuan of plotting to negotiate with the National Liberation Front, more commonly known as the Viet Cong. The generals were leaders of the Military Revolutionary Council, then ruling southern Viet-Nam. They had led the coup d'etat which toppled President Ngo Dinh Diem during November 1, 1963. General Khanh had supported them during the 1963 coup.

Less than twelve hours after meeting with Ambassador Lodge, Khanh with the support of generals Tran Thien Khiem and Le Van Nghiem, seized control of the Military Revolutionary Council. Khiem was angry with Le Van Kim, who seized his government position. Kim was a high-ranking member of the old Dai Viet political party, which long had opposed Ngo Dinh Diem and Diem's family.

Despite all the propaganda about fighting the Viet Cong, the real battle always had been between Catholics who supported Diem, the Dai Viet party, the Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and other political groups and of course the Buddhist temple leaders, who represented most of the people. Of course, President Lyndon Johnson nor his advisors ever told such to the American people. It was much easier to pretend the United States was helping a struggling democracy resist Communist aggression.

Moreover, Diem's repressive dictatorship had forced many nationalist groups to join the National Liberation Front in order to survive. The internal battle for control of southern Viet-Nam was always far greater than the external until Spring 1972.