THE MOTIVATION, OBJECTIVES, AND INFLUENCES OF THICH TRI QUANG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00904A001100010025-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 19, 2006
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: September 11, 1964
• Content Type: MF

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v d i t anti-tomiapum
t Udtb" of a a
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au mliw d... atut"a-ft tar I
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and Prospered under
Ld, his ov father vas ae -t killed
t,y a ddhivt sib.) Th h his ata N k" W4 and p+ t
a o ;:f all CIAMSO's 4t ed?ucated, palitteally awe Viotuame"S
he h ca to p ? in i his active, it a . d supporters
v ~tl atiialtes from Central Y eta>a . his ar .p re taed
je' his two priucii*I astamtat's, the otter being militantlY
a. t t-i %s w? i t t es Iris rtb Viet anther group erase
were, Ui the lain, Catholic. Even th , h this May have
b ea a scar h, is not sore, 'by ae i+ at than designs as time
went on a)a.ea's gib aei uta , I aeon-catholic Piet aria eyre.,
an t crease ly ?.a1tholiI cast.
':' chani , the can Lao party, .
i< Ic 1a l phi 101SOI*y- "Personal
its sat-covert political
a costralled by Catholics; its
5k'" (developed a dish Ibu)--
a t a `ioua extensive debts to French Catholic thiWwrs and
t all nt ftsatl*aarlez at an Institute
over by ArchbishopTh In 195C. after ie y and
Dies and his t are et formally deftuatied
Vi "ill Mary. The *stoat to Which Catholics
said 0l .c e- n o thou alw-M
acc tcieata I. -L* td the groundwork
hiciar criticism of and c pp ?itta
and f . Analysis of recent V
3 as a ve it Often alas t Lava
r ti` a v+
probably does sot greatly a rasa
th.I.tcs. toot Viet. se are re
life (something
dies better
t--.x a vague mixture of aniailan, ancestor
that at least
e to a s*t for advance-.
ethical Precepts. ` e peltIleadly apertaw
Vket Rs relit ecology, i c?v-er, is tha
why of Vt,t are not Cathol itc . 14 the SO."]
?fiiddhist
c > cisa . V:
unconscious)
therefore, educated and pol it itcall
a> their particular 9
t a
*Loa their general (fregtaeatly
the political aspects of Cath*ltcia
it Ion to the pred t at Catholic
td the ii family.
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This background of
`s own political vi
hits with a large, pot
unity case at a time v
y, almost waiting for his mes,
prime reasons for his power and Intlu
was also almost uniquely equipped to take a
shaped
Lmp rtant iyi ,
lye audience.
opportunity when it came. An ambitious, skill
f his
political manipulator and and born demagogue, he is o of
rare breed that all nations throw up occasionally but very
Infrequently---a natural political leader. Politically, he seems
to be primarily aestivated by ambition, intense nationalism,
bly Intertwined or, in a sense, seen as two sides of the
"ti-Cath ltclom -though in his mind the latter twoaxe
in. Is amply borne out in the addenda. submit ted along
with this memorandum, Tri 44maag is deeply steeped In the tradi-
tional anti-Catholic attitudes outlined above. His political
since lay l9 - tacludi events for which he taken
it as well as those he probably did help cause to occur---
have obviously fanned his ambition and whetted his appetite-
(>a the:to other band, it a almost equally obvious that despite
his desire for power, Tri Qua in loath to accept responsi-
bi lit'y . We seriously doubt It Tri Quang would accept the reins
f government, even if they are sincerely and genuinely offered
to bin. Instead, we believe he prefers the role of a religious
eminence ride, a person powerful enough to topple governments
e ' e and to exercise, a 4e facto veto power over
their composition and policies but onee from the burdens
and responsibilities of actual office.
. About a person so controversial and complex as Tri
uang, a myriad of rumors, charges and accusation inevitably
serial.. Many knowledgeable Vietnamese insist he to a leftist-
3rieeted neutralist not a few claim he
t. Not surprisingly, the la
by the Dion regime; but there are no
i
ob, ectivee and well infora 4 American official observe
inclined to this view. To the question of why Tri Qua
this pow r# for example, the chief station, Saigon replies:
lies one of the
er, Trt Quang
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The South Viet, Working Group
and detailed attention.
*eatext for the
sifted all available evince Wiring on i
Laffing awwwor ... is that he intends Vx
problem and the fact tha
support can advanced for several, contrary by
judgment In that ' i. Qp9ma in probab
or aconscious Viet Lang ag
current official am I t of the salgon
8 August 10" (Atta#"
resp-ec , aims to
Additionally, this
1984 CIA Ueorand r n "
Is the iatol.li,
8 ,'dept .. - - r 19
provide anything th
proof. Secondly, tbou,
current evens the $;.
tat.h of a etiation and a utra .iaa-
the personal
ion taken in
tuation in
4 hia n if
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sr) stkrate iiii --- - --- -._..... ,, L I a goal
y placed as Trt Quang would have had no na
)i Playing a long-term j *U*. CM 14 have t tad enough
c nt1 nui discord to rip the fabric or anti Gist central
Political victory virtually^inevitable. The et that ?is xs t
, as ; has not done tb1s..i.33 , he has at least to o rax ily
lent his hand to the task of stabilizi the situation-80406
us a strong a .r. - t Iadeod *94340t the t t. a that secretly
ho is himself a C -stmt agitate.
This is not to say that we regard Tr Qw" as a
ti cal life;
certainly are not
Ld i te4ly AMMiMM
tli+ as rattle ftubt that he Ord the
.` _
in t iate dancer
ztsser Tri Qu"g aril have
extent possiblo, us" by any
'old Probably be
Vietnam that is to stand a CUM* of survIvisw.
Mt PQ4Wjbj* t.
r list solution which Woul
_
rave c u cable s 1 in
' as may not be his is edit,
:tease Its attractiveness.
use i ibtlity of tiatiee satii a "
LIa at least pays n 0+
he :nistart.
will have to
is unlikely to Oft awa.
Or s alts- al y if
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e&t degree of * nceR in
co ned with Yiet st,
AUAM contains the *ftsw of the South
ava labl, t bat . you may
so tters.
U& ME AA.". C
istribution:
Orig. & I - addressee
I -- DDC1
I DI
1 - C/FE
I - AD/ N
file
but to it are aping the more
awth Vietnam
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have & "ended
the a ottva
Probla" he x"aiss.
d:: r tt . The ra
or 1 f tiou it you CA"
&o ui efts are:
I. A 10
prepared
{
t r 19 memorau for
gra, A-330,
of
:c-r+ on Tai uanu
igon Starts*m' are
and his !`o,'
ter the overthrow of Dim
.
in the W say.
.
2 August 194
. y At gra* A-90* 3 saa 1964.
1.0. sy Aiwa A-727, 22 Jun# 1964.
(To this have
that has been
1963. A cr .ve
nd# his attitudes,
! with the M-4ous
the end of Tn 4 t* 'r a
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STAT 1.
5 y 1!#.
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