I read a couple of great books on this subject. Diem was a devout Catholic, and supposedly anti-Buddhist(later proved untrue). Henry Cabot Lodge met with Diem in person, and later advised Kennedy that the US should stage a coup. Kennedy sent award winning journalist, Marguerite Higgins to investigate. She knew the language and the country and had been the only female embedded with the US troops during the Korean War. In her book, "Our Vietnam Nightmare" she writes about discovering that the Buddhist monasteries had been infiltrated by the Communists, and they were behind the Buddhist monks setting themselves on fire. It had nothing to do with Diem; the Communists had set up a propaganda campaign against him. While Kennedy was waiting for her full report, the CIA went rogue and despite Kennedy saying that Diem and his family should be kept safe, Diem was assassinated. Kennedy was furious. I think it was only two weeks later that he was also killed.
Strange things happen - my copy of "First Things" just arrived and what caught my eye was an ad for a new book from Ignatius Press, "Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan" subtitled "Man of Joy and Hope" who was imprisoned by the Communists for 13 years. His mother was a special advisor to Ngo Dinh Diem, as you say, "of deep Catholic faith and strong devotion to his country."
Incredible; thank you! It has always bothered me that the two assassinations were in the same month. Yet, crickets. And the compounded damage done! What has come out so far re/ USAID is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm afraid it will be so bad that goal of transparency will morph back into the opaque and the nebulous and never actually see the light of day. This deep state thing is a generational cancer, and we only have one chance to excise it. I would like to be more optimistic, but realism is calling...
The book I mentioned is incredible. The other book, that directed me to Marguerite Higgins, was entitled The AntiChrist by Father Vince Miceli. He was a close friend to Alice and Dietrich Von Hildebrand.
Thank you, again, Mary Anne. I was not familiar with Marguerite Higgins but what little I have gleaned is most compelling. Do you know the cause or nature of her death in 1966?
A question with absolutely no validity, but what if Diem was talking about making peace? "Oh, no, we can't have that. Get rid of him." Had CIA gone rogue by '63? Maybe a two-fer. Kennedy was 3 weeks later.
What do you know about the Diem assassination? Smells like CIA to me.
I read a couple of great books on this subject. Diem was a devout Catholic, and supposedly anti-Buddhist(later proved untrue). Henry Cabot Lodge met with Diem in person, and later advised Kennedy that the US should stage a coup. Kennedy sent award winning journalist, Marguerite Higgins to investigate. She knew the language and the country and had been the only female embedded with the US troops during the Korean War. In her book, "Our Vietnam Nightmare" she writes about discovering that the Buddhist monasteries had been infiltrated by the Communists, and they were behind the Buddhist monks setting themselves on fire. It had nothing to do with Diem; the Communists had set up a propaganda campaign against him. While Kennedy was waiting for her full report, the CIA went rogue and despite Kennedy saying that Diem and his family should be kept safe, Diem was assassinated. Kennedy was furious. I think it was only two weeks later that he was also killed.
Mary Anne,
Strange things happen - my copy of "First Things" just arrived and what caught my eye was an ad for a new book from Ignatius Press, "Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan" subtitled "Man of Joy and Hope" who was imprisoned by the Communists for 13 years. His mother was a special advisor to Ngo Dinh Diem, as you say, "of deep Catholic faith and strong devotion to his country."
Incredible; thank you! It has always bothered me that the two assassinations were in the same month. Yet, crickets. And the compounded damage done! What has come out so far re/ USAID is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm afraid it will be so bad that goal of transparency will morph back into the opaque and the nebulous and never actually see the light of day. This deep state thing is a generational cancer, and we only have one chance to excise it. I would like to be more optimistic, but realism is calling...
The book I mentioned is incredible. The other book, that directed me to Marguerite Higgins, was entitled The AntiChrist by Father Vince Miceli. He was a close friend to Alice and Dietrich Von Hildebrand.
Thank you, again, Mary Anne. I was not familiar with Marguerite Higgins but what little I have gleaned is most compelling. Do you know the cause or nature of her death in 1966?
Have no idea. But c.i.a. dirty tricks and s.e. asia.,...
A question with absolutely no validity, but what if Diem was talking about making peace? "Oh, no, we can't have that. Get rid of him." Had CIA gone rogue by '63? Maybe a two-fer. Kennedy was 3 weeks later.