Head of special forces Lê Quang Tung

ngô Đình nhu (right), shaking hands vice president lyndon b. johnson in 1961

tung had been trained cia in united states. diệm loyalist, led force of 1,840 men, operated under direction of nhu rather army command. did not conduct operations against communist việt cộng insurgents, used forces in saigon repress opponents of diệm regime. tung s notable attacks occurred during buddhist crisis of 1963. during period, buddhist majority engaged in mass protests against pro-catholic policies of diệm regime.

on 21 august 1963, tung s men, acting on nhu s orders, raided xá lợi pagoda, saigon s main buddhist temple. attacks replicated across nation, leaving death toll estimated in hundreds. pagodas suffered extensive damage , further 1,400 monks , nuns arrested. attacks occurred after nhu had tricked group of army of republic of vietnam (arvn) generals agreeing declare martial law. knew generals plotting , hoped exploit martial law overthrow brother, outmanoeuvred them sending tung s special forces pagodas disguised regular arvn soldiers. result, south vietnam s buddhist majority thought regular army had attacked monks, damaging generals credibility among populace potential leaders of country. following attacks, u.s. officials threatened withhold aid special forces unless used fight communists rather attacking political or religious dissidents.

another notable religious attack perpetrated tung s men in 1963. hugely oversized carp found swimming in small pond near central city of Đà nẵng. local buddhists began believe fish reincarnation of 1 of gautama buddha s disciples. more people made pilgrimages pond, disquiet grew among district chief , subordinates, answered ngô Đình cẩn, younger brother of diệm. officials mined pond, fish survived. raked pond machine gun fire, carp again escaped death. deal tenacious fish, called in tung s special forces. tung s men grenaded pond, killing carp. killing backfired, because generated more publicity – many newspapers across world ran stories miraculous fish. arvn helicopters began landing @ site, paratroopers filling bottles water believed magical.

tung headed group run cia, in arvn personnel of northern origin infiltrated north vietnam, posing locals. objective gather intelligence , sabotage communist infrastructure , communications facilities. recruits trained in bases @ nha trang, Đà nẵng, , offshore in taiwan, guam , okinawa. around eighty groups of operatives, each numbering 6 or 7 men, deployed in 1963. entered north via parachute drops or sampan journeys @ night, captured or killed. captives used in communist propaganda broadcasts. tung criticised management of operations.

at nhu s request, tung reported have been planning operation under cover of government-organised student demonstration outside embassy, saigon. in plan, tung s men assassinate ambassador henry cabot lodge, jr. , other key officials among confusion. target buddhist leader thích trí quang, had been given asylum in embassy after being targeted in pagoda raids. according plan, tung s men burn down embassy.