243號電報
243號電報（英語：Cable 243），是1963年8月24日時美國國務院發給美國駐越南共和國（南越）大使小亨利·卡波特·洛奇的一份態度鮮明的訊息，是引發1963年南越政變的關鍵因素。
電報的背景是8月21日午夜，信奉天主教的吳廷琰獨裁政權釀成了佛教徒危機，其中的查抄舍利寺事件中，數百名佛教徒據信已經被殺，造成佛教廣傳的南越，民情沸騰。這次查抄行動由吳廷琰的胞弟吳廷瑈所計劃，因而猛然轉變了美國政策。電報聲稱華府不再準備容忍吳廷瑈繼續掌權，命令洛奇向吳廷琰施加壓力，撤換吳廷瑈。如果吳廷琰拒絕，美國政府將為南越尋找一位新的領導人。這份電報授權洛奇，如果吳廷琰不願撤換吳廷瑈，就同意南越軍將領們，發動政變，取代吳廷琰。
這份電報標誌著美國與吳廷琰關係的轉折點，也使得美國對事後由南越軍推翻吳廷琰政權的1963年政變不予阻止，最終導致吳廷琰被暗殺。歷史學家約翰紐曼稱其是「越南戰爭中最具爭議性的一份電報」[1]。
電文內容
電文首段內容如下：
| “ | It is now clear that whether military proposed martial law or whether Nhu tricked them into it, Nhu took advantage of its imposition to smash pagodas with police and Tung's Special Forces loyal to him, thus placing onus on military in eyes of world and Vietnamese people. Also clear that Nhu has maneuvered himself into commanding position. （目前已很清楚，無論戒嚴令是由軍部提出、或由吳廷瑈誘使其下此策，他已出動了忠於自己的警察和黎光松上校的特種部隊抄了佛寺，還在全世界和越南民眾的眼前把責任推給軍方。此時同樣清楚的一件事，就是吳廷瑈策劃用計將自己推上指揮大位。） US Government cannot tolerate situation in which power lies in Nhu's hands. Diem must be given chance to rid himself of Nhu and his coterie and replace them with best military and political personalities available. If, in spite of all your efforts, Diem remains obdurate and refuses, then we must face the possibility that Diem himself cannot be preserved.[2] |
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電報接著指示洛奇去通知吳廷琰，說美國無法接受佛寺查抄行動，並要求吳廷琰政府對佛教徒危機的善後採取更有力的措施[2]，洛奇亦被要求告知南越軍高階軍官以下內容：
| “ | [The] US would find it impossible to continue support GVN militarily and economically unless [the] above steps are taken immediately which we recognize requires [the] removal of [the] Nhus from the scene. We wish [to] give Diem reasonable opportunity to remove [the] Nhus, but if he remains obdurate, then we are prepared to accept the obvious implication that we can no longer support Diem. You may also tell [the] appropriate military commanders [that] we will give them direct support in any interim period of breakdown [of the] central government mechanism.[2] （除非立即實施上述我方認為的、撤換吳廷瑈時所必須的措施，否則美國將不可能繼續給予越南政府軍事及經濟上的支援。希望能給吳廷琰適當機會來把吳廷瑈換掉，但若吳廷琰依然故我的話，那我方將準備明確承認美國不再支持琰政府。你亦可通知適當的軍方指揮官，說美方在中央政府垮台後的任何過渡時期，都將給予其直接支持。） |
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電文還告訴洛奇大使關於證明南越軍在查抄事件中無罪的必要，並要求洛奇許可在美國之音廣播中公布吳廷瑈對舍利寺查抄事件所負的責任，接著又要求洛奇尋找可以代替吳廷琰領導的南越人士[2]。
洛奇大使的回應
洛奇在隔日接到電報後，贊同美國國務院持有強烈的立場，但建議美方應避免會面吳廷琰或要求他撤換吳廷瑈，而提倡美國只向南越將領表示立場，實質上鼓勵南越陸軍組織政變[2]。洛奇的主張如下：
| “ | Believe that [the] chances of Diem's meeting our demands are virtually nil. At the same time, by making them we give Nhu [a] chance to forestall or block action by [the] military. [The] Risk, we believe, is not worth taking, with Nhu in control [of] combat forces Saigon. Therefore, [we] propose we go straight to [the] Generals with our demands, without informing Diem. [We] Would tell them [that] we [are] prepared have Diem without [the] Nhus but it is in effect up to them whether to keep him.[2] （相信吳廷琰達到我方要求的可能性近乎零。與此同時會給吳廷瑈先發制人、或遏止軍方起事的機會。吳廷瑈掌控西貢一帶的戰鬥部隊，故我們相信這種險是不值得冒的。建議繞過吳廷琰，直接跟將領們闡明我方需要，我方會告知他們，我方已準備將吳廷瑈從吳廷琰身邊拔除，但實際上由他們決定是否要留下吳廷瑈。） |
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參考文獻
引用
來源
- Jacobs, Seth. Cold War Mandarin: Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of America's War in Vietnam, 1950–1963. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 2006. ISBN 0-7425-4447-8.
- Jones, Howard. Death of a Generation. Oxford University Press. 2003. ISBN 0-19-505286-2.