Aug. 24, 1964 - The United States reaffirmed today its support for the South Vietnamese regime headed by Gen. Nguyen Khanh (left) in the face of opposition to it by student and religious groups.
Commenting on anti-Government violence that has spread throughout the country in the last two days, a State Department spokesman, Robert J. McCloskey, said: “Obviously, anything of a divisive nature is in the interest of neither the South Vietnamese Government nor its people.”
The anti-Government unrest was viewed as another dangerous element in weakening the structure of the Saigon regime at a time when the Viet Cong are pressing their attacks with growing vigor and when pressures for a negotiated settlement of the war are rising in many quarters.
The main theme of the official comments was emphasis that the U.S. would take an extremely serious and negative view of any move to oust the regime of President Khanh.
The officials cautioned against any analogies between the present charges of “dictatorship” being directed at Khanh and the situation that prevailed a year ago when opposition was rising against the regime of President Ngo Dinh Diem, who was assassinated in the coup of November 1963.
President Johnson met today at the White House with Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. It is believed the Vietnam situation was a primary topic of discussion.
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