F-2005-00723 FINAL RESPONSE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01182025
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2022
• Case Number: F-2022-01713
• Publication Date: March 21, 2005

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Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
21 March 2005
Ms. Monisaue Demery
Reference: F-2005-00723
Dear Ms. Demery:
We received your 27 January 2005 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request for information or records on the following South Vietnamese
political personalities from 1945-63:
Mr. and Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu,
Ambassador and Mrs. Tran Van Chuong, and
Mr. Tran van Khiern.
We assigned your request Reference Number F-2005-00723. Please reference
this number when corresponding with our agency.
It is the CIA's policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of records
that might indicate a current or former operational or analytical interest in
any particular foreign personality. This is so for the following reasons: The
primary mission of the CIA is the conduct of foreign intelligence and foreign
counterintelligence and the analysis thereof. Our records largely document
the conduct of these operations and the information gleaned or otherwise
acquired. The disclosure of individuals as sources (that is, cooperating
individuals) or targets (that is, hostile individuals) would directly damage our
national security by allowing targeted governments to take retaliatory action
against US sources or to exploit the disclosure domestically (for instance,
discourage other potential sources), diplomatically, or clandestinely (for
instance, taking countermeasures or providing disinformation). Even if the
subject of a FOIA request is not of intelligence interest, we must provide
identical responses to all such requests to prevent our pattern of responses
from leading to correct conjectures as to who is or is not of CIA intelligence
interest. These concerns are not based on untested hypothesis; indeed,
numerous federal courts have recognized that foreign intelligence services are
"zealous ferrets" and that the FOIA does not require the United States to
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lighten the task of hostile governments by providing them with documentary
assistance from which to piece together the truth concerning our foreign
intelligence activities.
However, we can sometimes provide requesters with overt or officially
released records containing information on foreign nationals that is unrelated
to any classified or covert interest. Examples in this regard could include
records on individuals in the context of an election or their position on public
policy matters. Consistent with our policies and with regard to your interest
in Ngo Dinh Diem and Tran Van Chuong, we searched our database of
officially released documents and were able to locate the enclosed 25
documents, totaling 124 pages.
Based on the information provided in your letter, we determined that
your request falls into the "all other" fee category, which means that you would
be required to pay charges which recover the cost of searching for and
reproducing responsive records (if any) beyond the first 100 pages of
reproduction and the first two hours of search time, which will be furnished
without charge. Copying costs would be assessed at the rate of ten cents per
page. Because fees are minimal, and as an act of administrative discretion, we
determined that no fees will be charged for this request.
Please be aware the CIA is not authorized to release records originated
by other Government agencies even if we were to locate any. If you have not
already done so, you may also wish to contact the Department of State at the
following address for the information regarding ambassadors:
Ms. Margaret P. Grafeld
Director, Office of IRM Programs and Services, SA-2
Department of State, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20522-6001
We hope you find the enclosed information useful.
Sincerely,
Scott Koch
Information and Privacy Coordinator
Enclosures
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IMS/IRRG/PIP March 2005
Signature assigned by:
Distribution:
Orig - Adse
1 - PIPD/F-2005-00723 GIF (Fee Cat: 0� All Other, no fees;
FOIA 00723 Demery GIF
Enclosed documents: MORI 8023, 8305, 8583, 8707, 8708, 10512, 10513,
10514, 10558, 10571, 10572, 10577, 10588, 10599, 10769, 11800, 11958, 12007,
95375, 96537, 96538, 121813, 242381, 242384, 570761.
Notes.
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