 Tung had been trained by the CIA in the United States . A Diệm loyalist , he led a force of 1 @,@ 840 men , which operated under the direction of Nhu rather than the army command . He did not conduct operations against the communist Việt Cộng insurgents , but used his forces mainly in Saigon to repress opponents of the Diệm regime . Tung 's most notable attacks occurred during the Buddhist crisis of 1963 . During this period , the Buddhist majority engaged in mass protests against the pro @-@ Catholic policies of the Diệm regime . 
