243号电报（英语：Cable 243），是1963年8月24日时美国国务院发给美国驻越南共和国（南越）大使小亨利·卡波特·洛奇的一份态度鲜明的讯息，是引发1963年南越政变的关键因素。
电报的背景是8月21日午夜，信奉天主教的吴廷琰独裁政权酿成了佛教徒危机，其中的查抄舍利寺事件中，数百名佛教徒据信已经被杀，造成佛教广传的南越，民情沸腾。这次查抄行动由吴廷琰的胞弟吴廷瑈所计划，因而猛然转变了美国政策。电报声称华府不再准备容忍吴廷瑈继续掌权，命令洛奇向吴廷琰施加压力，撤换吴廷瑈。如果吴廷琰拒绝，美国政府将为南越寻找一位新的领导人。这份电报授权洛奇，如果吴廷琰不愿撤换吴廷瑈，就同意南越军将领们，发动政变，取代吴廷琰。
这份电报标志着美国与吴廷琰关系的转折点，也使得美国对事后由南越军推翻吴廷琰政权的1963年政变不予阻止，最终导致吴廷琰被暗杀。历史学家约翰纽曼称其是“越南战争中最具争议性的一份电报”[1]。
电文内容
电文首段内容如下：
| “ | 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，无论戒严令是由军部提出、或由吴廷瑈诱使其下此策，他已出动了忠于自己的警察和黎光松上校的特种部队抄了佛寺，还在全世界和越南民众的眼前把责任推给军方。此时同样清楚的一件事，就是吴廷瑈策划用计将自己推上指挥大位。） 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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电报接著指示洛奇去通知吴廷琰，说美国无法接受佛寺查抄行动，并要求吴廷琰政府对佛教徒危机的善后采取更有力的措施[2]，洛奇亦被要求告知南越军高阶军官以下内容：
| “ | [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] （除非立即实施上述我方认为的、撤换吴廷瑈时所必须的措施，否则美国将不可能继续给予越南政府军事及经济上的支援。希望能给吴廷琰适当机会来把吴廷瑈换掉，但若吴廷琰依然故我的话，那我方将准备明确承认美国不再支持琰政府。你亦可通知适当的军方指挥官，说美方在中央政府垮台后的任何过渡时期，都将给予其直接支持。） |
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电文还告诉洛奇大使关于证明南越军在查抄事件中无罪的必要，并要求洛奇许可在美国之音广播中公布吴廷瑈对舍利寺查抄事件所负的责任，接著又要求洛奇寻找可以代替吴廷琰领导的南越人士[2]。
洛奇大使的回应
洛奇在隔日接到电报后，赞同美国国务院持有强烈的立场，但建议美方应避免会面吴廷琰或要求他撤换吴廷瑈，而提倡美国只向南越将领表示立场，实质上鼓励南越陆军组织政变[2]。洛奇的主张如下：
| “ | 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] （相信吴廷琰达到我方要求的可能性近乎零。与此同时会给吴廷瑈先发制人、或遏止军方起事的机会。吴廷瑈掌控西贡一带的战斗部队，故我们相信这种险是不值得冒的。建议绕过吴廷琰，直接跟将领们阐明我方需要，我方会告知他们，我方已准备将吴廷瑈从吴廷琰身边拔除，但实际上由他们决定是否要留下吴廷瑈。） |
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参考文献
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