The war against terrorism should not be used to interfere with an independent, sovereign state. We need to identify concrete terrorist targets and do no harm to civilians.

” When asked again about the rumor in January 2002 by a Time Asia reporter he denied he is Hồ's son and stated that his father was named Nông Văn Lai and his mother Hoàng Thị Nhị. Biography
In 1958-61 Mạnh attended the Hanoi Higher School. He joined the Communist Party on 5 July 1963 and received full membership on 10 July 1964.

Mạnh was born in Cường Lợi Na Rì district Bắc Kạn province. Although his official biography states that his parents were Tày peasants it has long been rumoured that Mạnh is the son of former North Vietnamese leader Hồ Chí Minh. His own son is Nông Quốc Tuấn party secretary for Bắc Giang province.