WEEKLY SUMMARY - 1968/01/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06753737
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753737
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY SUMMARY
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753737
�ret
46 �
26 January 1968
No. 0004/68
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753737
VIETNAM
Communist strategists ap-
parently plan to kick off a ma-
jor country-wide military cam-
paign sometime around Tet, the
lunar new year at the end of
January. The main pressure will
probably be mounted in the north-
ern provinces.
The opening round appar-
ently occurred in Quang Tri Prov-
ince on 19 January with a series
of probes against allied posi-
tions in the Khe Sanh area, fol-
lowed up later in the week with
large-scale mortar, rocket, and
artillery bombardments. Heavy
fighting also occurred near Gio
Linh in the northeastern corner
of the province, reflecting
enemy efforts to maintain pres-
sure and tie down US forces all
along the Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ). On the western end of the
DMZ, at least 16,000 North Viet-
namese regulars are in the hills
surrounding the Marine garrison
at Khe Sanh, while up to two
enemy divisions threaten allied
strongpoints in the eastern half
of the province. 3.3(h)(2)
A North Vietnamese
who defected a
Sanh last weekend, claims that
the mission of his unit--the
North Vietnamese 325C Division--
is to overrun every US base be-
tween the Laotian border and
Con Thien before the Tet holi-
days. The defector's remarks
suggest that enemy troops are
being given an especially heavy
dose of propaganda exhortation,
which is indicative of the major
significance the Communists ap-
pear to be placing on the pres-
ent offensive.
The deserter claimed that
the Quang Tri campaign was of
such importance that it was be-
ing controlled directly by the
North Vietnamese Defense Minis-
try in Hanoi.
There are indications that
enemy operations in the northern
provinces may be coordinated with
attacks in the western highlands
and perhaps in northern III
Corps. There has been continued
maneuvering by subordinates of
the 5-3 Front, both along the
Kontum-Pleiku provincial border
area and in the mountains of Kon-
tum adjacent to the Laos-Cam-
bodian border, where at least
five North Vietnamese regiments
have been identified. Several
recently captured documents
discuss plans to attack specific
targets in Pleiku--including the
province capital, possibly in
conjunction with actions in the
triborder area.
ET
Page 3 WEEKLY SUMMARY
26 Jan 68
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SE
Although fighting in north-
ern III Corps has slackened re-
cently, elements of three Com-
munist divisions--the Viet Cong
5th and 9th, and the North Viet-
namese 7th--are in a position to
threaten several key points, in-
cluding-the Loc Ninh - Song Be
area.
Reinforcing the likelihood
of wide-ranging enemy offensive
operations before or soon after
Tet are the tapering off of the
northeastern monsoon in the DMZ
area and the new moon cycle it-
self, both natural factors that
are known to create conditions
favorable to enemy initiatives.
3.3(h)(2)
Page 4
SE
4110
Hanoi Rejects Reciprocity
North Vietnam seems unwill-
ing at present to go any further
WEEKLY SUMMARY 26 Jan 68
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753737
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753737
in publicly elaborating on its
position concerning talks with
the US. In contrast to its ef-
forts prior to President John-
son's State of the Union address
to underscore the reasonableness
of the Communist position, Hanoi
now seems bent on preventing
any exaggerated interpretations
of its intentions. After
strongly denouncing the Presi-
dent's restatement of the San
Antonio formula, North Vietnam-
Page 5
ese media generally have concen-
trated on presenting Hanoi's
usual hard-line treatment of the
war and have ignored the issue
of negotiations. On 22 January,
the DRV representative in Paris
canceled a scheduled inter-
view with a New York Times of-
ficial on the grounds that he
had said everything he had to 3.5(c)
say at this time.
*
SE 7r
WEEKLY SUMMARY
26 Jan 68
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C06753737