CABLE TO RUEPIA/CIA FROM NPIC WASHDC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04549A000600020053-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2007
• Sequence Number: 53
• Publication Date: February 17, 1968
• Content Type: CABLE

rov-e9For.,Release 2007/03/01 : CIA-RDP78BO4549AO00600020053-6
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1968 FEB 17 21 49 Z
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CITE NPIC 3045. 25X1
ANALYSIS OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, IN PREPARATION OF A DETAILED
REPORT ON INSURGENT ACTIVITY IN CAMBODIA, HAS REVEALED INFORMATION
WHICH IS SIMILAR IN SOME RESPECTS TO THE PATTERNS NOTED IN
PHOTOGRAPHY BEFORE EARLIER COMMUNIST ATTACKS AGAINST U.S.
FORCES IN SOUTH VIETNAM.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS ESSENTIALLY A THINK-PIECE PRODUCED BY NPIC TO
GENERATE STUDY AND ATTENTION BY FINISHED-INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS.
THE CENTER WILL BE HAPPY TO HOST A MEETING WITH INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS
TO EXPLORE THE FULL DETAILS OF THIS EVIDENCE. MEANWHILE, NPIC
IS NOT DISSEMINATING THIS CABLE BEYOND THE WASHINGTON COMMUNITY.
TROJAN HORSE AND GIANT DRAGON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, THE PRINCIPAL
SOURCES USED IN PREPARING THIS REPORT, WAS COLLECTED OVER THE
PAST THREE YEARS.
ANALYSIS OF PHOTOGRAPHY REFLECTS GROWING COMMUNIST USE OF CAMBODIA.,
IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SOUTH VIETNAM. IT ALSO
REFLECTS CONSIDERABLE SYSTEMATIC GROWTH OF INSURGENCY-RELATED ;71ST,l ~T,~d
FACILITIES AND LOGISTICS ACTIVITIES IN CAMBODIA. THE SCALE OF Cy rip. Cific action
ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS AND THE UPSWING IN STOCKPILIN rej-
OF SUPPLIES, SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE COMMUNISTS MAY BE ,,
COUNTING ON LONG TERM USE OF CAMBODIA IN PROSECUTING THEIR EFFOR ~-
IN SOUTH VIETNAM. Yr;;,=s IN SOME AREAS IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TELL WHETHER THE COMMUNIS ----1---=-'---7
FACILITIES IN CAMBODIA ARE THERE TO SERVE AS REFUGE POINTS FOR
FORCES WITHDRAWING FROM SOUTH VIETNAM TO CAMBODIAN HAVENS OR ARE
THERE TO SERVE AS FACILITIES TO SUPPORT NEW AND FORTHCOMING
COMMUNIST MILITARY OPERATIONS. THERE ARE SOME- SIMILARITIES IN TME r
PATTERNS NOTED IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY TO PREPARATIONS FOR EARLIER -
COMMUNIST MILITARY MOVES AGAINST U.S. FORCES AT DAK TO, LOC NINH
AND BU DOP IN SOUTH VIETNAM. IF THESE PATTERNS ARE VALID, THERE
MAY BE PARTICULAR REASON FOR CONCERN IN THE DUC CO, PLEI ME, Al
PLEIKU TRIANGLE OF SOUTH VIETNAM. COMMUNIST FACILITIES AND ACTIVIZ-Y
ON NEARBY CAMBODIAN SOIL HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT MONT
AND COULD BE REGARDED AS AN INDICATION OF PREPARATIONS FOR A THR
OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THE 29 BY 18-NM AREA DESIGNATED AS 2`
THE TONLE SAN BASE AREA IN CAMBODIA WHICH EXTENDS WITHIN APPROX
IMATELY 12 NM OF DUC CO SPECIAL FORCES CAMP, SOUTH VIETNAM. THE A_?,p
RECENT COMPLETION, BETWEEN 29 DEC 67 AND 10 JAN 68, OF AN
APPROXIMATELY 16-NM SEGMENT OF AN UNNUMBERED ROAD FROM ROUTE 19,
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JUST NORTH OF BOUNG LONG, TO THE TONLE SAN (RIVER) AFFORDS A MEANS Samt?zed
OF EXPEDITING SHIPMENTS OF SUPPLIES. THE MOTORIZED RIVER CRAFT hni
ON THE TONLE SAN HAVE AT LEAST DOUBLED IN 1967 AND EVIDENCE OF
SUPPLY STOCKPILING HAS BEEN OBSERVED ALONG THE NEW ROAD AND THE
RIVER SINCE LATE 1967. IN ADDITION, APPROXIMATELY 125 PHOTOGRAPHIC
SIGNATURES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED DENOTING PROBABLE INSURGENT
ACTIVITIES. THESE INCLUDE STORAGE FACILITIES; BIVOUAC AND STAGING
AREAS; NUMEROUS AGRICULTURAL AREAS NOT FOLLOWING AN INDIGENOUS
PATTERN; DEFENSES INCLUDING TRENCHING, FOXHOLES, AND AUTOMATIC
WEAPONS POSITIONS; A ROCKET/MORTAR TRAINING AREA; LIAISON/WAY
CROW I
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 Approved For Release 2007/03/01 : CIA-RDP78BO4 9A000600020053-6
STATIONS; A PROBABLE REST AND REHABILIT*"tON FACILITY; AND TRUCK
PARKS AND ROAD-TO-WATER TRANSSHIPMENT POINTS INTERCONNECTED BY
A MAZE OF WELL CONCEALED TRAILS.
IN THE PREK DRANG BASE AREA, SOUTH OF ROUTE 19, STOCKPILING
HAS BEEN OBSERVED DURING THE PAST TWO MONTHS ALONG THE UNNUMBERED
ROAD COMPLETED IN MAY 1967 BETWEEN LOMPHAT AND THE PREK DRANG
(RIVER). INCREASING VEHICULAR TR&.CK ACTIVITY HAS ALSO BEEN
OBSERVED SINCE DECEMBER 1967 ALONG THIS ROAD BETWEEN THE MILITARY
STORAGE FACILITIES AT LOMPHAT AND STORAGE FACILITIES MIDWAY BETWEEN
LOMPHAT AND THE SOUTH VIETNAM BORDER. SINCE JANUARY 1968,
HEAVILY-USED TRAILS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED EXTENDING FROM THE EASTERN
TERMINUS OF THE ROAD CONTINUING EASTWARD INTO SOUTH VIETNAM.
TRENCHES AND FOXHOLES ARE OBSERVED ALONG THESE TRAILS IN BOTH
CAMBODIA AND SOUTH VIETNAM. THE PRESENT LEVEL OF ACTIVITY IN THIS
AREA IS SIMILAR TO THAT DESCRIBED ABOVE IN THE SONLE SAN BASE
AREA.
THE EXTENSION OF ROUTE 110 INTO THE TRI-BORDER BASE AREA OF
CAMBODIA, OBSERVED ON 10 DEC 67, CONNECTS THIS AREA TO THE TONLE
KONG (RIVER) WHERE MOTORIZED RIVER CRAFT INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY
75 PERCENT IN 1967. THE INCREASE IN VEHICULAR ACTIVITY ON' ROUTE
110, SINCE IT WAS EXTENDED TO THE BASE AREA, INDICATES INCREASED
RELIANCE ON MAJOR STORAGE/TRANSSHIPMENT FACILITIES HERE FOR SUPPLIES
BEING SHIPPED TO COMMUNIST FORCES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
ACTIVITY IN THE THREE AREAS MENTIONED ABOVE BEARS SIMILARITY
TO THAT NOTED IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA, PH O'MOHA, AND SNUOL BEFORE
THE COMMUNIST MILITARY MOVES AGAINST U.S. FORCES IN DAK TO, LOC
NINH9 AND BU DOP.
A HARD COPY VERSION OF THIS CABLE WITH SELECTED GRAPHICS WILL
BE DISSEMINATED BY 20 FEB 68.
GP- 1
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L