THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00472A001700050004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 28, 2005
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 26, 1965
• Content Type: REPORT

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OCI No. 0621/65
Copy No. L
WEEKLY REPORT
THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
26 May 1965
INTELLIGENCE AND REPORTING SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE INTERAGENCY
VIETNAM COORDINATING COMMITTEE 25X1
DIA review(s) completed.
State Department review completed
SECRET
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and declassification
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THIS MATERIAL CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECT-
ING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES
WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE LAWS,
TITLE 18, USC, SECTIONS 793 AND 794, THE TRANSMIS-
SION OR REVELATION OF WHICH IN ANY MANNER TO
AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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OCI No. 0621/65
Published by the Directorate of Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
(20 May - 26 May 1965)
Page
THE WEEK IN PERSPECTIVE iii
Map, South Vietnam, following page
I. THE SITUATION WITHIN SOUTH VIETNAM 1
A. POLITICAL SITUATION
Details of coup attempt on 20 May
are still obscure (p.1); Govern-
ment communique of 23 May described
coup attempt as a Communist plot;
some aspects of government's account
are questionable (p. 1); Premier
Quat announces a reshuffle of five
ministers in his cabinet; Chief of
State
least
Suu refuses to approve at
two of the appointments (p.
2);
Quat's
appointments designed to ap-
pease
southerners and improve quality
of individual civilian ministers
(p. 3); Problem of top leadership in
military establishment remains unre-
solved (p. 4); Power transmission line
supplying Saigon nearly half its
electrical power needs is sabotaged;
this action coupled with others may
mark onset of drive to squeeze Saigon
area (p. 4).
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Page
B. MILITARY SITUATION 6
Viet Cong activity remains at last
week's level (p. 6); GVN forces
suffer heavy losses from Viet Cong
ambushes (p. 6); VC extend their
influence in rural areas (p. 7);
GVN forces conduct two significant
operations in Darlac and Puang Nam
provinces (p. 7); US Navy destroyers
provide support to friendly positions
ashore for the first time. GVN and
VC have reduced losses this week
(p. 7).
C.
RURAL RECO
NST
RUCTION
8
Rise in re
coastal pr
214,000 (p
fug
ovi
. 8
ees in eig
nces bring
); Chieu H
ht norther
s total to
oi returne
n
e
program co
nti
nues to im
prove (p.
8).
II.
THIRD COUN
TRY
DEVELOPME
NTS
9
Plans are
sentation
to be held
pro
at
in
gressing f
Afro-Asian
Algiers (
or GVN rep
Conferenc
p. 9); For
re-
e
-
eign Minis
in Indian
of Vietnam
on Cambodi
of repres
Congress
ter
pro
cr
a a
enta
adjo
Do expres
posals for
isis (p. 9
ppears sta
tion (p. 9
urns witho
ses intere
settlemen
); Confere
lled on is
); Philipp
ut taking
st
t
nce
sue
ine
final action on troop appropriation
bill (p. 10); Australian advance
party arrives in Saigon; infantry
battalion expected in June (p. 10).
III. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BLOC
Third missile site near Hanoi
p no og a hed (p. 11); USSR is
delivering IL-28 light bombers to North
Vietnam (p. 12).
ANNEX - SOUTH VIETNAM BATTLE STATISTICS
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THE WEEK IN PERSPECTIVE
Premier Quat's measured efforts to maintain a po-
litical balance while strengthening his own authority
have been jolted by two events of the past week. On
20 May, a new coup attempt by Colonel Thao, fugitive
ringleader of the abortive February coup, was report-
edly thwarted by the arrest of some 40 cohorts amid
a full military alert.
Whatever a actua
facts, Premier Quat an is military supporters are
apparently using the incident to purge some elements
considered anathemas to the Buddhist hierarchy, while
seeking to reassure the Catholic community by blaming
the Communists for instigating the coup plot.
Quays long-delayed cabinet reshuffle was finally
announced on 25 May, but Chief of State Suu refused to
approve at least two of the changes on technical grounds.
Suu was evidently influenced in his stand by two incum-
bent ministers slated for replacement, and who allegedly
threatened political repercussions if they were involun-
tarily removed. Regardless of Suu's ability to hold out
against Quat and the military in this issue, the incident
suggests that his preoccupation with constitutional
legalities can be exploited by Quat's opponents to chal-
lenge the premier's authority.
The activity pattern and the slowly rising incident
rate over the past few weeks indicates that the Viet
Cong are now applying increasing pressure while care-
fully avoiding large-scale contact with government
forces. While the present emphasis is in the delta and
in the high ground north and northeast of Saigon, the
Viet Cong could without warning, suddenly shift the
emphasis of military activity to other locales, depending
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upon tactical and strategic considerations. The high-
land region of I and II Corps and the periphery of the
Hop Tac area may well receive increased emphasis when
the summer monsoon season reaches its greatest intensity.
While intensified overt Viet Cong military activity
poses a serious threat, significant Communist 'gains,
which are not always readily apparent, continue to be
made by their own civic and political action teams which
are constantly at work undermining the government's
position in the countryside.
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