THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00472A001900030001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 16, 1965
• Content Type: MEMO

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE .AGENCY
Office of Current Intelligence
16 March 1965
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam as of 0600 EST
Results of the US Air Strike on Phu Qui
1. Preliminary analysis of post-strike photog-
raphy reveals extensive damage at the Phu Qui ammuni-
tion depot as a result of the 15 March air strike.
2. Ten buildings were observed burning and 18
others received structural damage. There was a
total of 32 ammunition storage and support build-
ings in the Phu Qui complex.
Communist Military Developments
4. There is an unconfirmed report from a field
photo-interpretation unit that .two possible surface-
to-air missile (SAM) sites are under construction
in North Vietnam near Hanoi. The report is based
on continuing analysis of U-2 photography obtained
on 14 February. The two installations were report-
edly 30 and 50 percent completed at that time and
have been tentatively identified as possible SAM
positions because of their star-.shaped configura-
tiorl,;which.is common to many. SA-2 sites. In the
absence of confirmatory evidence there is still a
possibility that these sites are heavy anti-aircraft
artillery-(AAA) positions.
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~O. No Chinese or Soviet military developments
that can be directly associated with the Vietnamese
situation have been detected during the past 24 hours.
Communist Political Developments
7. Moscow's propaganda reaction to the latest
air strike has been relatively mild... Peiping, press-
ing its propaganda campaign against alleged .Soviet
brutality in the handling of Chinese students during
the 4 March anti-US demonstration in Moscow, has ,not
made a major statement on the two latest strikes.
8. Today's editorial in Hanoi's major party
newspaper; characterized the two consecutive air
strikes as a "realization of the...plan recently
mapped out at.Camp David." Noting that. yesterday's
attack. penetrated."deeper into our territory than
before," the editorial exhorts the people and the
armed forces in the north to "always stand ready...
in coordination with the liberation forces in the
south" to "defend...the airspace, territorial waters,
and territory of our country."
9. Hanoi has also lodged .another protest with
the ICC, charging that the 15 March air strike was
the eighth such violation of DRV territory since
early F` ~~ ~ ~ruary .
calling for a termination of
North Vietnamese military actions against South Viet-
nam prior to negotiations go well beyond earlier
statements by low-ranking Soviet officials. The
that
was orce o support Hanoi, but it did not
want other "parties" which favor war to become
directly involved. When .asked if the Soviet govern-
ment would support the Chinese if they should enter
the war, the attache stated that Moscow would."do
everything possible" to avoid having to make that
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decision. While the Thad the impres-
sion-that his Soviet colleague was speaking under
instruct:ions:, these remarks do not represent an
authoritative statement of the views of the Soviet
Government.
South Vietnamese Political Developments
11. Following the weekend coup rumors, Air
Vice Marshal Ky has expressed his opposition to
further. power struggles within the military. I
Corps commander General Thi had .earlier expressed
similar views. Ky, who asserted no coup could suc-
ceed against air force opposition, said he was mak-
ing his views known, to other officers-and expected
no serious move to oust General "Little" Minh as
commander-in-chief at the next Armed .Forces Council
meeting, scheduled for 17 March. Ky attributed the
.coup rumors largely to retired or outcast officers,
Such as Colonel Pham Ngoc Thao, or to Viet Cong
inspiration.
12. Despite their protestation, Ky. and Thi
are among the officers considered most likely to
maneuver for greater influence in forthcoming Armed
..Forces Council discussions on possible command changes.
13. General Linh Quang Vien, Minister of Psy-
chological Warfare, in an apparent effort to generate
further American support for the retention of General
"Little" Minh in his present position, told a US of-
ficial on 13 March that-Minh was doing an .excellent
job and that he had the confidence of both :the Presi-
aent and the Prime Minister. Vien said that although
General Thi would like to replace Minh with someone
with more popular appeal, Thi probably did not have
enough support to do it.
14. Vien also stated .that in addition to the
three "peace movement" leaders already selected for
deportation to North Vietnam9ten others would pro-
bably be deported and about 80 would face court
action.
Viet Cong Military Activity
15: The Viet Cong are sustaining their rela-
tively active pace of military activity. A fishing
junk was pursued by elements of the South'Vietnamese
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junk division yesterday off Quang Tri Province just
south of the North Vietnam border, and was scuttled
by its crew. Sik Viet Cong crewmen were captured
and three cases of explosives recovered. Efforts
are being made to recover additional materiel on
board the vessel. The prisoners stated that the
junk-was one of three which had .departed Tiger
Island on 12 March.
Cambodia-South Vietnam
16. Cambodia is improving its air defense cap-
ability along the South Vietnamese border.
n recen mon s,
Cambodia has organized .additional antiaircraft
art:ilT~ery units utilizing the 60-37mm .and 8~85mm
.antiaircraft weapons. and associated electronic
equipment supplied by the Soviet Union and Com-
munist China. Some of these units have been de-
ployed to border locations and ground observer
teams have been organized to report overflights.
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