THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00472A001900030007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 6, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 22, 1965
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/06: CIA-RDP79T00472AO01900030007-2
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Current Intelligence
22 March 1965
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam as of 0600 EST
.The US Air Strike of 22 March
1. About 20 US aircraft struck the Vinh Son
radar site in North Vietnam at about 1600 local
Vietnam.time (0300 EST).on 22 March. All planes
returned safely, except one F-105 which crashed
into the sea. The cause of the crash is undeter-
mined. The pilot was recovered safely. Initial
pilot reports indicate that the results of the raid
were "excellent."
2. Initial field reconnaissance reports indi-
cate that the 21 March South Vietnamese strike
against the Vu Con barracks in North Vietnam de--
stroyed five buildings in the target area. The
target contained some 64 buildings in all.
Bloc Political Developments
3. The Communist bloc capitals have roundly
scored the 21 March South Vietnamese attack, but do
not advance any new or different themes in their
propaganda treatment of the sittuation.
4. On the political front, the Chinese Com-
munists have made a new move apparently aimed at
bringing pressure against the US to halt its air
strikes against North Vietnam and at encouraging
French hopes for negotiations on Indochina.
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Communist China might take part in an
.international confrence if it were convened without
preconditions. They noted. specifically that Peip-
ing would not insist on prior withdrawal of US
forces from South Vietnam as the price of such
talks, but would be unwilling to condition a con-
ference on cessation of DRV support for the Viet
Cong.
Bloc Military Developments
14. No significant military deployments as-
sociated with the Vietnam situation have been noted
.in North Vietnam, Communist China or the Soviet
Union during the past twenty-four hours.
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Viet Cong Military Activity
16. No major Viet Cong actions have been re-
ported today as the Communists continue to emphasize
small-scale but widespread guerrilla activity in the
countryside.
Meanwhile, two grenade incidents were
reported in Saigon and Da Nang respectively, but no
damage or serious injuries were sustained in either
case.
18. Two motorized junks about 25 miles off
Binh Dinh Province on 20 March fired on a Vietnamese
observer aircraft which had.sighted them. Viet-
namese fighter aircraft subsequently strafed the
junks, disabling one while the other escaped. The
disabled junk is being towed to shore. No other
details are available at this time.
19. According to unconfirmed press reports,
two battalions of South. Vietnamese troops were air-
lifted by 49 helicopters today against a concentra-
tion of 1,500 Viet Cong about 10 miles from Da Nang.
The area reportedly had previously been softened up
by 28 U.S. and South Vietnamese aircraft. If con-
firmed, this action would mark the largest heli-
copter operation thus far in the South Vietnam Army
I Corps.
South Vietnam Political Developments
20. Nothing of significance has been'reported
in the last 24 hours.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/06: CIA-RDP79T00472AO01900030007-2
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NORTH
VIETNAM
w
STRIKE TARGETS
22 MARCH 1965
A US Air Force Strike Target
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