THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001300010047-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2006
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: October 12, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as of 1600
12 October 1966
NSA review completed
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PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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The six southern-oriented cabinet ministers who
submitted a joint letter of resignation to Premier
Ky appear to have relaxed their hard-line position;
this may ease the ten-day-old cabinet crisis. Ru-
manian Premier Maurer apparently made an unannounced
trip to North Vietnam between 1 and 5 October.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam: US
Marines in Operation PRAIRIE reported killing 16
Communist soldiers on 12 October in a five-hour bat-
tle just south of the DMZ (Para. 2). A total of 33
enemy troops were killed during a four-hour engage-
ment in Binh Dinh Province as US soldiers in opera-
tion IRVING continue to strike hard against enemy
units (Para. 3) .
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
The dissension in Premier Ky's cabinet appears to be
easing, although it is not completely resolved (Paras.
1-2). The rules and credentials committees of the
Constituent Assembly are about half through with
their procedural work (Para. 3). The I Corps com-
mander, General Lam, is keeping an eye on assembly
proceedings (Para. 4).
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam: Two
USAF F-105s apparently destroyed a surface-to-air
missile complex located closer to the DMZ than any
site yet discovered in North Vietnam (Paras. 1-3).
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: Rumanian
Premier Maurer apparently made an unannounced trip
to North Vietnam from 1 to 5 October. He is a third
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East European official to visit Hanoi in recent
weeks (Paras. 1-3).
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`Savannakhet
? hu Lai
.Quang Ngai
SOUTH VIETNAM
25 5u 7S 100Mnes
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NORTH Dong HOi
?~ OFMAINI TI1 LINE
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1. Contact between allied and Communist forces
continued to be light throughout South Vietnam on 12
October. The only reported activity was in northern-
most Quang Tri Province near the Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ) and in coastal Binh Dinh Province.
2. US Marines participating in Operation PRAI-
RIE engaged a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) company
which attempted to probe American defense positions
just south of the DMZ. In the ensuing five-hour bat-
tle, 16 enemy soldiers were killed. The marines also
reported seizing several Communist weapons, including
a heavy antiaircraft machine gun mounted on wheels.
American losses were light--two killed and six wounded.
Activity in Binh Dinh Province
3. Elements of the US lst Air Cavalry Division
in Operation IRVING battled with a Communist force of
undetermined size early on 12 October in Binh Dinh
Province. During the four-hour encounter, 33 enemy
troops were killed and eight captured. An enemy am-
munition dump, located in an area about 30 miles
northwest of Qui Nhon, was captured by US forces. The
dump contained more than 120,000 rounds of small-arms
ammunition, 68 mortar rounds, and other assorted am-
munition.
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II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
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1. The six southern-oriented cabinet ministers
who submitted a joint letter of resignation to Pre-
mier Ky on 6 October appear to have relaxed their
hard-line position.
2. News accounts of the discord between the
southerners in the cabinet and the northern mili-
tary functionaries close to Ky claim that the min-
isters have asked that police-director Loan-be re-
placed. There have been no reports, however,JI
that the "resigna-
tion" group intends to press y for any stern ac-
tion toward Loan, who is the primary subject of
southern criticism.
Constituent Assembly
3. At the morning session of the Constituent
Assembly on 11 October, the credentials committee
reported that eight of the 23 deputies whose seats
were contested have been validated. The committee
is still reviewing the evidence of the other 15
contested winners. The procedural rules committee
began the work of submitting the 14 chapters of
rules which will govern the conduct of the assembly
to the delegates for approval. After quickly ap-
proving article one of the first chapter, the dele-
gates bogged down on article two, which states that
the purpose of the assembly is to write a constitu-
tion, and recessed until 12 October.
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4. General Hoang Xuan Lam, I Corps commander
and a member of the Dai Viets (a nationalist party),
is reportedly keeping close tabs on the assembly
proceedings through two Dai Viet deputies from c
tral Vietnam.
lGeneral Lam is supporting the Dai Viets
now in hopes that they will preserve his position
in I'Corps and in the military establishment. There
is some indication
of adeveloping rapprochement between some civilian
and military Dai Viets and government leaders, with
An eye toward influencing their representation in
future government offices.
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. Two USAF F-105s flying near Dong Hoi on
12 October apparently destroyed a surface-to-air
missile complex which was located closer to the
DMZ than any site yet discovered in North Viet-
nam. In recent weeks electronic and photore-
connaissance reports have indicated a shift of
North Vietnamese SAM units to the south in an ap-
parent effort to counter stepped-up US air oper-
ations near the DMZ.
2. One of the US planes, an F-105F, carried
a two-man crew and electronic equipment capable
of picking up signals from an SA-2's FANSONG
missile guidance radar. These radiations led the
flight to an area 10 miles northwest of Dong Hoi,
but no visual contact with the site was possible
due to elaborate camouflage. No SAM was launched
at the US aircraft, but the F-105F crew noted that
the FANSONG radar continued to broadcast inter-
mittently. Since July 1966 DRV missile sites
have been observed limiting their guidance radar
transmissions to short bursts in an effort to deny
US aircraft an electronic fix on their positions.
3. Taking advantage of one prolonged FANSONG
signal, the lead F-105 fired a radar-homing SHRIKE
missile. By following the path of the SHRIKE, the
pilot was able to see the site and observed the
missile exploding on the site's radar van. Elec-
tronic equipment aboard the aircraft simultaneously
registered the disappearance of all radiations from
the site. The SHRIKE attack was followed by rocket
and strafing runs by both planes, resulting in the
explosion of two SA-2 missiles and multiple fires
throughout the complex. Seven additional flights
of US aircraft were called in to rake the site and
take poststrike photography. Preliminary examina-
tion of the first photographs showed one missile
exploding and considerable damage to launchers
and other equipment.
12 October 1966
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
port.
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
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A Third East European Official Consults with Hanoi
1. Rumanian Premier Maurer apparently was a
third East European official to visit Hanoi in re-
cent weeks.
Maurer headed a delegation w ich passed
t roug Peking on 1 October en route to the North Viet-
namese capital for a three-day visit. The delegation
returned via Peking. Whereas the other visitors--
Czechoslovak Premier Lenart from 23 to 29: September and
Bulgarian politburo member and Deputy Premier Mikhaylov
who arrived 10 October--were announced and publicly
received, Maurer's trip has not yet been publicized
by either Hanoi or Bucharest.
2. The Czechs and Bulgarians probably had simi-
lar motives in making the trip at this time. They un-
doubtedly wished to survey at first hand the realities
of the situation in North Vietnam--both as to the mili-
tary and economic needs of the Vietnamese and the final
destination of the expanded material aid each country
is committed to under new agreements recently signed
with Hanoi. The leaders also probably intended the
visits to demonstrate to Hanoi continuing solidarity
with and support for the North Vietnamese cause.
Prague and Sofia also used the trips to encourage a
less rigid line by Hanoi on the question of negotiat-
ing an end to the war.
3. Although it is not clear why the Rumanians
chose to make their trip in secrecy, one element
probably was their wish not to appear to be acting
in concert with the other Eastern European countries.
In addition to a discussion of the situation in North
Vietnam and Hanoi's needs, Maurer undoubtedly dis-
cussed the sharpening of the Sino-Soviet dispute to-
ward which both countries are determined to follow
an independent line.
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