THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001500010018-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 29, 2005
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: December 11, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
DOS review completed
NSA review completed
Top Secret
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Information as of 1600
11 December
The Viet Cong mounted two sharp attacks this
weekend, The Liberation Front radio meanwhile re-
jects suggestions that the Christmas truce be ex-
tended.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Heavy casualties were suffered by US an Communist
soldiers in a brief clash in Tay Ninh Province early
today (Para. l)., A South Vietnamese Army base camp
and command post was attacked by Communist troops ten
miles northwest of Hue, resulting in friendly losses
of 24 killed and 85 wounded (Para. 2)o US Navy
river patrol boats and armed helicopters killed 15
Viet Cong and sank 28 sampans in the Mekong Delta on
11 December (Para, 3)e For the third time in six
weeks, Viet Cong guerrillas attacked the Long Binh
ammunition dump 13 miles northeast of Saigon, causing
two explosions which destroyed nearly two tons of
explosives (Para. 4). Viet Cong frogmen have been
unsuccessful in four recent attempts to blow up
strategic bridges in the Saigon area (Para. 5)o A
Viet Cong battalion-size force attacked a South Viet-
namese training camp and captured 184 trainees and
killed 15 others (Para. 6). A battalion-size Viet
Cong force ambushed a South Vietnamese company 20
miles west of Saigon on 9 December (Para, 7)o Thua
Thien Province has been isolated by road and rail
from Quang Nam and Quang Tri provinces owing to Viet
Cong ipterdiction efforts (Paras? 8-9), Soviet ammu-
nition has been identified
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BORO in Tay Ninh Province (Para. 10)?
II0 , Political Developments in South Vietnam:
A draft constitution is being circu ate in the Con-
stituent Assembly (Paras. 1-4)m The government's
prompt response to Tran Van Van's assassination has
apparently lessened its political impact in Saigon
(Paras? 5-6)
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III Military Developments in North Vietnam:
There is nothing of significance to report.
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing off significance to report
V. Communist Political Developments: The Viet
Cong have rejected an extension of the Christmas truce
to Tet (Para. 1). Hanoi has absolved China of obstructing
Soviet shipments (Paras r 2-4).
VI. Other Major Aspects: There is additional evi-
dence of North Vietnamese presence in northeastern
Cambodia (Paras 1-4 ambodian complicity is un-
clear (Paras? 5-6
11 December 1966
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1. A platoon of the US lst Infantry Division
engaged an enemy force of unknown size on 11 Decem-
ber in Tay Ninh Province, about 10 miles northeast
of Tay Ninh city. During the brief clash, 18 Amer-
icans were killed and 10 wounded. Enemy losses were
reported as 26 killed and one automatic weapon cap-
tured.
2. On 10 December a Communist force attacked
a South Vietnamese regimental command post and a
battalion base camp about 10 miles northwest of Hue
in northern Thua Thien Province with small arms and
mortar fire. Friendly casualties were reported as
24 killed (1 US), 85 wounded (4 US), 12 missing,
and more than 100 weapons captured. Six enemy sol-
diers were reported killed and four weapons captured.
3. American patrol boats and armed helicopters
killed 15 khaki-uniformed Viet Cong and destroyed
28 sampans in a Mekong Delta canal battle early on
11 December. Two US Navy river patrol boats located
a group of 40 sampans and a large group of Viet Cong
on the nearby canal bank near My Tho in Dinh Tuong
Province. The Viet Cong fired on the boats which
were later assisted by two US helicopters. American
casualties in the action were light, with only two
reported wounded. The patrol boats were only slightly
damaged.
4. For the third time in six weeks, Viet Cong
guerrillas attacked the US ammunition dump at Long
Binh, 13 miles northeast of Saigon, early on 10 De-
cember. The guerrillas penetrated the dump's per-
imeter, fired on guards, and set explosive charges
that destroyed two ammunition storage pads. An un-
exploded satchel charge was found in a third area.
One American was slightly wounded. A total of one
and one half tons of small arms ammunition and 80
175-mm,propellant charges were destroyed.
5. On 10 December a South Vietnamese soldier
at the Phu Long bridge, six miles north of Saigon,
spotted a mine floating on a camouflaged makeshift
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raft, The mine, which was brought ashore and dis-
armed, consisted of 880 pounds of TNT and a clock
timing device. This is the fourth such mine found
on the Saigon River during the past week. This re-
cent series of attempts on Saigon area bridges, if
successful, could have resulted in substantial
friendly losses. The attempted explosions would
have severed the strategic Saigon - Bien Hoa high-
way which during daylight hours is filled with mili-
tary traffic.
6. Late on 9 December an estimated Viet Cong bat-
talion attacked two South Vietnamese Regional Force
companies engaged in a training exercise at the Van
Kiep Training Center, one mile northwest of Ba Ria
in coastal Phouc Tuy Province. The guerrillas cap-
tured 1.84 of the trainees, who had only blank cart-
ridges in their weapons. In addition to those cap-
tured, initial reports indicate 15 others were
killed and a total of 82 weapons seized. Enemy
losses are unknown. A South Vietnamese Marine bat-
talion was sent to the area as a reaction force.
However, no contact with the Viet Cong battalion
has been reported.
7. A South Vietnamese Regional Force Company
operating in an area about 20 miles west of Saigon
in Hau Nghia Province was ambushed by an estimated
Viet Cong battalion on 9 December. Casualty figures
list 15 South Vietnamese killed, three wounded, and
12 missing. One 60-mm. mortar and 24 individual
weapons were reported lost. A total of five Viet
Cong were reported killed, A reaction force sent
to the area failed to locate the enemy force.
Viet Cong Interdiction Efforts in the Northern Prov-
inces
8. A recent increase in Viet Cong incidents
along Route 1 in the northern provinces of Thua
Thien and Quang Nam may indicate an effort by the
Viet Cong to isolate certain towns and/or areas.
The Da Nang/Hue section of the National Railroad was
cut in three separate locations during the past week.
This differs from the usual practice of cutting the
line in. one place, then waiting until it is repaired
before cutting it again at another location.
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9. A series of well-coordinated attacks on
three highway bridges on Route 1 has effectively
cut off Thua Thien Province from Quang Tri and
Quang Nam Provinces. One of the three strategic
bridges was destroyed and the other two seriously
damaged, All three are impassable.
Viet Cong Military Intelligence Bureau to Hold
Congress
loo The Viet Cong Military Intelligence Bureau
of the Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN)
notified a subordinate unit in northern Tay Ninh
Province of plans for a "bureau-wide party congress,"
according to a recently intercepted message. The
congress is to be held on 24 and 25 December, during
the Christmas cease-fire period, to elect a new ex-
ecutive committee, The subordinate was instructed
to conduct elections for delegates to the congress
on the basis of one delegate for every seven per-
sonnel.
11? Examination of ammunition captured by Amer-
ican troops during the recently concluded Operation
ATTLEBORO in Tay Ninh Province has revealed the
presence of two recently manufactured Soviet items.
Propellants for antitank mines and 7062-mm0cart-
ridges were
capture o These are the most recent ovie i ems
observed among captured materiel in South Vietnam.
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II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. A draft constitution is being circulated
in the Constituent Assembly with the apparent sup-
port of some 40 delegates representing a variety
of political factions.
2. The draft outlines a modified presidential
system of government, under which an elected presi-
dent appoints a prime minister who is responsive to
the lower house of the legislature. The draft also
establishes a host of executive and judicial insti-
tutions, including a "special court" with the legal
power to impeach the president and other high-rank-
ing officials.
3. A "bill of rights" section prohibits the
"propagation of Communist ideology" and specifies
that those who subvert Vietnam's "democratic system
of government" lose their rights as citizens. The
rights of minorities to maintain their own customs
is also guaranteed in this section.
4. The draft provides for the promulgation of
a constitution in early February and a presidential
election within three months. It also specifies
that the present Constituent Assembly will function
until a lower house of representatives is elected,
which is to occur within three months after the pres-
idential elections.
Tran Van Van's Assassination
5. The government's prompt response to last
week's assassination of southern leader Tran Van
Van has apparently lessened its political impact
in Saigon.
6. The US Embassy reports that Prime Minister
Ky's 9 December `eulogy of Van, and the public admis-
sion by one of the assassins that he was acting un-
der Viet Cong orders, has helped allay the natural
suspicions of southern politicians that the govern-
ment might be implicated in the murder. The embassy
notes that it is clear that these suspicions have not
been entirely put to rest, but that it now appears
that the assassination will hot have major political
repercussions. II-1 11 December 1966
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
11 December 1966
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. A Viet Cong radio commentary of 10 December
rejected the possibility of extending the Christmas
truce to Tet, the lunar new year holiday which the
Vietnamese will celebrate next year from 8 to 12 Feb-
ruary. The broadcast denounced those individuals
who speak of peace in Vietnam as "intentionally or
unintentionally supporting their (US) aggressive
scheme in Vietnam and directly encouraginlq their ag-
gressive acts." The Viet Cong condemned British
leaders for seeing such prolongation of the truce as
a "dawning" of a prospect for peace, and reprimanded
"some world religious and organization leaders for
not understanding the Vietnam situation as well as
Sihanouk, De Gaulle, and Bertrand Russell" who are
"well informed" on Vietnam.
Hanoi Absolves China of Obstruction
2. Hanoi has once again absolved the Chinese
Communists of obstructing the passage of Soviet and
other bloc goods on their way through China to North
Vietnam. The Hanoi international news service de-
clared on 10 December that the North Vietnamese Gov-
ernment "has many times affirmed that China has al-
c.Yays helped in the transit, on schedule, of all goods
given to Vietnam as aid by the Soviet Union and other
socialist countries." The broadcast blamed "Western
news agencies" for spreading "lies" that China had
created difficulties.
3. Although some Chinese harassment of transit-
ing Soviet shipments probably continues, available
evidence indicates that the Chinese are still letting
the goods through. The Soviets and other bloc sources
have from time to time spread stories that China has
on occasion actually stopped shipments.
4. Hanoi's latest statement appears to be part
of its continuing effort not to become publicly in-
volved in the Sino-Soviet dispute. North Vietnam
probably feels that its best interests lie in accept-
ing aid from--and thanking--both sides.
11 December 1966
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NVM
Sepon
ava nakhet J
Base
Area'
atanakiri Province Chl@o Reo.
lPhuot Vinh
0 25 50 75 l00Mdes
0 25 50 75 150 Kdorneters
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VI. OTHER MAJOR ASPECTS
1. Additional evidence of the presence of
North Vietnamese units in northeastern Cambodia
has been provided by a recently interrogated North
Vietnamese prisoner.
2. The prisoner, who was captured in late
November in Kontum Province close to the Cambodian
border, stated that he was with the 95th (95 B)
North Vietnamese Regiment when it moved into Cambodia
in mid-1966. He claimed that the regiment estab-
lished battalion-size camps on Cambodian territory
and trained for two months before deploying-'into
Pleiku Province in South Vietnam.
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4. The North Vietnamese prisoner also stated
that. his battalion received foodstuffs from a "ware-
house" which he believed was stocked by Cambodians.
Numerous North Vietnamese prisoners have reported
that they received rice from way stations located
along the northeastern Cambodian border while infil-
tratina into South Vietnam.
Cambodian Complicity
5. The prisoner apparently did not provide any
information on the question of the extent to which
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local Cambodian officials are aware of or sanction
the presence of Communist bases on Cambodian terri-
tory. The area in which the encampments are evi-
dently located is one over which Cambodia has never
exercised more than nominal control. There are no
Cambodian regular or paramilitary units deployed in
the extreme northeast section of Ratanakiri. I
6. Higher Cambodian echelons may be taking an-
other look at the situation in the province, however.
The Ratanakiri military subdivision was instructed
in late November by Cambodia's Military Region V
headquarters to investigate reports that Communist
units have established bases in its territory. The
subdivision's response, denying that there are any
"Viet Cong" forces in its area, represents either an
attempt deliberately to mislead its superiors or
suggests inadequate intelligence on territory under
its nominal jurisdiction.
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