THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001600010065-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2006
• Sequence Number: 65
• Publication Date: February 14, 1967
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/03/14: CIA-RDP79TOO826A0016000100--
S Top Secret
25X1
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
Top Secret
1.12
14 February 1967
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 25X1 Approved For Release 2007/03/14: CIA-RDP79T00826AO01600010065-7
Approved For Release 2007/03/14: CIA-RDP79T00826A001600010065-7
 Approved ForBelease 2007/03/14: CIA-RDP79TOO82
LA001600010065-7
Information as of 1600
14 February 1967
HIGHLIGHTS
Ground action in South Vietnam is light. In
North Vietnam, new or formerly inactive airfields
are being brought into use for fighter aircraft.
I. The Military,Situation in South Vietnam:
No significant military activity has been reported
by any of the 34 US or allied battalion-size or
larger operations in progress throughout the coun-
try (Para. 1). The US airfield at Nha Trang was
shelled by a Viet Cong mortar team early on 15 Feb-
ruary, Saigon time (Para. 2). US units participating
in Operation BIG SPRING in Binh Duong Province dis-
covered a Viet Cong base camp yesterday (Para. 3).
Five-month-old Operation LANIKAI ended in Long An
Province yesterday; Operation ENTERPRISE has begun
in the same general area (Paras. 4-5). Another
vast US and, South Vietnamese operation, Operation
TUCSON comprising eleven battalions, has been in-
itiated to seek out enemy forces and camps in north-
western Binh Duong Province (Para. 6).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
There is nothing of significance to report.
III. North Vietnamese Military Developments:
DRV fighter operations expanding to new airfields
(Paras. 1-3).
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: Hanoi
propaganda derides US call for _rec.iprocal action
in return for a cessation of the, bombings..(Para. 1).
VI. Other major aspects: Truck traffic into
Laos during Tet the highest on record (Paras. 1-2).
 Approved For Rel se 2007/03/14: CIA-RDP79T00826A0 1600010065-7
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 Approved -7
1. No significant contact has been reported by
any of the 34 US and allied battalion-size or larger
ground operations currently in progress throughout
South Vietnam.
2. Viet Cong guerrillas fired an undetermined
number of mortar rounds at the US air'base at Nha
Trang in coastal Rhanh Hoa Province early on 15 Feb-
ruary, Saigon time. Preliminary reports indicate at
least one helirppter was damaged during the attack..'
3. Elements of the four-battalion search-and-
destroy Operation BIG SPRING, presently being con-
ducted in northeastern Binh Duong Province, discovered
a Viet Cong base camp on 12 February. The area sur-
rounding the camp was heavily booby-trapped with mor-
tar and artillery rounds and contained many pungi
pits. A total of 15 weapons, 50 pounds of documents,
and a small amount of ammunition was seized. There
were no casualties reported.
4. Operation LANIKAI, conducted by one battalion
of the US 25th Infantry Division in Long An Province
south of Saigon, ended on 13 February. This search-
and-destroy operation, which began on 14 September,
resulted in a. total. of.92 Viet Cong killed, 12 captured,
and 135 Communist suspects apprehended. In addition
to various items of military equipment captured-, 50
buildings, 233 bunkers, 13 sampans, nearly 28,000
pounds of rice and 600 pounds of salt,rrand quantities
of mines and munitions were destroyed. American losses
during this five-month operation were reported as-14
killed and 38 wounded.
5. Three battalions of the US 9th Infantry Divi-
sion began Operation ENTERPRISE in Long An Province in
the same general area as the recently terminated Oper-
ation LANIKAI. This search-and-destroy operation is
designed to conduct pacification operations, in coor-
dination. with South Vietnamese forces, to extend gov-
ernment influence in Long An Province. One Viet Cong
infantry battalion--the 2nd Viet Cong local force in-
fantry battalion with an estimated strength of 400
men--is reported to be in, the area.
14 February 1967
Annrnver1 For RaI ca 2flf7ltl /14 ? C',IA-RfP7GTff187EAff1AfOfiffA5-7
 Approved For Release 2007/03/14: CIA-RDP79T00826A001600010065-7
6. Nine US and two South Vietnamese infantry
battalions began Operation TUCSON on 13 February
in northwestern Binh Duong Province. This opera-
tion will attempt to seek out and destroy Viet Cong
forces and base camp areas. The 272nd Viet Cong
Regiment--totaling 2,000 men--is reported to be op-
erating in this area of Binh Duong Province. No
contact with the enemy has been reported.
14 February 1967
 Approved - 065-7
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
14 February. 1967
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 Approv 5-7
III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. The expansion of DRV fighter operations to
new or formerly inactive airfields is proceeding at
a brisk pace, possibly prompted by an interest in
dispersing North Vietnam's air defense assets and
in providing better fighter protection for areas
other than Hanoi.
2. During most of 1966 North'Vietnamese MIG ac-
tivity had been confined to the country's principal
fighter base at Phuc Yen. In recent months, how-
ever, Hanoi - Gia Lam's MIG-15/17 force has swelled
to 15 aircraft as a result of deployments from Phuc
Yen. Kep Airfield, inactive since last summer when
US aircraft destroyed the base's radar facilities,
renewed fighter operations in December 1966 and now
has 21 MIG-17s.
3. Recent aerial photography has revealed that
the airfield under construction at Bai Thuong lacks
only final runway surfacing before it could support
fighter operations.
14 February 1967
25X1
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 Approv 7
IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
14 February 1967
 Approveq
V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Hanoi used Secretary of State Rusk's 9
February press conference as the peg point to restate
its opposition to the US call for reciprocal action
in return for a cessation of the bombings. -A com-
mentary in the army daily, of which only excerpts
were broadcast on 14 February, derided the secretary's
comments, demanded that the US "de-escalate" uni-
laterally, and ruled out any reciprocal action for
such a bombing halt.
.2. The commentary promised that "our people's
only reciprocity is resolute resistance against ag-
gression." Additionally the commentary ridiculed
statements to the effect that peace talks could be-
gin while military actions continued and concluded
by stating that "there definitely can be no peace
while US aggression is going on." The army paper,
like Ho Chi Minh's letter to Pope Paul on 13 Feb-
ruary, made no mention of the possibility of talks
if the bombings were stopped unilaterally.
14 February 1967
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 Approved Fc
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 Approves For Release 7067 O3 14 ? CI?_RflP7QTfl(1f2.)RAnnl nnnIQ065.7
1. Between 7 and 10 February, roughly the pe-
riod of the Tet truce, 385 trucks were reported mov-
ing south in the Mu Gia Pass area toward the Laotian
infiltration corridor. Initial readout of aerial
photography tends to confirm heavy truck movement in
the pass area.
2. If confirmed, this level of trucking activity
into the panhandle--an,average of about 95 per day--
would represent the highest number ever recorded in
a four-day period. An average of 20 to 25 trucks per
day was observed during the month of January in the
pass area. No heavy trucking activity comparable to
that reported during Tet near the pass has been.noted
farther south along the infiltration network.
14 February 1967