NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A027400010042-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 15, 2006
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: February 18, 1975
• Content Type: REPORT

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N C
National Intelligence
Bulletin
DIA review(s) completed.
Top Secret
February 18, 1975
N0
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 Approved For Rel
National Intelligence Bulletin
February 18, 1975
CAMBODIA: Government loses strategic beachhead. (Page 1)
USSR-UK: Prime Minister Wilson ends visit to USSR.
Page 2)
USSR-CHINA: Border talks have resumed, but neither side
is optimistic. (Page 3)
SOUTH VIETNAM: Government commanders are preparing for
new fighting. (Page 5)
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 Approved For Release 2006/0
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National Intelligence Bulletin February 18, 1975
CAMBODIA
The military situation in Cambodia deteriorated
further over the weekend. Heavy Communist attacks
against government positions on the Mekong River island
of Peam Reang continued and it has reportedly fallen
to the Communists. Radio contact was lost yesterday.
The fate of two government battalions on the island
is not yet known, but casualties are expected to be
heavy.
Loss of the government beachhead on the island will
threaten remaining government positions 'outh of Neak
Luong and delay security operations planned for the
area of the southern narrows. Without the foothold over-
looking this key choke point, it is doubtful that the
government will be able to secure the riverbanks without
a massive commitment of troops.
The government battalion attempting to retake Dei
Doh north of Neak Luong was withdrawn yesterday. It is
not yet known if the government plans permanently to
abandon the effort to retake the position or to make
another effort, possibly with a larger force.
The badly mauled 7th Division remains under almost
constant attack northwest of Phnom Penh and the remnants
of one of its brigades were forced to pull back Sunday.
No significant penetration of the capital's northwestern
defenses resulted;
In the far northwest, the insurgents
have occupied most of Moung Russei, a town astride Route
5 southeast of Battambang. Several buildings were set
afire, including a large rice warehouse. Reinforce-
ments have been dispatched from Battambang and Pursat
to assist remaining government defenders.
Meanwhile communist rockets continue to fall on
Pochentong airport and the capital. Twenty-one persons
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National Intelligence Bulletin
February 18, 1975
were wounded in attacks against the airport on February
16 and 17, and an enemy rocket hit a warehouse in north-
er
Ph
n
nom Penh on the 16th destroying a quantity of
1 ubri ..
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s
USSR-UK
British Prime Minister Wilson concluded his five-
day, official visit to the USSR yesterday by signing a
series of agreements with the Soviets that should result
in improved bilateral relations.
The two sides signed:
--A joint statement "marking the beginning of a
new stage in Soviet-British relations." it includes
declarations on various international issues such
as Cyprus, the Middle East, and the Conference on
Security and Cooperation in Europe.
--A protocol on consultations.
--A. declaration on nuclear nonproliferation.
--Statements to implement a long-term program for
the development of trade and economic and indus-
trial cooperation and greater cooperation in science,
technology, and medicine.
The Soviets have given the visit extensive and warm
treat
i
ment
n the press and have hinted that the UK now
may figure more importantly in Soviet relations with
Western Europe. By highlighting the visit, Moscow may
also have been trying to allay rumors of General Secre-
tary Brezhnev's declining health and vigor. Brezhnev
met with Wilson on three occasions during the visit and
accepted an invitation to visit the UK. No date was an-
d
no?vi c
e
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National Intelligence Bulletin February 18, 1975
USSR-CHINA
A new round of the Sino-Soviet border talks began
in Peking on February 15, but neither side is showing
any optimism.
Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Ilichev, Moscow's
chief negotiator in the border talks, returned to Peking
last week. A high-ranking Soviet expert on Far Eastern
affairs has denied that there is any special significance
to Ilichev's return at this time and has quipped that
Ilichev is a trouble-shooter who usually fails. In
response to a question as to why chief Chinese negotia-
tor Yu Chan has been replaced by Han Nien-lung, another
of Peking's deputy foreign ministers, the Soviet offi-
cial said that Moscow has been informed that Yu Chan is
very ill.
Han's tenure as the chief negotiator for Peking
does not signal a shift in the Chinese negotiating posi-
tion. Each state, in fact, has recently stepped up its
press criticism of the other. At the airport reception
for Ilichev last week, both negotiators reportedly ad-
mitted that they are engaged in a "long chess came."
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Gulf of
Thailand
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MR 2A
SQUTH VIETNAM
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National Intelligence Bulletin
February 18, 1975
The level of military action remained low through-
out most of South Vietnam over the weekend, but govern-
ment commanders are preparing for an anticipated new
round of hostilities in some key areas. The Communists
are relying on light shellings to sustain pressure on
government targets, particularly in and around Tay Ninh
City.
There have been numerous reports that new Communist
attacks are scheduled for the second half of February in
the provinces ringing Saigon as well as sapper attacks
in the capital itself. The newly appointed commander
in this region, General Nguyen Van Toan, has voiced
confidence that he has sufficient forces to cope with
any new large-scale Communist initiatives, including
a possible two-division assault the Communists are
reportedly planning against Tay Ninh Province. General
Toan is not now conducting operations to recapture lost
territory or to pre-empt the expected Communist attacks;
instead, he is concentrating his efforts on locating
the Communist main force formations in the region.
The flurry of shellings against government positions
in the highland provinces of Pleiku and Kontum that
erupted late last week prompted government forces to go
on full alert in both province capitals. Although these
bombardments apparently have subsided for the moment,
the Communists may be nearly ready to open the highland
battlefront.
In the northern provinces, where monsoon rains still
are keeping both sides bogged down, senior officials
expect the Communists to continue limited actions, es-
pecially against government probes. They believe, how-
ever, that heavier action will begin next month. Re-
gional commander General Tuong has reduced his 100-per-
cent alert of forces, but has authorized several extreme-
ly heavy combined air and artillery strikes against
North Vietnamese troop concentrations.
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