DATA FOR SENATOR SYMINGTON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000500010025-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2005
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: April 26, 1971
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2005/11/2 CI
P801301495R000500010025--2
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26 April 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR; Legislative Counsel
THRQUCIU Deputy Director for Intelligence
SUBJECT Data for Senator Symington
1. The attached memorandum will fulfill two of
three commitments concerning Vietnam made by the
Director to Senator Symington at the recent Fulhright
briefing.
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Deputy P re or
Economic P-esearch
Attachnt
See Statistics on North
Vietnamese Manpower
Distribution:
Orig. & 3 - Addressee w/att.
2 - OD/OER w/att.
-Z-- DDI w/att.
1 - DD/OER w/att.
OD/OER 26 Apr 71)
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Approved For Release 2005/11/
 Approved For Release 2 ''LIA
MEMORANDUM
Some Statistics On North Vietnamese Manpower
Losses (Killed)
1. Casualty statistics are subject to a number
of biases that make highly accurate estimates of the
number of Vietnamese killed extremely difficult to
construct. Some statistics undoubtedly overstate
Communist losses just as others understate them. The
problem is also complicated further when we try to
differentiate between NVA and VC losses. Subject to
these caveats and untangling these statistics as best
we can, w estimate that since 1965 North Vietnamese
casualties in Indochina have been on the order of
600,000 men.
2. We can also approach the problem differently
and get about the same result. We have much firmer data
on the number of North Vietnamese that have infiltrated
to South 1ietnam or Cambodia and the number remaining
there today. Because relatively few infiltrators have
returned to North Vietnam the difference between these
two numbers (total infiltration minus remaining NVA
forces) gives us another estimate of North Vietnamese
losses roughly equivalent to that given above. Finally,
General Giap himself has confirmed the very high losses
that have been suffered by the North Vietnamese. In an
interview in April 1969 with miss Oriana Fallaci, an
Italian correspondent, Giap was told: "General, the
Americans say you've lost half a million men." He
answered: "That's quite exact."
Number of Males Reaching military Age 14rinu4lly
3. our estimates of North Vietnam's population
indicate that presently about 210,000 males are reaching
the age of 17 each year. Of this total, we estimate
approximately 70 percent, or 150,000, will be physically
fit.
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Approved For Release 2005/11123 : CIA-RDP80B01495R00050001 Q025-2