NOTE TO MR. MCCONE FROM(Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000200140054-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 19, 2002
• Sequence Number: 54
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release
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 Approved For lease 2002/08/21 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R000200140054-8
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Government forces.
Sometimes these apprehen-
sions have been borne out by
South Vietnam is merely co-
incidental with reports of mas-
sive infiltration of Communists
from southern Laos.
Pauses in attacks by Viet-
cong guerrillas occur periodical-
ly and give rise invariably to
forebodings among Vietnamese
1, "I-ration J.inked to Lg11
By ROBERT TRUMBULL
Special to The New York Times.
SAIGON, Vietnam, July 3-
United States and Vietnamese
military authorities are puz-
zling whether the lull in Com-
munist guerrilla activity in
nam has been 'utilized by the,
COMAiuniats in the past for ae-
greuping. The downpour handi-
caps the less mobile Govern-
ment troops, and the low cloud
over prevents much use of he-
licopters and other airborne
weapons in many critical loca-
tions.
It would only be following
the earlier pattern if refreshed
and strengthened Vietcong bat-
talions were to strike hard
somewhere in the coming days
or weeks, probably at some
major provincial town that hap-
pens to be poorly protected:
Observers interpret declining
Government casualty figures in
the last week as an indication i
of a Vietcong withdrawal tol
await better opportunities for
harassment of thinly spread de-1
fense forces.
Government casualties have
declined by nearly half in recent
days. Last week about fifty were
reported killed among loyal
forces compared with about
ninety in the previous week.
In the same two-week period
,
the guerrillas' reported death
toll rose from about 200 to,
about 300 as the inisurgents re-
linquished the offensive for they
time being.
Rimed Infiltration Reported
i
This is where the Commu-I
fists are believed to plan a
liberated area" with a Com-
munist "provisional govern-
ment." .
United States sources are in.
,lined to agree with their Viet-
Rain aHandicap namese colleagues that such an
infilt l
Massive envelopment tactics lthere rissome skepticism about
employing battalions of para-I Vietnamese estimates; which
troopers dropped from United run as high as 8,000 to 9,000.
States Air Force transport Some observers speculate that
planes, and infantry moved with the pro-Communists firm-
swiftly by United States Army ly in control of the Laotian in-
,and Marine Corps helicopters,I filtration route under the newli
are thought by some authori- coalition Government, the Com-
ties to have caused the guerril- munist North Vietnamese may
las to halt and think. be moving more of their troops
Actually, however, such wide- in Laos, estimated to number
ranging operations have failed 10,000, from their billets there
to produce as many enemy to new stations in South Viet-
casualties as United States ad nam.
visors had hoped. This would meet part of the
On the other hand, a period requirement now under discus-
of heavy rain such as _ rum sion in Geneva that foreign
blankets much of South Viet- forces in Laos be removed. -
000 regulars, may have pulled
back into their hide-outs to try
to devise ways of meeting the
threat of new weapons and tac-
Itics introduced by the South
Vietnamese with United States
ladvice and assistance. Ii
?-s ,,?,.b- aue airer a pe- __-=u - Pel'SIstent
riots of regroupment. -ports of of heavy Communist in.~
Military observers are spec-Ifiltration into the central high-
ulating that the Vietcong land plateau, north of Kontum,
forces, estimated at about 25 -Ifrom southenr Laos.
l..
Approved For Release 2002/08/21 : CIA-RDP80B01676R000200140054-