COMMENTS OF THE CHIEF OF LAI THIEU DISTRICT, BINH DUONG PROVINCE, ON THE SECURITY SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT AND ON HIS PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPENDING POLITICAL STRUGGLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000400090022-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: October 31, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

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Ctassilied by Recorded Reporting Officer. Exempt from General Declassification Schedule of E.O. 11652 Exemption Category 5B (1), (2). Impossible to Determine Do'
of Automatic Declassification.
DIRECTORATE OF
PLANS
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THIS I AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
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DOI 26 OCTOBER 1972 AND AS STATED
SUBJECT COMMENTS OF THE CHIEF OF LAI THIEU DISTRICT, BINH
DUONG PROVINCE, ON THE SECURITY SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT
AND ON HIS PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPENDING POLITICAL
STRUGGLE
COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM
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VIETNAM, BIEN HOA (28 OCTOBER 1972) FIELD NO.,
1. AS OF ;26 OCTOBER 1972 THE TACTICAL SITUATION IN LAI
THIEU DISTRICT OF BINH DUONG PROVINCE REMAINED CALM, ACCORDING
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TO THE DISTRICT CHIEF.p LIEUTENANT COLONEL VO CONG T R I. THERE
WAS STILL. A SUBSTANTIAL ENEMY FORCE IN AND AROUND AN SON VILLAGE,
BUT IT WAS AVOIDING CONTACT WITH THE VIETNAMESE ARMY (ARVN)
RANGER GROUP ASSIGNED TO CLEAR THE :AREA OF VIET CONG (VC)/NORTH
VIETNA mESE ARMY (NVA)' UNITS. -BOTH THE ARVN 65TH AND 73RD
RANGER BATTALIONS HAD 'MADE ONLY MINIMAL CONTACT WITH THE VC/NVA
UNITS, WHICH WERE EELIEVED TO HAVE DIVIDED INTO SMALL GRQUPS
TO AVOID., DETECTION.
COLONEL TRI SAID THAT THE VC KI DONG NAI BATTALION WAS
BEING SUPPORTED BY THE C63 LOCAL FORCE, UNIT AND THAT INFILTRATION
GROUPS WERE CONTINUING TO CROSS NEW. ROUTE 13 CARRYING SUPPLIES INTO
THE AN SON AREA. HOWEVER, TRI BELIEVES THAT THE K2 DONG NAI
BATTALION, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE BINH HOA VILLAGE AREAS IS
SUFFERING. AN INCREASING' SHORTAGE, OF FOODSTUFFS. A REGIONAL
FORCES (.RF). PLATOON SPOTTED A 40-MAN GROUP FROM. THE K2 BATTALION
DIGGING ROOTS TO EAT IN THE BINH HOA AREA ON 25 OCTOBER. THE
RF PLATO-ON CALLED IN ARTILLERY FIRE ON THE UNIT AND THE NEXT
MORNING THREE BODIES ,WERE RECOVERED, BRINGING THE TOTAL
CONFIRMED ENEMY KILLED FROM THIS BATTALION TO 34. WHILE THE
EXACT STRENGTH OF THE K2 BATTALION IS NOT KNOWN, IT IS ESTIMATED
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T O BE BETWEEN 100 AND 150 MEN.
COLONEL TRI HAD NO. INFORMATION ON THE INTENTIONS OF.THE
ENEMY FORCES IN HIS DISTRICT, BUT. HE BELIEVES THAT THEY MAY
BE STAYING IN THE AREA UNTIL JUST BEFORE A CEASE-FIRE, AT WHICH
TIME THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO TAKE AND HOLD AS_MANY VILLAGES AND
HAMLETS AS POSSIBLE. THEY MAY ALSO ATTEMPT TO CUT' OLD ROUTE 13
BETWEEN LAI THIEU DISTRICT TOWN AND THE PROVINCE CAPITAL, PHU
CUONG. TRI STATED THAT THE ONLY EFFECTIVE WAY TO COUNTER SUCH
ACTIVITY IS TO STATION A SMALL SQUAD-SIZED GROUP OF HIS
TERRITORIAL ;FORCES IN EVERY VILLAGE AND HAMLET. HOWEVER, THERE
ARE INSUFFICIENT TERRITORIAL FORCES IN LAI THIEU DISTRICT
EVEN TO COVER COME OF THE POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT ENEMY TARGETS,
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FOR EXAMPLE, MAJOR POPULATION CENTERS, BRIDGES, AND HAMLETS
AND VILLAGES AT MAIN ROAD INTERSECTIONS. IF ENEMY UNITS ATTACK
AND ATTEMPT TO HOLD ANY OF THESE TARGETS, COLONEL TRI BELIEVES HE
WILL BE ABLE TO OUST 'THEM IN TWO TO THREE DAYS AT THE MOST,
/RILE SO ;E ENEMY UNITS HAVE MOVED SOUTH FROM LAI THIEII ON THREE
TRAILS WHICH HAVE BEEN RECENTLY DISCOVERED, TRI BELIEVES THAT
THESE HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY SMALL UNITS AND THAT TRAILS AND
TRACKS INDICATE THAT MORE ENEMY TROOPS HAVE ENTERED THE DISTRICT
THAN HAVE LEFT IT DURING . THE PAST TEN DAYS. A NEW TRAIL WAS
DISCOVERED ON.24 OCTOBER WHICH LED FROM THE SAIGON RIVER TO THE
AN SON AREA. TRI SPECULATED THAT. THE NUMBER OF. TROOPS COMING
DOWN THIS TRAIL COULD EXCEED 100
_40 IN ORDER TO COUNTER ANY FUTURE ENEMY ATTEMPTS TO RAISE
NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT . (NLF) FLAGS IN LAI THIEU DISTRICT.,.TRI
HAS GIVEN ORDERS TO VILLAGE AND HAMLET OFFICIALS TO KEEP EXTRA
GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (GVN) FLAGS HIDDEN IN ADDITION TO THE ONES
T HEY ARE CURRENTLY REQUIRED TO FLY. WHILE HE IS NOT CERTAIN
T HAT-'ALL OF THE OFFICIALS WOULD RAISE A SECOND FLAG IN THE EVENT
THE FIRST ONE IS PULLED DOWN BY THE VC, TRI BELIEVES THAT
AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF THEM WILL DO SO, TRI STATED THAT ALTHOUGH
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HE WAS ORDERED BY THE PROVINCE CHIEF TO HAVE A GVN FLAG DISPLAYED
ON EVERY HOUSE IN HIS ;DISTRICT BY 28 OCTOBER, HE BELIEVES THAT
IT MAY BE. SOMEWHAT PREMATURE SINCE IT ALLOWS THE VC MORE TIME,
TO PULL THE FLAGS DOWN AN ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE
TO INSURE THAT ONLY. GUN FLAGS ARE DISPLAYED IS TO BE UNDERTAKEN
B Y A. SECRET GROUP. OF LOYAL GVN CITIZENS WHO WILL MOVE THROUGH
ALL THE VILLAGES AND 'HAMLETS TO NOTE IF THE. GVN FLAG IS FLYING.
IF NOT., .THEY WILL-'INFORM THE POLICE. THEY WILL ALSO BE
ESPECIALLY WATCHFUL FOR`"AWY NLF FLAGS WHICH MAY APPEAR.
5.. FIELD DISSEM: EMBASSY M'ACV 7TH AI.R FORCE: AT SAIGON:
SENT TO CINCPAC ARPAC - PACAF PACFLT PARIS.
REPORT CLASS S E C R :E
CLASSIFIED BY RECORDED REPORTING. OFFICER. EXEMPT FROM GENERAL
DECLASSIFICATION SCHEDULE OF E.O0 11652 cXEMPTION CATEGORY 5B
(2) o IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE. DATE'OF AUTOMATIC DECLASSIFICATIONS
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