COMMUNIST VIOLATIONS OF THE VIETNAM AND LAOS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01719R000100160011-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: June 8, 1973
• Content Type: PERRPT

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Secret
Sixteenth Report
COMMUNIST VIOLATIONS OF
THE VIETNAM AND LAOS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS
(This report covers the week from
1 June through 7 June 1973)
This memorandum has been prepared jointly by the
Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense
DIA review(s) completed.
Secret
8 June 1973
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 Approved For Release
Sixteenth Report
COMMUNIST VIOLATIONS OF
THE VIETNAM AND LAOS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS*
(This report covers the week from
1 June through 7 June 1973)
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The Key Points
The downward trend of North Vietnamese logistic
activity in. the Laotian Panhandle has continued
as the rainy season progresses. There is still
moderately heavy Communist logistic activity,
on the other hand, in northern South Vietnam.
Combat activity in violation of the ceasefire
increased toward the end of the week in South
Vietnam, and remained at a low level in Laos.
* This report has been prepared jointly by the
Central Intelligence Agency and the Department
of Defense.
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The Details
NOTE: This is the sixteenth in a series of reports
detailing recently received evidence of (a) Commu-
nist efforts to infiltrate new manpower and military
materiel toward and into South Vietnam, and (b) Com-
munist-initiated combat activity in violation of the
Vietnam and Laos settlement agreements.
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B. Movement of Military Equipment and Supplies
Through and Into Laos and South Vietnam
8. Continuing the downward trend since the
rainy season began, observed NVA logistic activity
during the reporting period was extremely light over
the entire Laotian Panhandle. Although some cargo
is still being moved in most areas of southern Laos,
only small numbers of vehicles are being observed.
Within the northern.areas of South Vietnam, where
inclement weather is not a factor until later this
year, moderately heavy Communist logistic activity
is still in progress. A substantial volume of ac-
tivity also continues to be observed in the southern
part of the North Vietnam Panhandle.
9. We have reported over the past several weeks
that the Communists have been engaged in a major road-
building effort in northern and western South Vietnam.
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We have suggested that the Communists might, over
time, shift a significant portion of their traffic
from the Ho Chi Minh Trail system in southern Laos
to this new road network within South Vietnam. Re-
cently received evidence, however, makes it clear
that the North Vietnamese are also carrying out a
major program of widening and improving the exist-
ing roads in the Laotian Panhandle. The North
Vietnamese are presently working on roads in a
number of locations in southern Laos, and the pat-
tern of the roads being improved suggests that
Hanoi intends eventually to link the various seg-
ments into a 300 mile all-season high capacity
road from the entry passes on the North Vietnamese
border southward to the tri-border area.
10. The following instances of Communist logis-
tic activity were observed in South Vietnam during
the period. Activity observed in South Vietnam prob-
ably reflects supplies which have recently entered
the country. (The map on the following page shows
the roads and route numbers which appear below.)
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b) On 31 May, 56 cargo vehicles were ob-
served on Route 548 southwest of Khe
Sanh (9 northbound, 22 southbound,
25 parked).
c) On 2 June, 32 cargo trucks were seen
on Route 1 north of Dong Ha (9 north-
bound, 2 southbound, 21 parked). On
the same day 16 cargo vehicles were
noted on Route 9 between Dong Ha and
Khe Sanh (4 eastbound, 9 westbound,
3 parked).
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 Mu Gia
Pass
Karai
Pats
K hung
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inn Dinh
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Pass
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Ach Remeas
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Names and boundary representation
are not necessarily authoritative
South Vietnam
and
Province boundary
Military region
International Commission
of Control and Supervision
region boundary
- Road
Railroad
POL pipeline
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0 A 50 A Kilometers
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d) On 2 June, 29 cargo trucks were travel-
ing on Route 616 southeast of Khe Sanh
(3 northbound, 16 southbound, 10
parked).
e) On 5 June, 111 cargo trucks were ob-
served on Route 9 between Dong Ha and
the Laos/South Vietnam border (44.
eastbound, 24 westbound, 43 parked).
f) On 5 June, 11 cargo vehicles were seen
on Route 1 north of Dong Ha (6 north-
bound, 5 southbound). On the same day,
20 cargo vehicles were traveling on
Route 548 north of the A Shau Valley
(9 northbound, 6 southbound, 5 parked).
11. During the reporting period the following
indications of North Vietnamese logistic activity in
Laos were noted. Historical precedent would suggest
that much of the activity in southern Laos probably
involved supplies destined for South Vietnam.
a) The table below lists observed NVA
vehicle activity on selected routes
in the Laos Panhandle during the re-
porting period.*
Date Route 99
31 May 22(14-N, 8-S)
1 June 3(3-S)
2 June 6(3-N, l-S)
3 June 0
4 June 11(Parked)
5 June 0
6 June 0
Route 9211 Route 958
3(1-N, 1-S) 0
14 (2-N, 6-S) 1(1-S)
0 NC**
0 NC**
4(1-N, 3-S) 0
0 1(1-S)
3(3-S) 7(1-N)
The first number in each entry is the total num-
ber of vehicles. Of these totals, the number of
trucks moving north (N) or south (S) are noted
in the parentheses after each total. The re-
mainder of the vehicles detected were parked
along the roadway.
No coverage.
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During the first week of June, small
groups of tanks were observed in the
northern portion of the Laotian Pan-
handle on three occasions. The tanks
are probably headed south, although
our evidence on the direction of move-
ment is'not conclusive.
c) On 30 May, five field artillery pieces
and six antiaircraft artillery pieces
were observed deployed along Route 7,
the major east/west road across the
northern Plaine des Jarres. There
was no evidence to indicate when
these weapons entered the country.
On the same date, two 37-mm AAA weap-
ons were seen being towed west on
Route 7.
d) On 1 June, 29 cargo trucks were ob-
served on Route 911 northwest of
Tchepone (9 northbound, 14 southbound,
6 parked). On 2 June, 28 cargo ve-
hicles were seen on this route (2
northbound, 11 southbound, 15 parked)
and on 4 June there were 21 trucks
heading south on the road.
e) On 1 June, 57 cargo trucks were on
the segments of Route 911 southwest
of the Ban Karai Pass (39 parked,
18 southbound).
g)
On 3 June, 14 cargo vehicles were ob-
served on Route 912 south of Ban Karai
Pass (3 northbound, 11 southbound).
On the same route on 5 June there were
12 cargo trucks seen (10 northbound,
2 southbound) .
On 3 June, 30 cargo vehicles were seen
on Route 110 west of the Laos/South
Vietnam border (4 westbound, 13 east-
bound, 13 parked).
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h) On 5 June, 19 cargo vehicles were noted
on Route 9 southeast of Tchepone (2
westbound, 17 eastbound).
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12. There is additional evidence of the con-
tinuing movement within North Vietnam of military and
other supplies probably destined for South Vietnam
and southern Laos.
a) On 30 and 31 May, over 130 vehicles
were noted mov.in
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soutn 0 ong oi. the vehicles
seen on the 31st, 16 were northbound
and 42 were southbound.
b) On 31 May, six cargo vehicles were ob-
served
I Ibetween two
storage facilities in an area near
Vinh.
c)
On 1 June, 72 cargo trucks were de-
tected moving through the Xuan Son
area south of Dong Hoi. The direction
in which the vehicles were moving
could not be determined.
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g) On 5 June, 25 northbound and 40 south-
bound cargo vehicles were observed
crossing the Troc River south of Dong
Hoi.
C. Combat Activity Initiated by Communist Forces
ii South Vietnam Sinc'e' the- CCease ire '-'
13. In South Vietnam, the total number of Com-
munist-initiated ceasefire violations reported by the
South Vietnamese Armed Forces since 27 January and
for the last week (1-7 June) are shown below:
Military
Region
Total Since Ceasefire
Level of Action
Last Week (1-7 June)
Level of Action
Major
Minor
Major
Minor
MR 1
991
3,253
32
76
MR 2
240
1,757
12
68
MR 3
385
2,415
17
130
MR 4
621
5,820
25
268
Totals
2,237
13,245
86(80)1/
542(496)1/
1/ Denotes totals of previous week.
14. Some of these violations may have been in-
itiated by GVN forces rather than Communist forces,
and it is impossible in all cases to determine the
actual instigator. The table above and the chart on
the following page, however, do show fairly accurately
the trend in the amount of combat that has occurred
in South Vietnam since the ceasefire. The fact that
a combat incident occurred at a particular time and
place is generally reported accurately by the South
Vietnamese, even though the question of who started
it may not always be treated in objective fashion.
In some cases, the Joint Military Commission (GVN/
PRG) also reports violations of the ceasefire.
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 oved For Rel-6 %'NF4fl :Y O RkT1fl S71Wa38#fff0011-5
VIETNAM AS REPORTED BY RVNAF
(28 JANUARY 1913 TO THE PRESENT)
JAN-FEB 200
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
0
200
lJOIT FRPTSI
U I I'1'I I ~'4"J&ER' S I 1'I I l 1_1l
~ Ll Ll i1i%, 1111 I~f -7
H - ~ I I H 71YT 17 64 1 7~ """ I ~
200 1 2 34 5 6 78 9 10 1 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
0
200
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15. The following is a chronological listing
of only the most significant "major" Communist vio-
lations of the ceasefire in South Vietnam that were
reported by the South Vietnamese Armed Forces during
the past week.
MILITARY REGION 1
a) On?5 June, ARVN Forces 15 miles south-
east of Da Nang received a ground at-
tack.
MILITARY REGION 2
a) On 2 June, a friendly unit 10 miles
west of Kontum received a ground at-
tack.
b) On 6 June, friendly forces 8 miles
south of Bong Son received an attack
by fire and follow-on ground attack.
MILITARY REGION 3
a) On 3 June, seven miles northeast of
Tay Ninh, a VNAF CH-47 helicopter was
downed by an SA-7 missile.
MILITARY REGION 4
a) On 3 June, five and 13 miles north-
west of Cai Lay, ARVN infantry units
received two ground attacks.
b) On 5 June, enemy forces launched a
ground attack 7 miles southeast of
Can Tho.
c)
On 5 June, an enemy attack 7 miles
west of Vi Thanh resulted in heavy
casualties on both sides.
d) On 6 June, ARVN positions 15 miles
north of Vinh Long received a ground
attack.
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D. Combat Activity. Initiated by Communi's't Forces
in Laos During the Week From '1' Through '7 June
16. Small Communist-initiated attacks occurred
in both Military Regions 1 and 2 of northern Laos
toward the end of the week, while southern Laos re-
mained generally calm throughout the period. Specific
incidents included:
a) On 6 June, Royal Lao Government troops
in the Mekong River town of Pak Tha
on the Sayaboury/Luang Prabang Province
border reported they were under attack
by an estimated company.
eported a build-
up or our a e- ao companies south-
east of Pak Tha which. allegedly planned
to attack Pak Tha and Ban Houei Sai in
Houa Khong Province.
b) Also on 6 June, government troops at
the San Soak airstrip in extreme north-
ern Khammouane Province were forced to
withdraw westward following an attack
by an estimated. company. This RLG
enclave, which is defended only by
local militia forces, has come under
increasing pressure in the past two
weeks.
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