DEVELOPMENTS IN INDOCHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R001000090018-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 30, 2007
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: January 21, 1973
• Content Type: REPORT

 Approved For Release 2007/04/02 : CIA-R
C'
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
e Top Secret 25x1
Developments in Indochina
85T00875R00100009001
Top Secret
125
21 Januar
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 A second a or
is under way to relieve the beleaguered govern-
ment garrison at Romeas, and the Khmer Commu-
nists are having problems keeping the people
from fleeing insurgent-controlled areas.
21 January 1973
Approved
DEVELOPMENTS IN INDOCHINA
(Information as of 1500)
NORTH VIETNAM
An SA-3 site southwest of Hanoi is now
operational.
SOUTH VIETNAM
Saigon plans to reduce the number of North
Vietnamese and Viet Cong prisoners of war
available for exchange by converting Communist
prisoners to rallier status.
The government operation to retake a key road
junction near Sala Phou Khoun is under way,
but Communist attacks have stymied planned
moves on the city itself.
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 Approved
NORTH VIETNAM
Photography I Ireveals the first
operational SA-3 site in e country. The site,
approximately eight miles southwest of Hanoi,
contains eight missiles on four launchers together
with the necessary radar and associated support
equipment. At least 70 SA-3 missile canisters were
spotted at the Don Dang transshipment area near
the Chinese border Additional SA-3
sites will probably soon s How up in the Hanoi-Hai-
phong area, improving North Vietnam's air defense
capability against aircraft fl in at low an
medium altitudes.
21 January 1973
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SOUTH VIETNAM
Saigon is moving to reduce the number of North
Vietnamese and Viet Cong prisoners of war available
for a post-cease-fire exchange.
plans were laid in late
1972 to convert Communist prisoners to rallier
status, thereby making them eligible for release
in South Vietnam as citizens.
Three criteria were to be used for their se-
lection: a certificate of good conduct from the
prisoner's camp; acceptance of government indoc-
trination, presumably meaning that the prisoner at
least agreed to attend some period of government
sponsored training; and acknowledgement of respon-
sibility for the prisoner by a parent or close rel-
ative in conjunction with sponsorship by a govern-
ment military or civilian official.
At first, only 1,000 individuals were to be
transferred to rallier status. Orders were
received in mid-December to delay the transfer of
prisoners, but their Processing continued. As of
mid-Januaryl 2,000 were
ready to be released and an a i?Ion 2,700 were
awaiting the completion of their processing.
Some earlier reports had indicated that Saigon
would refuse to hand over Communist troops with
rallier status to the Viet Cong's National Libera-
tion Front after a cease-fire, but this is the
first indication that a systematic program to
increase the number of ralliers has been imple-
mented. The instigation of such a program after
the passage of the original 31 October deadline
suggests that Saigon has decided tc provide itself
with more flexibility to deal with the prisoner
't RRlIP_ after the new settlement is signed.
21 January 1973
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CAMBODIA
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A second irregular force has landed south of
Route 7 as the government operation to retake the
Sala Phou Khoun road junction is under way. Heli-
copters ferried 1,500 irregulars into the hills
some five miles southeast of Sala Phou Khoun on 20
January and the following day the irregulars began
advancing north toward Route 7 against little oppo-
sition. Near Muong Soui, to the east, units of the
1000-man irregular force that landed in the area
several days ago encountered stiff enemy resistance
on 20 January as they moved down from the hills to-
ward the Communist logistics base.
Along Route 13, Communist attacks have stymied
planned moves on Sala Phou Khoun from the north and
south. Artillery and ground attacks on 21 January
dispersed a government force on Route 13 some
eight miles northwest of the road junction, and
harassing attacks over the weekend kept other
government units stalled near Muon Kassy south of
Sala Phou Khoun.
Another Battle Brews Near Muong Phalane
According to belated reports, government units
on 19 January intercepted a North Vietnamese
battalion moving on Muong Phalane from the north-
east. The Communist troops, supported by artillery
fire, attempted to push through irregular units
some five miles northeast of the town, but were
pushed back. A North Vietnamese soldier captured
near Muong Phalane late last week claimed that
elements from the newly formed North Vietnamese
49th Regiment had recently reinforced the 29th
Regiment and that both regiments were participating
in an offensive against Muong Phalane. Other
enemy units probed and shelled ir3;eaular positions
near Route 9 farther to the east.
21 January 1973
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A Khmer Communist Headache
I one of the
Khmer communists' major problems throughout Cambodia
is the flight of people out of insurgent-controlled
an o i.cia o the
Khmer Communist Cen ra omma.ttee ;_eportedly said
that this problem is particularly acute in Kompong
Thom and Takeo provinces. To help remedy the situ-
ation, the official called for increasing food pro-
duction through agricultural cooperatives and for
more insurgent aid in cultivation, fishing, and
animal husbandry. He said that every village
should also form a farmers' association and have
a village militia unit.
In discussing relations between the insurgents
and North Vietnamese Army troops, the official
stated that friendly ties had to be maintained
because the Khmer Communists need North Vietnamese
support. Ke claimed that the North Vietnamese would
never abandon the insurgents while Cambodian or
South Vietnamese forces occupied any part of the
country.
The MiZttarr' Situation
A second air-mobile operation to relieve the
beleaguered government garrison at Romeas northwest
21 January 1973
 Approved For R -9
of Phnom Penh was launched on 19 January. Approxi-
mately 500 government troops were lifted by helicop-
ter into positions northwest of the town, and at last
report were making some progress against light
enemy resistance. The main relief columns moving
from the northeast and southeast remain stalled,
however. The situation inside the encircled camp
is critical as government casualties continue to
mount.
In the south, government forces have made no
progress in their effort to clear Route 2 between
Phnom Penh and the provincial capital of Takeo.
The squadron of armored personnel carriers, sent
from Phnom Penh to reinforce the 2nd Paratroop
Brigade stalled north of the town of Thnal Totung,
has run into stiff enemy resistance, and is itself
bogged down juL.t to the north of the paratroops'
positions. The enemy, meanwhile, continues to put
heavy pressure on the governmen garrison at Thnal
Totung. F77
21 January 1973
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