THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: August 31, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

TOP SECRET
Approved Fop-Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T0082~fpG0 ?00010009-3
25X1
THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as of 1600
31 August 1966
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
State Department review
completed
PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 TOP SECRET T00826AO01200010009-3 IA-
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
 Approved
31 August 1966
French President de Gaulle met for a half hour
with the ranking DRV representative in Cambodia on
31 August. Although Paris characterized the meeting
as the most important France has ever had on Vietnam,
there has been no indication as to the details of
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
A four-man US Marine fire team is missing in an area
about seven miles southeast of Da Nang (Para. 1) A
Viet Cong mine exploded near the market place in Can
Tho today killing one South Vietnamese civilian
(Para. 2). The Trai ~Bi Special Forces Camp was at-
tacked by Viet Cong recoilless-rifle and small-arms
fire for the second time in five days (Para. 3).
Operation OAHU ended in Tay Ninh Province with rel-
atively light casualties on both sides (Para. 5).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
The US Mission feels that government precautions to
prevent the Viet Cong from subverting the elections
are the maximum practical under the circumstances
(Paras. 1-3). A press account cites a recent commu-
niqu4 from the People's Armed Forces Advisory Coun-
cil which advises the government to initiate mili-
tary operations across the Demilitarized Zone into
North Vietnam (Para. 4). Colonel Loan, the police
director, might succeed General Vien as the Minis-
ter of Security after the September elections
(Paras. 5-6).
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Approved for Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010009-3
 Appro
North Vietnamese PT boats were probably destroyed
on 30 August (Paras. 4-5). Two more US aircraft
downed over the DRV (Paras. 6-7).
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: French
President Charles de Gaulle spoke for half an hour
with the ranking DRV representative in Cambodia,
but there are no details on what was discussed
(Paras. 1-3).
31 August 1966
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010009-3
 AN W_ AWk
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
N
..~ VIETNAM
ti
ri' ?Saravene
J
Ban Me
Thuot
. tyHoa
25X1
SOUTH VIETNAM
CURRENT SITUATION
31 AUGUST
J l5 SU LOO Miles
1 25 SO 7S 160 Kilometers
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
 Appro~
I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. A four-man US Marine fire team is reported
missing in an area about seven miles southeast of
Da Nang in Quang Nam Province. When the team
failed to return from a patrol on 28 August, a
squad of marines was sent to the area but was un-
able to locate the missing team. The search is
continuing.
2. A Viet Cong claymore-type mine exploded
near the market place in Can Tho in the delta prov-
ince of Phong Dinh this morning. One South Vietnam-
ese civilian was killed and three others wounded.
One Viet Cong suspect was detained.
3. The Trai Bi Speci'al Forces Camp in north-
ern Tay Ninh Province was attacked by a Communist
force of undetermined size today with recoilless-
rifle and small-arms fire. There was no immediate
report of casualties. In a similar attack on 27
August, three Vietnamese soldiers and 13 civilians
were wounded.
IV Corps Activity
4. Five small unit actions in the IV Corps
area yesterday resulted in South Vietnamese casual-
ties of five killed and four wounded. Viet Cong
losses included 28 killed and four weapons cap-
tured.
5. The two-battalion search-and-destroy
Operation OAHU conducted by the US 25th Infantry
Division in Tay Ninh Province ended today. Six
Americans were killed and four wounded in this op-
eration, which began on 31 July. Communist losses
totaled 20 killed and 12 captured. A total of 293
tactical air strikes were flown in support of the
operation.
31 August 1966
25X1
25X1
Appro'ed For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010Q09-3
 Approve
1. In the opinion of the US Mission, the Viet-
namese armed forces and the National Police are mak-
ing a maximum effort to counter Viet Cong anti-
election activities. The task of physically guard-
ing the polling places and the candidates has been
assigned to the police and the Regional and Popular
Forces. Just prior to the elections, South Vietnamese
Army troops will be given the responsibility of
guarding roads, outlying villages, and district
towns against Viet Cong attacks aimed directly at
disrupting voter turnout. Any void left in the coun-
tryside by the redeployment of ARVN units will be
filled by US troops.
2. The details of the security plans are be-
ing worked out at corps, division, and province
level. Mission officials who have examined the
plan for Saigon and surrounding Gia Dinh Province are
impressed with its thoroughness. However, the ef-
fectiveness of such plans will depend largely on
the degree of force the enemy actually commits
against likely election targets.
3. A number of reports have outlined Commu-
nist intentions to exploit virtually every aspect
of the election process which the Viet Cong think
can be subverted. These plans,
range from con iscating voter registration
car s and halting road traffic to the destruction
of ballot boxes.
Council Advises Offensives Against North Vietnam
4. According to an unconfirmed press account,
the 79-man People's Armed Forces Advisory Council
issued a communique today advising the government to
initiate counteroffensives across the Demilitarized
Zone in retaliation for the recent infiltration of
North Vietnamese troops and supplies. The council,
organized by the government in July to advise Pre-
mier Ky and his cabinet on political, economic, so-
cial, and cultural affairs, would appear to be tran-
scending its duty in offering such military advice.
31 August 1966
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Approv0d For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A00120001 g009-3
 Appro
Possible Shuffle of National Security Personnel
5. Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Loan, the National Po-
lice director and one of Prime Minister Ky's close
military associates will apparently succeed General
Linh Quang Vien as the Minister of National Security,
25X
25X1
25X1
31 August 1966
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200~10009-3
 Approved For,:Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
Dien Bien Phu ?
Son La
Muang Nakhon Phanorti'l?Khammouane
NORTH VIETNAM
4Nong Khai
f `Doug Van
Tuyen Quang
uang Yen?
Haiphon ;A
Hopi PT Boat
x"' `7encounters
x
RF8 downed
Phu L
?Thai Binh
Nam Dinh ?
Ninh Binh
T H A I L A N D
31 AUGUST
;i 50 5Miles
I
Savannakhet
-J?Bac Giang
Sac Ninh
downed
Dong Hoi
? w VIETNAM
Vinh Linh
?f DEMARCATION LINE
Dong He 't,. Quang Tri
SOUTH N
H7Ej
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01200010009-3
 Approv
IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
31 August 1966
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A00120001 p009-3
 Approved
V. COMMUNIST PO:L,ITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. French President Charles de Gaulle held
a private, half-hour conversation with Nguyen Thuong,
the ranking DRV representative in Cambodia, on 31
August according to press reports from Phnom Penh.
Although an official French spokesman characterized
the meeting as the most important France has ever
had on Vietnam, there has been no indication as to
the details of the discussion.
2. Nguyen Thuong is an experienced, though
colorless, DRV diplomat who served in Moscow in the
mid-fifties and as North Vietnam's first ambassador
to French-speaking Guinea from 1960 to this spring.
His arrival in Phnom Penh only days before De Gaulle's
appearance indicates that he was fully briefed in
Hanoi for the meeting, which was reportedly planned
well in advance by the French.
3. The fact that De Gaulle scheduled such a
meeting is a further manifestation of his desire to
demonstrate France's unique qualifications for serv-
ing as a mediator in the Vietnam conflict.
31 August 1966
25X1
25X1
Approved IFor Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010099-3
 TOP SECRET
Approved For4lease 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00828MO1200010009-3
Approved For Release 2004/12/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A001200010009-3
TOP SECRET