NORTH VIETNAMESE INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY APPRATUS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000200160047-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2004
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: April 19, 1973
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Relea M QN42 : CIA-RDP80R01720R000200160047-8
19 April 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. George A. Carver, Jr.
SUBJECT : North Vietnamese Intelligence and
Security Apparatus
1. The North Vietnamese intelligence and security operations
in North and South Vietnam are conducted by the Lao Dong Party
through three major government organs:
(a) The Ministry of Public Security (Bo Gong
An) - the state security service responsible
for internal security (including CI) and
intelligence which includes foreign
intelligence. The Ministry of Public
Security assigns personnel abroad to serve
as security officers within DRV missions
and to collect intelligence. It is also
responsible for detaining and interrogating
POWs including American POWs captured
in NVN (analogous to the KGB).
(b) The Research Agency (Cuc Nghien Cuu) -
a subordinate component of the DRV armed
forces General Staff under the Ministry of
National Defense, is responsible for
collecting and processing strategic
intelligence, including foreign intelligence.
It also controls tactical intelligence
collection by the military intelligence units
of the NVA in North and South Vietnam. It
also interrogates prisoners of war for
tactical and strategic intelligence (analogous
to the GRU).
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(c) The Security Directorate of the General
Political Directorate in the Ministry of
Defense (Cuc Bao Ve An Ninh) is responsible
for security within North Vietnam's military
establishment. It is primarily a counter-
intelligence function in the armed forces
and conducts continuous security checks
on all military personnel including those
assigned to the CNC.
2. Foreign intelligence - The responsibility for the collection
of strategic intelligence beyond the borders of North and South Vietnam
belongs to the Foreign Intelligence Office (Office 76) of the Research
Agency (CNC). Office 76 is responsible for supervising and monitoring
the assignment of CNC officers to foreign countries, briefing North
Vietnamese diplomatic personnel and trade and cultural delegations on
intelligence requirements and levies requirements for personnel to
attend and monitor conferences held for the foreign visitors. The
office is also responsible for the supervision of all military, political
and intelligence advisors assigned to the Pathet Lao. It also participates
with other CNC officers in the interrogation of American POWs in NVN.
(Note) - There is no information as to whether CNC personnel actually
conduct espionage operations. The latter is the prerogative of Public
Security personnel on foreign assignments. It may be that much of CNC
activity abroad is devoted to the collection of intelligence information
from overt sources. The MPS representative may also serve as
intelligence advisor to the senior NVN official in the delegation or
mission.
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