THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM (AS OF 1500 EST)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: April 7, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

DOS
review
completed
, 11 `(T l..)
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
CJ;NTRAL xl'TLLLXGIMICZ AGDNCY
? Diroctornto of Xntclligonco
7 April 1972
XNTLLLIGENCI. IKLMORA11DU14 '
The Situation in South Viet-n-am
(Its.
1.
activity has increased sharply in
Military Region (nfl) 4. The Communists launched a
widespread coordinated series of ground probes and
shelling attacks on government positions in five delta
provinces on 7 April. The:;e actions were coupled with
enemy sapper attacks on several key highway. bridges.
Late reports indic:;to that the Communists have overrun
? Kien Thien district town in Chuong Thien Province,
and that several out:nosts were under heavy enemy attack
further north in t).4 Vinh Long - Sa Dec area. .
2. US pilots have sighted a regimental-size
Communist force about 20 miles northwest of y, Thos
in the same area that had
reported substantial enemy -troop movement. 'To -the
West, another regimental--size Communist ' force reportedly
hav crossed into Chair Doc Provincc: from Cambodia.
These may be elements from either the Send or 101D
Regiments, which are subordinate to the onomy Phuoc
Long 1 roilt 'and which were detected in this. general. area
some days ago. The Co s1 invent has not
been located in several
days and cou a sou t'! Vietnam east of Chau
Doc by now.
3. The enemy is alao maintaining heavy pressure on
South Vietnarnc~ o positions in I'iR-?3. Press reports indi--
?tat:e that Communist gunners are continuing heavy shelling
attacks again3t An Loc, the provincial, capital of Binh
Long Province, and are also hitting a nearby South
Viet n.amesc; artillery baso. . Lnemy sappers reportedly
have knookeci out several. bridges along IRout-e 13, the
key road link. betwodn An Lou and Saigon, and other late
reports clairn that Route 1 has boon cut jut;t west of
Saigon. These attack o are probably the work of command,
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
alamr-.s~tvCn Qu. and Da ~1c~ztt3 urtclrtr iho auspices
CitY
ar:: ? It i,zntca;zlt:'V3. Itn 'iL l con,miltOo hoaaccl by Mil meter
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
- ~~ the highlands
' ~~ r j
{
122-,nmi ' . cl.c:ts dizri.ncl the cveninu of G Anril.
ince t.a , attacked early on
,
,
10. Enf.;,sr.?init:lat ed AM V
ct ` n?i 4. t of rocket and mortar attacks against
received
A a i re2,a,e i TContum }. rub . 12
7 April re: one. ARVN soldierupi l in xOnt"In
eand soon.
wounded.. A_r olt is expectet1 to p
As element. 61,the North Vi etnainesos 20th` atVDacolut
be as
yen oxc3are ; ;o destroy an AI2V p
with m0rtae*'-;`xo, and at~hic)t~~usua ly stay snwe l out he Communists ''.?r;3 Front,
of combat :,.'~e, has moved 12 miles. to the east,
inea
'? t the enemy is moving Its supply
suggesting 4
reas of fighting. New road
A
a
~i z.e;.i,cipatC
clrOr to
?cou,t~ructiOr;: ';as also been reported.
-''? fin' 't3t~' Cc)unirv1122
`z` ?
Viet Conn an:
the Coriuttunisis cure ntly are concen--
s' ofiarts on the big-Unit
i
h
c
.
ta:atil~g the lk of t
contest i n {`.tth Vietnam, Viet Cong m l,itary and
t a4 n encouraged to increase
e
political. U"..4-- also at.e 7
pressure ag?.JZst the. South VietnantesV : in the villaghout . thro A nu ber o };i`J_'%?ortfi
the county' r . tdicattc that the Viet: Gong local apparatus
is bu ,y t~'yx. -. to t a!:e advantage of the impact on the
xux 1 popul,~, tii.on of the initial succosses enjoyed by
the Cornmuni. ~+iain?-force j ? ,
?
t^ ax?und Da Nang reportedly
12. Go +:;,ssaist agen ,
zap a t~'ying~ . pro pacja~tcta. ~e the increas iitg number Of
refugees government camps and return to
Undercover agent:3 are contacting
~ '+
res
ioine^ .
.r fori:to
il~cs ~?efi~geO 'Ind advising them that i;lzoy should come
' ~.
,
.,may, ~-_. '
's?Ta'iY~_'"~'''~
____.,..y.r.,rrrw.~.. ? ?.~.~. /?I.w.d.11H/".. ~M.p..wa..I?,,V-wwMAtT '.~ ?1 ? i^
 1 25X1
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
tj I
over to the "w-inning" side. Communint cadre in
othc!r pay: to of Q7uan1g Nan province also cppa.rontly
are ~?rorkincj hard to spruc:o up their local political
organ i;rations in outlying hamlets and villages.
umphanis i.a being' placed. on organi%ing support among,
minority and special interest groups that may now
be having doubts albout the ability of gov.ernmc-nt
aocur is-ty forces to .protect them.
? 13. Farther south in MR-3, enemy cadre in a
Communist ..o11lnt.and northwest of Saigon reportedly have
been given instructions to strengthen -local Viet
Cong poi.itical'organizations there by recruiting
students and individuals with family members in the
0? rnmen 's armed- forces.
these pool
are noV,z 'e y to a more vulnerable "to Communist *
overtures for support while South' Vietnamese units
are under attack and suffering heavy losses.
14. In the delta, onemy cadre reportedly are forming "special action teams" to help penetrate and
overrun more government ?outpo ats . An enemy provincial
directive authorizing the formation of the new teams
stated that the capture of government outposts was
? an important part in disrupting the government's
pacification program. The destruction of the program
the document c1nimed would provide the necessary
"sr>ringboard for a general offensive.." in Kien Phordg
Province, Viet Cong cadre reportedly have been instructed
to step up their efforts to organize subversive organ-
izations in government areas to help launcha general
uprising campaign at some future unspecified date.
I5.. Much of the current Viot Cong activity being
reported does not suggest much of a change from
stanclard Cortuntni. st procedures at the local level. The
.*current emphasis, however, indicates that Viet Cong
officialn clearly hope to capitalize on tho adverse
psychological effect., government setbacks are having
.!.
f-
"5w
No Objection to Declassification
25X1
LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3 25X1
on the local population as a reou].t of the. Buccesser
of their main force attache farther north.
. j
? '
ropul?ar Recactionr.
164' Communist agitation plans notwithstanding,
much of??,t:he civilian. population in Saigon and in
other parts of the country well away .from the fighting
is still going about its ordinary bu.sine s with very
few out wwrd signs of serious alarm. As the action
spreads from one front. to . another, however, apprehension
among civilians is growing.
1?. Ono bit of evidence reflecting' the absence
of panic at least in Saigon is the fact that over the
past several days the black market rate for the US
'dollars and the price of gold have actually dropped
slightly. Pro-.administration politicians remain
publicly optimistic. Lower House Speaker Can was quoted
in the semi-official press yesterday asserting that the
South Vietnamese army is holding the line in Quang Tri
and that only US air support was needed to- defeat the
enemy.
16. At 'the same time, . many leada;ng figures in the
capital are voicing increasing concern. Leading
Buddhist Senator Mau, whose strongest support is probably
eonteared in the northern provinces, expressed' fear 'that
Quang.Tri City it "doorned" and clue might prove impossible
*to hold. Another. politician who has long boon a caustid.
critic of the Thiou regime, Senator Chuc,'charged that*
the military situation was not as disturbing as the lack
of political leadership being provided by the gcveinr;;ent.
In Quang 11gai Ptrovirncor in southern Military Region 1,
local Buc10hist notables are "a: remel.y concerned" about
enemy attacks further north. The monks roportedly arc
supporting the expansion of an organization among local
high school student, aimed at preventing Viet Cong
infiltration cof student bodice or of Quang Plgai City.
Any re].overt information will be turned ovor imntedl'atoly
to province security ctut:horitic s for action.
f
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3 ?~?~~~'?' ""'"""'~?
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/09/09: LOC-HAK-558-13-5-3
x9. So far, however, most Vietnamone are t; till
?watchitng tho :situation carefully and there door not.
Appr-a2' to ho any popular grounduwell of Sentiment:
olther for or against the government an a result of
th
e war >Lw ; .
Enemy supply shiJmcllis
I
In. North Vietnam
an arse le xemuinr?cd ~-~t a yerv hicxh level.
g a e; 11Utti:'ork in the southern Laotian
~s h
? 20. During March the flow of supplie=d through the
Commun