THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 MARCH 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993221
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 31, 1972

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500280001-0
The President's Daily Brief
31 March 1972
48
Top Secret
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
31 March 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
On Page 1, we discuss the current Communist buildup
in Vietnam.
The Chilean Government now appears ready to exploit
the ITT story. (Page 4)
\ Soviets
/ (Page 4)
\Chinese
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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25X1
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Disposition of Communist Infantry and Artillery Regiments
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552752 3-72 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
VIETNAM
Communist forces have begun a new series of at?
-
tacks along the DMZ following several weeks of heavy
shelling. North Vietnamese artillery and infantry
units on 30 March launched coordinated attacks against
South Vietnamese bases in northeast Quang Tri Prov-
ince. At least five artillery bases were shelled
and another three were hit by ground assault. Ini-
tial reports indicate that damage and casualties were
light, but the South Vietnamese were forced to aban-
don temporarily at least one position.
More ominous than these attacks is the increas-
ing threat posed by the North Vietnamese buildup
along the borders of each military region in South
Vietnam. In the north, Hanoi's 324B Division has
moved south through western Quang Tri and Thua Thien
and is now located in the mountains west of Hue. At
least one regiment of this division has been engaged
by South Vietnamese forces, which claim to have won
a victory in the initial encounters. Other 324B
elements are in position to attack at any time. The
304th Division is straddling the DMZ and could also
be committed with little warning. Part of one regi-
ment has pushed into the Khe Sanh sector in western
Quang Tri, and another regiment has moved across the
DMZ farther east, threatening the Quang Tri provin-
cial capital. In addition to these divisional forces,
the enemy has five separate infantry regiments and
four artillery regiments in the Quang Tri - Thua Thien
region, bringing the main force threat there to some
15 regiments.
Well above the DMZ in North Vietnam, the 308th
Division is still near the Ha Tinh - Quang Binh pro-
vincial border. It has not made any significant
moves farther south in some weeks and there are no
signs that it will do so soon. The other division
in North Vietnam's strategic reserve, the 325th,
apparently remains in the vicinity of Hanoi.
In MR-2, the enemy threat to the western high-
lands also continues to develop, and main force ele-
ments are in a position to attack at any time. Dur-
ing the past few days, radio direction finding has
indicated that all of the enemy's traditional B-3
Front regiments plus the four regiments of the North
Vietnamese 320th Division are now in Kontum and
Pleiku provinces. The command authorities control-
ling these regiments have moved from Laos into Viet-
namese territory. The enemy has ten regiments in
the highlands, newly equipped with heavier artillery
and antiaircraft weapons. Nearer the coast, the
enemy has three regiments of the 3rd Division that
are usually stationed there. Given the concentration
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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MIG Penetration of South Vietnam
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552749 3-72 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
of Communist units in Kontum Province, the provincial
capital of Kontum City still appears to be a primary
target, although cities and government bases in both
Kontum and Pleiku provinces could be hit.
Government forces defending the western high-
lands currently number some 12,000 men, but addi-
tional forces can be brought in from elsewhere in
MR-2 and from Saigon's general reserves. Although
government artillery in the highlands does not match
the range and firepower of the Communists, the sup-
port received from strategic bombers and tactical
fighters, together with the helicopter troop lift
and gunship support, compensates for this.
Farther south, the Communists are continuing to
move elements of the 5th, 7th, and 9th divisions now
in Cambodia closer to the border of Tay Ninh Province.
There are 15 regiments east of the Mekong, eight of
which may be within 15 miles of South Vietnamese ter-
ritory. In addition, the Communists have three in-
fantry regiments and one artillery regiment well
within MR-3, but these are all understrength.
Until recently in this dry season, the delta
area has not been threatened by additional main
forces. Three enemy regiments are scattered about
MR-4 and three others have been largely confined to
the U Minh Forest region. The latter areprobably
now under a newly identified division headquarters.
Two additional Communist regiments and a divisional
headquarters, called the Phuoc Long Front, have re-
cently-been detected in CambOdia'moving south toward
the border of Chau Doc Province-. Elements of these
units may have been responsible for recent artillery
fire against South Vietnamese positions on the Cam-
bodian side of the border, and they are probably
close enough to attack the border areas of MR-4 at
any time.
When major attacks are launched in northern
South Vietnam, the Communists will be in a better
position to provide fighter aircraft support than
at any time in over two years. The flight of six
MIG-21s from Phuc Yen to fields in the panhandle on
29-30 March brings MIG strength south of the 20th
parallel to 12. Intercepts indicate that the Commu-
nists plan to use the MIGs in combat, and last eve-
ning'one of the newly arrived aircraft overflew the
Khe Sanh area in the first confirmed penetration by
a MIG Of South Vietnamese airspace.
(continued)
2
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The Communists' buildup clearly gives them
the capability of attacking in strength
along widely separate fronts, a tactic that
could complicate the South Vietnamese task
of reinforcing endangered positions. The
heavy attacks already launched near the
DMZ and in the highlands fall far short of
enemy capabilities. The enemy has for some
time had a substantial assault capability
in the DMZ area and on the edge of the
highlands but has delayed using this
strength. Given these delays, there is no
good indication how much of his strength
the enemy ultimately will expend during
this fighting season. But he now has
enough main forces deployed to inflict
considerable punishment on the South Viet-
namese.
3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Chile: The government now appears ready to ex-
ploit the ITT story.
Pres-
ident Allende plans to address a mass rally on 6
April in which he will protest plots "to oust and
murder" him and try to link them to the reports of
ITT maneuvering to prevent his assumption of office
in 1970. As a further step, the Chilean congress
intends to investigate the ITT issue.
US SR-China]
4
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,
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Top Secret
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