CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02031818
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: April 27, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: February 13, 1968

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
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Central Intelligence Bulletin
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**4 " 214
13 Ivebruary 1968
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Controlled Dissem
The CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN is produced by the
Director of Central Intelligence to meet his responsibilities for providing
current intelligence bearing on issues of national security to the President,
the National Security Council, and other senior government officials. It
is produced in consultation with the Departments of State and Defense.
When, because of the time factor, adequate consultation with the depart-
ment of primary concern is not feasible, items or portions thereof are pro-
duced by CIA and marked with an asterisk.
Interpretations of intelligence information in this publication represent
immediate and preliminary views which are subject to modification in the
light of further information and more complete analysis.
Certain intelligence items in this publication may be designated specifically
for no further dissemination. Other intelligence items may be disseminated
further, but only on a need-to-know basis.
WARNING
This document contains classified information affecting the national security
of the United States within the meaning of the espionage laws, US Code
Title 18, Sections 793, 794, and 798.
J.Oreset
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13 February 1968
Central Intelligence Bulletin
CONTENTS
Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 1)
Thailand: Leaders show concern over allied
position in the Far East. (Page 3)
Cambodia: Sihanouk's relations with Vietnamese
Communists are coming under strain. (Page 4)
Rumania: Bucharest will attend meeting of
Communist parties but wishes to dilute results.
(Page 6)
Egypt: Overflight of US ship (Page 7)
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*Vietnam:
South Vietnam: There has been no significant
change in the military situation during the past 24
hours.
Enemy activity has been largely confined to
widely scattered attacks against friendly positions.
The Bien Hoa Air Base was hit by rocket fire on
13 February but there was little damage. The
last rocket attack against this base occurred on
10 February and caused serious destruction.
In Hue and Saigon, as elsewhere, the situation
is relatively quiet as the job of cleaning up pockets
of enemy resistance continues. In the more secure
areas of Saigon, the people show encouraging signs
of returning to a more normal mode of living. (Map)
North Vietnam: North Vietnamese bomber and
transport aircraft continue their unusual flight activ-
ities.
extra-
ordinary precautions are being taken to protect
Hanoi's IL-28 bomber force, which was noted on
12 February in flights to the North Vietnam -
Communist China border area to avoid US aircraft.
On the same day, at least two--and possibly three--
IL-14 aircraft were detected on a tactical mission
to the south, which was apparently aborted because
of poor weather in the southern part of North
Vietnam.
Laos - South Vietnam:
4�sharp increase in south-
bound truck traffic through the Mu Gia Pass into
Laos during the first week in February.
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LAOS PANHANDLE
o 2,5 5p 715 Miles
FI
0 25 50 715 Kilometers
DEMILITARIZED ZONE
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nearly 500 trucks moving south
through the pass from 1 to 10 February--about double
the daily average for the entire month of January.
The increase could be partly in support of the Com-
munist build-up in the Khe Sanh area.
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Thailand: Thai leaders apparently are concerned
over what they regard as recent allied setbacks in the
Far East.
Bangkok's public reaction to the Viet Cong Tet
offensive in South Vietnam has been confined to pictur-
ing it as a last desperate gamble which underlines
the weakness of the Communist position there. Am-
bassador Unger reports, however, that the Thai are
privately somewhat less sanguine and for the first
time have expressed some concern about the ability
of US forces to win a military victory in South Vietnam.
Thai reaction to the Pueblo incident has been
sharp. Deputy Prime Minister Praphat told a press
conference that the seizure of the US ship is the most
recent and dramatic example of the fact that the Com-
munists retain the initiative in Asia. In what may
have been intended as a reproach to the US handling
of the affair, he urged non-Communist countries to
take the "offensive" militarily as well as diplomati-
cally.
The military situation in Laos has also been a
source of Thai concern, although reaction to the Nam
Bac debacle and other recent setbacks has been muted.
Thai leaders consider the containment of the Commu-
nists in Laos as vital to the national interest, and any
Communist gains in the Mekong lowlands are likely to
strike an extremely sensitive nerve.
The apprehension in Bangkok has not yet reached
the point of new approaches to the US for military aid
or a bilateral mutual defense agreement. The Thai
leaders would like both, however, and they will not
be diffident in pressing their demands if they feel the
situation warrants such action.
13 Feb 68
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Cambodia: Strains between Phnom Penh and the
Vietnamese Communists are growing.
In recent weeks Sihanouk has repeatedly attacked
North Vietnam and the National Liberation Front for
supporting dissident Cambodian Communists and for
making "indirect threats" to his regime. He has
publicly accused the Vietnamese Communists of arm-
ing discontented tribesmen in order to gain control
of the sensitive northeastern border area.
Sihanouk has described the increased Vietnamese
Communist activity in several eastern provinces and
the recent resurgence of "externally directed" armed
dissidence in the west as an attempt to pressure
Phnom Penh into maintaining an anti-US posture.
He warned that such tactics would backfire. Sihanouk
characterized Communist activity in Cambodia as
part of a greater effort to seize Southeast Asia, a
view heretofore confined to private discussions.
Although Sihanouk's attacks are inspired by both
real and imagined Communist subversion, they may
also reflect his displeasure at the Communists for
making excessive use of Cambodian territory to
prosecute the war in South Vietnam. According to
the French attache in Phnom Penh, Sihanouk was en-
raged when he saw the documentation of such Viet
Cong activity provided by the US last month and
fulminated that he would "chop Communist heads."
Sihanouk, however, is unlikely to push for an
open break with the Vietnamese Communists as long
as he believes that they will ultimately prevail in
South Vietnam.
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Rumania: Rumania intends to send a delegation
to the forthcoming meeting of Communist parties with
the clear aim of diluting the results.
the de-
cision to attend the meeting, scheduled to open in
Budapest on 26 February, will be announced at a
party plenum soon. The Rumanian delegation will
oppose criticism of any Communist party--whether
a participant or not--as well as any effort by the con-
ferees to conclude agreements binding on all parti-
cipants. The Rumanians will also try to have a
world conference of Communist parties put off as
long as possible.
Rumanian party officials had extensive talks
with representatives from many Communist parties
before deciding to attend.
The Soviets, Hungarians, and other supporters
of the meeting have given repeated assurances that
the consultative gathering will not be used to set new
guidelines for the movement or to press for conform-
ity. Bucharest remains skeptical, however, and has
indicated that it reserves the right to reverse its
decision to attend if the ground rules are changed.
13 Feb 68
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GEORGETOWN at Time of Egyptian Overflight
BULGARIA 6\
AL AMA
ITALY GREE
ATHENS
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Alexandria
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( EGYPT)
SUEZ
CANAL
AUTICAL MILE
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NOTE
Egypt:
the USS Georgetown, was overflown three times by
Egyptian IL-28 jet light bombers on 11 February.
Egypt always has been sensitive to foreign ships and
aircraft operating near its borders. Egyptian planes
have flown over US naval ships before, but this is
the first time bombers have done so. The George-
town and its escort, a guided-missile destroyer,
were no closer than 42 nautical miles to the Egyptian
coast during the overflights.
13 Feb 68
SECRET
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