PROPAGANDA, RUMORS, AND ATTITUDE OF THE NHA TRANG POPULACE DURING THE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY/VIET CONG TET AGRESSION.

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02799356
• Document Creation Date: January 28, 2019

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Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2799356
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Intelligence Information Cable
STATE/INR DIA Nmcc/mc
DWI EXO
( SECDEF JCS ARMY NAVY AIR)
CIA/NMCC NIC
OER FBIS
E0----
13526
PRIORITY 3.3(h)(2)
EO
IN450/ 13526
7 3.5(c)
PAGE 1 OF PAUtb 4
NSA SDO
DCS IRS
ONE CRS
AID USIA
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.O.
Secs. 793 and 794, the transmisson or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
GROUP I
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
Co
,c�-�
COUNTRY
DOI
SUBJECT
A CQ
SOURCE
TH I AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
NTIAL\.
061818 Z
SOUTH VIETNAM
CITE
DIST 6 FEBRUARY 1968
PROPAGANDA, RUMORS, AND ATTITUDE OF THE NHA
T RANG POPULACE DURING THE NORTH VIETNAMESE
ARM Y/VIET CONG TET AGRESS ION .
3.5(c)
1. THE MOST PROMINENT THEME OR QUEST ION THAT HAS DEVELOPED
AMONG THE LOCAL INDIGENOUS POPULACE IN NHA TRANG KHANH HOA
PROVINCE, FOCUSES ON THE RUMOR OF A POSSIBLE COALITION
GOVERNMENT SET UP BY THE AMERICANS IN COLLUSION WITH THE
VIET CONG (VC) . SOME VIETNAMESE IN NHA TRANG BELIEVE THAT
BECAUSE NO AMERICAN INSTALLATIONS IN THE CITY WERE ATTACKED
- -N-T-I-A-L NO FO N DISSEM
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2799356
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C-O-N-F- I- -T-I-A-L NO FOR DISSEM
(classification) (clissern controls)
PAGE 2 OF 3 PAGES
(WHICH IS ERRONEOUS) THAT "WASHINGTON AND SAIGON", THROUGH
A PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT, HAD ALLOWED THE VC TO ATTACK GOVERNMENT
OF VIETNAM (GVN) FORCES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND IF
POSSIBLE TAKE OVER CITIES AND TOWNS IN ORDER TO FORCE THE GVN
INTO ACCEPTING A COALITION GOVERNMENT. AT PRESENT, THIS
RUMOR APPEARS TO BE SPREADING THROUGH THE VIETNAMESE POPULACE
WITH SIZEABLE MOMENTUM AND MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO BE PLACING
CONSIDERABLE BELIEF IN ITS VALIDITY.
2. ALL LOCAL VIETNAMESE QUESTIONED FELT THAT THE BULK
OFITHE POPULCTION WAS ANGERED BY THE VC/NVA ATTACKS. THE
FACT THAT THEY OCCURRED DURING TET AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE
ENEMY HAD SPREAD LEAFLETS CALLING FOR A SEVEN DAY TRUCE PERIOD
WAS DESCRIBED AS "DISGUSTING AND SHAMELESS." THE COMBINATION
OF A geolfEN TRUCE PROMISE AND THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
WHICH RESULTED FROM THE ATTACKS HAS CAUSED EVEN THOSE VIET�-.
NAMESE SYMPATHETIC TO THE VC CAUSE TO CRITICIZE VIOLENTLY
THE ENEMY'S EFFORT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE LARGE URBAN CENTERS.
3. IN MOST INSTANCES, THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE FELT THAT
THE LOCAL GVN FORCES REACTED PROMPTLY AND COURAGEOUSLY.
SOME WERE CONVINCED THAT CERTAIN GVN OFFICIALS POSSESSED
C-O-N-F-I-D- - - -A-L N2,FS2_,R.E.IG-PerrEM
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IN 45177
�T�I�A�L NO FOR i SSEM
(classification) (dissem controls)
PAGE 3 OF 3 PAGES
3.5(c)
INFORMATION WARNINGS OF THE ATTACKS, BUT DUE TO ENTHUSIASTIC
TET CELEBRATIONS, THESE WARNINGS TENDED TO BE IGNORED IN
FACT, AS A RESULT OF INFORMATION ON IMPENDING ATTACKS
RECEIVED BY POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND ARVN , ORDERS WERE GIVEN
TO HAVE AT LEAST FIFTY PERCENT STRENGTH MANNING ALL POSTS,
BUT THESE ORDERS WERE NOT FULLY OBEYED BECAUSE OF T ET .
ALSO,SOME VIETNAMESE FELT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BEING DONE
TO RELIEVE THE PLIGHT OF THE REFUGEES WHO ARE NOW POSING
A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN MOST URBAN AREAS.
4. SOME LOCAL VIETNAMESE SA ID THAT VC PROPAGANDA WAS
NEGLIGIBLE OT HER THAN THE SPREAD OF RUMORS OF COALITION
GOVERNMENT.
MR. THO, CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION
OF SOUTH VIETNAM, IN A BROADCAST CALLING FOR THE SOLDIERS OF
THE GVN TO "TURN RIFLES TO OVERTHROW THE THIEU-KY CLIQUE
AND FIGHT AGAINST THE AMERICAN AGRESSORS."
REPORT CLASS CON
ADVANCE COPIES SENT ELECTRICALLY TO USIB MEMBERS
Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 CO2799356
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)