SUMMARY OF VIET CONG ACTIVITIES IN II CORPS DURING DECEMBER 1967 - 1968/01/25

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02966921
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Intelligence Information Cable
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IN TENT OUCH
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This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage
Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission Of revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized , person-1s prohibited by law.
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THIS IS AN INFORMATION PORT. 0 FINA
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SOURCE
25 23 G Z
SOUTH VIETNAM
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DIST 25 JANUARY 1968
SUMMARY OF VIET CONG ACTIVITIES IN II CORPS DURING DECEMBER
1967
SUMMARY-- DURING DECEMBER VIET CONG /VC/ POLICY AND ACTIVITIES
IN THE II CORPS AREA CENTERED AROUND THEIR WINTER /SPRING CAMPAIGN.,
ACCORDING TO CAPTURED DOCUMENTS THE GOALS OF THE CAMPAIGN RANGE
FROM COMPLETE LIBERATION OF LARGE SECTIONS OF THE B-3 HIGHLANDS
FRONT AREA TO "SIGNIFICANT VICTORIES' IN OTHER AREAS. AS THE VC
ATTEMPTED TO GET THE CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY, MILITARY ACTIVITY PICKED UP
IN KONTUM PLEIKU , BINH DINH, AND 6INH THUAN PROVINCES, AND THERE
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WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE VC WERE PREPARING FOR�MILITARY OPERATIONS
IN TUYEN DUC AND LAM DONG.. AS IN PREVIOUS MONTHS THE VC
CONTINUED THEIR FOOD AND TAX COLLECTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR
MILITARY ACTIVITIES. IN SPITE OF THEIR AGGRESSIVE PLANS, THE
VC STILL HAVE CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS IN II CORPS, THE CHIEF ONES
BEING FOOD SHORTAGES AND LOSS OF POPULATION FROM VC-CONTROLLED
, AREAS WHICH HAS HINDERED THEIR RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES. END SUMMARY.
I. DURING DECEMBER THE VIET CONG /VC/ IN II CORPS APPEARED
TO BE CONTINUING PREPARATIONS FOR THEIR WINTER /SPRING CAMPAIGN WHILE
IN SOME AREAS IMPLEMENTATION OF PRELIMINARY PHASES APPEARED TO
BE IN PROGRESS. CAPTURED DOCUMENTS AND PRISONER INTERROGATION
REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE MOST AMBITIOUS GOAL OF THE CAMPAIGN IN
II CORPS CALLS FOR THE LIBERATION OF KONTUM AND /CR PLEIKU PROVINCES.
IN OTHER AREAS THE VC ARE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF "SIGNIFICANT
VICTORIES" DURING THE COMING PERICIO , FREQUENTLY REFERRING TO IT IN
CADRE INDOCTRINATION SESSIONS AS A DECISIVE PHASE OF THE WAR. THIS
IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY EXHORTATIONS TO CADRES AND GUERRILLAS
TO 'WORK AND FIGHT HARDER DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
2. THIS APPARENT INTENTION FOR AN AGGRESSIVE WINTER /SPRING
5 CAMPAIGN WAS REFLECTED IN INCREASED VC ACTIVITIES IN SEVERAL
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PROVINCES OF II CORPS DURING THE MONTH.
IN THE �B-3 HIGHLANDS FRONT
AREA, PARTICULARLY PLEIKU AND KONTUM PROVINCES, VC UNITS WERE �
MANEUVERING FOR POSITIONS FROM WHICH TO LAUNCH ATTACKS ON
GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM /GVN/ AND ALLIED INSTALLATIONS. IN KONTUM
PROVINCE, ACCORDING TO PRISONER INTERROGATIONS, THE VC STRATEGY IS
TO STRIKE AT AIRBASES IN THE HOPES OF CRIPPLING THE AIR SUPPORT
WHICH GVN/ALLIED FORCES RECEIVE DURING MAJOR ENGAGEMENTS. IN
ADDITION THE VC STEPPED UP THEIR ATTACKS ON VILLAGES AND HAMLETS
IN BOTH PROVINCES IN AN EFFORT TO DESTROY CONFIDENCE IN THE GVN'S
ABILITY TO PROTECT THE INHABITANTS, AND TO EXTEND VC CONTROL OVEF,?
THE COUNTRYSIDE.
3. IN BINH DINH PROVINCE THE THRUST OF THE VC WINTER /SPRING
CAMPAIGN APPEARS TO BE TO REGAIN THE INITIATIVE WHICH THEY HAVE
GRADUALLY LOST AS A RESULT OF GVN/ALLIED MILITARY OPERATIONS.
DOCUMENTS CAPTURED DURING THE MONTH REVEAL THE VC ARE INITIATING
INTENSIVE CAMPAIGNS TO SABOTAGE TOWNS AND CITIES, TO ORGANIZE
YOUTH, AND TO INCREASE PROSELYTING OPERATIONS AMONG MILITARY FORCES
AS WELL AS AMONG THE POPULATION. THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN OVERRUNNING
THE DISTRICT CAPITAL OF TUY PHUOC, BINH DINH PROVINCE, WHICH
5 RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE DISTRICT CHIEF AND THE RELEASE OF 60
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VC PRISONERS. ATTACKS ON LI NES OF COMMUNICATION PONT I NUED IN
WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE CERTAIN AREAS MAKING
THEM MORE VULNERABLE.
4. MILITARY ACTIVITY ALSO PICKED UP IN NINH THUAN PROVINCE
IN ENGAGEMENTS DURING THE MONTH A NUMBER OF ENEMY DRESSED IN
NORTH VIETNAMESE AR MY /NVA/ UNIFORMS WERE OBSERVED AND A NUMBER
OF CHI NESE A K...4 7 RIFLES WERE DISCOVERED, PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE THAT NVA UNITS ARE NOW IN THE PROVINCE. NINH THUAN ALSO
SAW AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS ON VILLAGES UNDERGOING
PACIFICATION BY REVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT ,RD/ CADRES. THE
RD PROGRAM IN NINH THUAN HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE IN STOPPING VC TAX
AND PROPAGANDA INCURSIONS INTO VILLA GES WHERE RD GROUPS ARE
OPER AT I NG AND THE VC HAVE BEEN THRFATENING FOR SOME TIME TO
LAUNCH ATTACKS ON RD ...SUPPORTED HAMLETS.
5. IN TUYEN DUC AND LAM DONG PROVINCES THERE VERE INDICATIONS
OF A POSSIBLE INCREASE IN MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
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6. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES, VIRTUALLY ALL PROVINCES
IN THE CORPS REPORTED THAT THE VC WERE CONTINUING TO PUSH FOOD AND
RICE COLLECTIONS FROM VILLAGES AND HAMLETS, AND TAX COLLECTIONS
ALONG THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS. QUANG DUC PROVINCE NOTED A SUBSTANTIAL
INCREASE IN TRAFFIC STOPPAGES ALONG THE ROUTES FOR TAXATION
PURPOSES SINCE THE DESTRUCTION OF A FOOD PRODUCTION AREA BY DEFOLIANTS.
7. THE VC IN II CORPS APPEAR TO HAVE A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF
PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME IF THEY HOPE TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE
INTER/SPRING CAMPAIGN. FOOD SHORTAGES WERE PROBABLY ALLEVIATED
SOMEWHAT WITH THE AUTUMN RICE HARVEST 9 BUT STILL EXIST. A
RECENTLY CAPTURED DOCUMENT IN AN LAO DISTRICT OF BINH DINH PROVINCE
STATED THAT FOOD SHORTAGE HAD REACHED CRISIS PROPORTIONS
AND WAS AFFECTING THE MORALE OF VC CADRES AND THE POPULATION, IN
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� KHANH HOA PROVINCE, MILITARY ACTIVITY DROPPED OFF DURING DECEMBER,
AND THERE WERE AGAIN REPORTS THAT FOOD SHORTAGES PREVENTED THE.
VC FROM BRINGING IN THE ADDITIONAL UNITS NEEDED TO SUSTAIN MILITARY
OPERATIONS.
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S. A SECOND MAJOR PROBLEM SERIOUSLY AFFECTING THE
VC IS THE LOSS OF POPULATION AS REFUGEES LEAVE VC-CONTROLLED AREAS
AND MOVE INTO GVN AREAS. THIS LOSS HAS NOT ONLY DECREASED THE
ECONOMIC BASE FROM WHICH THE VC CAN DRAW SUPPORT, BUT HAS ALSO
HAMPERED THEIR RECRUITMENT OPERATIONS. SEVERAL PROVINCES- BINH DINH,
LAM DONG, AND BINH THUAN- NOTED AN INCREASE IN FORCED RECRUITMENT DURINp
DECEMBER. LAM DONG AND KHANH HOA PROVINCES ALSO NOTED THAT APATHY �
ON THE PART OF THE POPULATION TOWARD THE VC AND 'RESENTMENT OF
INCREASED TAXATION WERE AFFEMING VC EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR
1POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
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