THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM - 21 DECEMBER 1967

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06752214
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: April 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: December 21, 1967

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
ecret
119
21 December 1967
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Information as of 1600
21 December 1967
HIGHLIGHTS
Communist forces staged widespread attacks
throughout South Vietnam on 20 and 21 December.
The Chinese Communist radar network along the Viet-
nam/Laos border has been expanded in the past
several months.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Communist guerrillas staged a series of attacks
throughout the country on 20-21 December (Paras. 1-6).
The North Vietnamese have augmented their combat forces
in the northern part of South Vietnam in the past year
(Paras. 7-11).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
The Upper House has asked Prime Minister Loc for an
official explanation of the government's attitude to-
ward Cambodia (Para. 1).
III. North Vietnamese Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: Several
Communist capitals have conferred quasi-diplomatic
status on National Liberation Front representatives
(Paras. 1-4).
VI. Other Major Aspects: Cambodia says it will
fight, if as US press reports hint, US forces pursue
the VC into Cambodia (Para. 1).
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Viet Cong guerrillas staged widespread at-
tacks on 20-21 December, the seventh anniversary of
the founding of the National Liberation Front.
2. An unknown number of enemy saboteurs fired
mortars into the Can Tho Airfield complex in the
Mekong Delta province of Phong Dinh. Three US
helicopters and two airplanes were destroyed and
eight aircraft damaged in the early morning raid.
3. Other terrorist incidents included raids
against several South Vietnamese villages and two grenade
throwings in downtown Saigon. Thirteen US and South
Vietnamese military personnel were wounded when a
grenade was tossed into a crowded bar in the more
serious of the Saigon incidents.
4. In northern Tay Ninh Province a base camp
of the US 25th Infantry Division was struck by mor-
tars for the second time on 20 December, wounding
17 Americans. Three US soldiers were killed and 11
wounded earlier in the day in an abortive attack
which included a mortar barrage of over 200 rounds.
5. Also on 20 December, a South Vietnamese
camp some 23 miles northwest of Saigon was hit by a
350-round mortar bombardment. The attackers--an
estimated enemy company--were finally driven off
by intense artillery and air support.
6. At least 52 enemy troops were killed during
a three-hour battle with a company, of the Royal Thai
Army Volunteer Regiment some 17 miles southeast of
Saigon late on 20 December. This was the first major
combat for the Thai soldiers, who are taking part in
the four-company search-and-destroy Operation NARESUAN
in southern Bien Hoa Province.
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Build-up in the Tri-Thien Area
7. During the past year the North Vietnamese
have augmented their combat forces in the Tri-Thien
Military Region. This strategic area encompasses the
lowerhalf of Quang Tri Province and all of Thua
Thien Province, including the important population
centers of Quang Tri city and Hue.
8. At the end of 1966 the Communists had eight
main force battalions in this region, organized in
one regiment--the 6th--and five separate battalions.
At present the existence of three full regiments--
the 5th, 6th, and 9th--has been confirmed in this
region and there have been reports of a 4th Regi-
ment being organized in southern Thua Thien this
fall. The build-up has been accomplished through
the infiltration of battalion-size units formed
and dispatched to the south by the 304th and 341st
divisions.
9. The 5th Regiment was confirmed in MACV's
order of battle late this summer. The presence of
the 9th was confirmed during the past Week. These two
regiments are believed to be in the vicinity of base
area 101 southwest of Quang Tri city. The 6th Regiment
is probably located west of Hue in base area 114. In
addition to these units, the 31st Regiment of the
North Vietnamese 341st Division has been tentatively
identified in communications with the headquarters
of the Tri-Thien Military Region. In recent weeks
communications intelligence has traced the movement
of this unit southward through the Laotian corridor
to a position just west of the A Shau Valley. This
communications link suggests that the 31st will be
committed in Thua Thien Province.
10. If the 4th and 31st regiments are confirmed
as subordinates of the Tri-Thien Military Region the
numberof combat battalions in this area will total
15, nearly double that of a year ago.
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11. The buildup of these forces lends further
credibility to a recently captured enemy document
which indicated that "large-scale" attacks were
planned along the populous coastal plains of north-
ern South Vietnam. The Communists may intend to co-
ordinate attacks here with actions in the Khe Sanh
area or across the Demilitarized Zone.
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II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. The Upper House has written a letter to
Prime Minister Loc asking for an explanation of
the government's attitude toward Cambodia. The
letter made reference to the recent discovery of
Viet Cong bases in Cambodia and put specific
questions to Loc, such as, why are the Cambodians
allowed to use the Mekong River and what is the
government doing to stop smuggling in the border
area of Chau Doc Province? The Foreign Ministry
is drafting a reply.
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III. NORTH VIETNAMESE MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to report.
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. In what appears to be a concerted effort
to improve the international status and prestige
of the Liberation Front, some Communist capitals
are publicizing the reception of Front represen-
tatives as diplomats. The language of the an-
nouncements concerning the Front varies and may
be deliberately vague, but it seems to include in
some cases changing the status of the Front
Mission from "foreign representatives" accredited
to an unofficial "front" or "solidarity" organi-
zation. to a more official position such as a
"diplomatic mission" accredited to the host gov-
ernment.
2. According to Hanoi radio, the new Liberation
Front representative in Peking presented his "letter
of appointment" to Premier Chou En-lai on 5 Decem-
ber. Hanoi quoted the Chinese premier as saying
that the Chinese Government regarded the Libera-
tion Front permanent mission as "an official
diplomatic mission enjoying the same status as
foreign embassies in the diplomatic corps in
Peking." Hanoi and Liberation Radio have played
up the move as one which enhances the Front's
international status. Radio Peking, has so far
not reported the event as a change in the Front's
status.
3. A new Front representative arrived in
Berlin on 15 December and received high-level
treatment from the East German government. He
was received by both State Council Chairman
Ulbrichtana Foreign Minister Winzer. According
to an East German radio account, Ulbricht desc4bc.,d
the local Front office as a "diplomatic mission."
In Prague, however, a new Front representative who
arrived on 16 December was not accorded diplomatic
status. The Czech treatment of the delegation
head made it clear that he was still accredited
only to the nongovernmental Czech National Front.
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4. There is as yet no evidence that other Commu-
nit. countries intend to change the status of the
Front representative. In the USSR, for example, the
Front representative is officially accredited to the
Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee, although he fre-
quently sees high-level Soviet leaders and attends
diplomatic functions.
5. Accrediting the Front representative to a
foreign government with the rank of ambassador is
not a new move by Communist or leftist governments.
.Front delegations in Pyongyang, Havana, and Phnom
Penh have enjoyed this status for some time--in the
case of Pyongyang for more than a year.
6. The new flurry appears to be related to the
Front's recent efforts to improve its international
status and position without actually declaring it-
self a government. These efforts abroad include the
publiaity given its new political program and the
more recent attempts to get maximum ventilation for
this program by circulating it through the United
Nations. To date there is little evidence that the
Front intends to abandon its demonstrated reluctance
to proclaim itself a formal government.
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VI. OTHER MAJOR ASPECTS
1. The Cambodian Government has now commented
officially on the increasing speculation in the
US press that allied forces may pursue Vietnamese
Communist units into Cambodia. On 21 December
Phnom Penh announced that "35,000 armed soldiers"
and the "entire civilian population" would fight
US troops if they "invaded"' Cambodia. Chief of
State Sihanouk recently warned the Cambodian people
of possible US air and ground attacks and exhorted
them to be prepared for full-scale guerrilla war-
fare. Phnom Penh has shifted a number of small
military units to the frontier during the past six
weeks and has ordered increased training of para-
military elements. There is no evidence, however,
that it intends a significant strengthening of
its border defenses.
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