THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM - 29 DECEMBER 1967

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06752241
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: April 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: December 29, 1967

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
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29 December 1967
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HIGHLIGHTS
A US Marine battalion suffered heavy losses
on. 27December in a battle in Quang Tri Province..
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
A US Marine battalion lost. 48 men killed and nearly
80 wounded in -a battle east of. Quang Tri� City on
27 December, Light scattered actions have been
reported elsewhere over the past' few days (Paras.
1-3). Several recent developments provide further
evidence, of an.enemy.intention to. attack in the
Khe Sanh area (Paras. 4-5).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
The Upper House has organized blocs and has presented
a resolution to the government dealing with the
controversial mobilization order (Paras. 1-2).
Senator Nguyen Van Ngai has given the US Embassy
an account of maneuverings behind the selection
of chairmen of committees in the Upper House
(Paras. 3-5).
III. North Vietnamese Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
Reports of Spanish ex-legionnaires that Chinese
troops are manning missile installations in Ndrth
Vietnam appear doubtful (Paras. 1-3).
V. Communist Political Developments: There
is nothing of significance to report.
2.
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. A battalion of the US 1st Marine Regiment
lost 48 men killed and nearly 80 wounded in a
battle along the coast about nine miles east of
Quang Tri on 27 December. Initial reports state
that the enemy, probably part of the North Viet-
namese 5th Regiment, lost 27 killed.
2. In three separate clashes 10-i25 miles south
of Da Nang on 28 December, US and South Vietnamese
forces killed 65 enemy troops. Ten allied troops
were killed and 59 wounded.
3. To the south in Pleiku Province, Viet Cong
guerrillas on 28 December killed 21 South Vietnamese
and wounded 15 in an attack on a hamlet. It was
the second such attack in the central highlands in
two days. On 27 December the Viet Cong killed 13
and wounded 28 as they overran a hamlet on the out-
skirts of Kontum city. The latest attack took place
about 13 miles northeast of Pleiku city. Light scat-
tered actions were reported elsewhere.
Developments in the Khe Sanh Area
4. Several recent developments provide further
evidence of the enemy's intention to attack near
Khe Sanh in western Quang Tri Province. Radio direc-
tion finding indicates that the headquarters of the
North Vietnamese 304th Division completed an east-
ward movement in the Laos panhandle on 29 December
which places it approximately 22 miles west of Khe
Sanh. The headquarters of the 325C Division has
moved from the Dong Hoi area in North Vietnam to a
position in Laos lust west of the Demilitarized Zone.
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New Yearls Cease-fire
5. The allies' 24-hour New Year's cease-
fire is scheduled to begin at 5:00 AM (EST)
31 December and continue until 5:00 AM (EST)
1�January. Although no allied military opera-
tions are scheduled during this respite, a full
alert will be maintained,
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II: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS INSOTJTH VIETNAM
1. The Upper House of the National Assembly
on 27 December formed itself into two blocs, one
formal and the other a rather loose coalition of
41 "independent" senators.. The:formal.grouping
is the 19-member-National.Democratic Socialist
Bloc, composed.largely.of-the.slates-headed.by
Nguyen .Gia Hien-and:Huynh.Van Cao. -The.composi-
tion ,of. the blocs-will-mean, among other things,
that committee assignments will be made on a,two-
to-one basis.in favor of the independents.
2. The Upper House on 27 December also began
debate on a resolution relating to the government's
partial mobilization decree which it had apparently
rejected earlier this month.. On 28 December, the
Upper House unanimously passed a resolution in
which it noted its displeasure with the govern-
ment'S explanation Of the -mobilization order. The
resolution calls upon the government to clarify
the terms of service, as well as the composition
and criteria for its proposed call-up of various
specialists; it further recommends the full
utilization of personnel between the ages of 20
and 30 before calling up youths of 18 and 19.
In the main, however, the mobilization decree
appears' to have emerged from the Upper House
relatively Unchanged.
Election of Committee Chairmen in the Upper House
3. In a,conversation with US Embassy officers,
Senator Nguyen Van' Ngai recently commented on,
several aspects cl the election on 22 December of
permanent committee chairmen in the Upper House.
He indicated that the outcome was the result. of
careful behind-the-scenes arranging which contrasted
to the open election of the permanent bureau of
the Upper House. This maneuvering apparently en-
sured that the' four' slates constituting the "inde-
'pendent" group.would.gain the leadership of the most
important committees, whereas the Hien and Cao
slates gained. the chairmanships of two relatively
minor committees:-social welfare and health.
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4. Ngai indicated that the Hien and Cao
slates apparently committed a serious tactical
error in not opting to go along with the other
blocs in their prearranged plans. This, he indi-
cated, would have guaranteed that all slates re-
ceived their share of the committee chairmanships
with sufficient majorities to enhance their pres-
tige in dealing with the government. As it turned
out, the other slates went ahead with their orig-
inal plans and virtually froze out the Hic- and Cao
slates. The balance of the other committee chair-
manships are held by members of the following slates:
Tran Van Huyen's slate (he is also chairman of the
Upper House), internal affairs and rules, and cul-
ture and education; Tran Van Don's, defense, public
works, and agriculture; Tran Van Lam's, budget and
finance, foreign affairs, and interior; and Nguyen
Ngoc Ky's, economics, and judiciary.
5. In addition to the tactical blunders of the
Hien and Cao slates, the results of the voting for
committee chairmanships may reflect a more funda-
mental fact of life in the Upper House. According
to the embassy, the Hien-Cao bloc is widely regarded,
correctly or incorrectly, as strongly progovernment.
Although many members of the "independent" group
will side with the government on many issues, there
will be times when they will feel constrained to
make jabs at the "progovernment" Hien-Cao bloc in
order to preserve their "independent" credentials.
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. The recently repatriated Spanish foreign
legionnaires who lived for several years in North
Vietnam continue to provide reports on the activities�
of Chinese Communist troops there. One of the Spaniards
said that there were approximately 10,000 Chinese
troops in the Chi Ne area manning missile installations
and constructing tunnel complexes. Another source said
he heard that the Chinese moved missiles on mobile
platforms out of a cave to fire at attacking planes in
this area.
2. Another Spaniard gave details concerning
Chinese troops in the Yen Bai area. He said that Chi-
nese troops are manning an SA-2 site near'zy, and that
infantry and artillery troops were concentrated between
Yen Bai and Phu Tho. He distinguished these troops by
their weapons: artillery troops carried only pistols,
and the infantrymen carried machine guns.
3. These latest reports appear less accurate than
those received earlier. The number of Chinese troops
reported in the Chi Ile area is not realistic, and the
description of the missile activity conflicts with an
earlier report which indicated that antiaitcraft guns,
not missiles, were housed in caves. Chinese antiair-
craft artillery troops normally carry rifles and sub-
machine guns as well as pistols./
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