THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A000100010002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: January 2, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
~~QYrIOt''A~!G~
THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as of 1600
2 January 1966
PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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2 January 1966
Hanoi, Moscow, and Peking in public state-
ments over the weekend discounted the current
US peace offensive. Soviet party secretary
Shelepin is expected to leave for Hanoi on Janu-
ary 6 or 7.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
The seriou a-up o fighting In Quang Ngai
Province on 29-30 December which resulted in
the government's abandoning the district town of
Minh Long and the overrunning of a government
post, has subsided (Paras, 1-2)o Twenty-three
B-52 Stratofortresses struck a suspected assembly
area for a Viet Cong regiment in Tay Ninh Prov-
ince (Para. 3). South Vietnamese and South Ko-
rean troops are conducting a joint operation in
Phu Yen Province which although reported stalled
has so far accounted for 121 Viet Cong killed
(Para, 4). South Vietnamese, American, and Aus-
tralian units--a total of seven battalions--are
conducting a search and destroy operation close
to the Cambodian border in the southwestern
corner of Hau Nghia Province (Para, 5). In the
delta region, the Viet Cong attacked an outpost
40 miles southwest of Saigon, and a Regional
Force company in Vinh Binh Province (Para. 6)m
Several American personnel and South Vietnamese
civilians were injured in an explosion in Nha
Trang city, while two Vietnamese children were
killed and four wounded while playing with a dud
mine in Binh Duong Province (Paras. 7-8)?
II, Political Developments in South Vietnam:
A Polish mem er o e n erne iona'I---Cn-froTZom-
mission turned himself over to Saigon police on
31 December and asked for political asylum (Para, 1).
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III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
A US reconnaissance drone was shot own, apparently
by North Vietnamese MIGs, on 1 Januar about 30
miles northeast of Hanoi Para, 1
/Another
SAM site--the 62nd--has been detected (Para. 4),
The Hanoi - Lao Cai rail line is now repaired
and serviceable, according to photography
I
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is noThi g of s gnu Trance to report,
V. Communist Political Developments: Hanoi,
Moscow, afiU-7e 1ng over the weeken _- c~ITscounted
the current US peace offensive (Paraso 1-2).
More restatements of Hanoi's basic position
(Paraso 3-5). Peking claims that the DRV has
"scuttled" the current US "peace intrigue"
(Para, 6). Peking charges US is "plotting to
impose war" upon the Chinese people (Para. 7).
Pravda refers to the US peace offensive as a
'"-propagandistic diversionary maneuver" (Para, 8),
Soviet party secretary Shelepin is expected to
leave for Hanoi on 6 or 7 January (Para, 9) 0
or Aspects:
F-I
formation on US air strikes in North Vietnam
in 1965 (Para, 3)
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,` ICH EL IN
RUBBER PLANTATION
m Quang Ngai City
'Ainh long
-1 EN I SI I UA I ION
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1. Fighting which raged near the Minh Long
district town and two nearby outposts approximately
25 miles southwest of Quang Ngai city on 29-30 Decem-
ber subsided on 31 December. Although at least one
outpost located about two miles north of Minh Long,
was overrun, it has subsequently been reoccupied
by government troops, apparently without opposition
by the Viet Congo As of the present time there are
no official reports of casualties suffered by
friendly forces, although one unconfirmed press
account indicates that the government may have lost
as many as 200 men.
2. The district town of Minh Long which was
lost to the Communists will not be retaken in the
immediate future, according to the commander of
the ARVN 2d Division. In a press interview he
indicated that the administrative functions will
be moved to another town farther to the north,
Minh Long is the second district town abandoned
to the Communists in the operational area of the
ARVN 2d Division in the last several weeks. The
earlier loss was the town of Hiep Duc, in Quang Tin
Province.
3. Twenty-three B-52 Stratofortresses struck
a target area approximately 40 miles northwest of
Saigon on 1 January, The target area, located in
the Tay Ninh - Binh Duong border area, was a sus-
pected assembly area for the 271st Viet Cong Regi-
ment, It was believed that this regiment was pre-
paring to attack either a nearby Special Forces
camp or the ARVN 8th Regiment, currently situated
in the Michelin plantation in northern Binh Duong
Province, The 271st Regiment,in late November,
virtually decimated the 7th ARVN Regiment then
located in the Michelin plantation.
4. On 31 December, a joint operation in-
volving a South Vietnamese airborne battalion and
the 1st Marine Brigade of the Korean Capital
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Division was initiated in Phu Yen Province, approxi-
mately 60 miles south of the city of Qui Nhonm Heavy
opposition from an estimated two Viet Cong battalions
has caused the attack to be temporarily stalled.
A two-pronged coordinated attack was scheduled, but
it developed trouble. The Korean marines ran into
very heavy fire and were stopped early, while the
Vietnamese unit failed to jump off in their attack
at the scheduled time. Losses to friendly forces
so far are given as 15 killed (four Koreans) and
44 wounded (27 Koreans and one US). Additional
losses include four Koreans listed as missing and
one helicopter downed by enemy fire. Viet Cong loss-
es are 121 killed (US/Korean/Vietnamese body count),
eight captured, and 42 suspects taken. The opera-
tion is continuing.
5. In the southwest quadrant of Hau Nghia
Province, approximately 25 miles west-southwest of
Saigon, a combined South Vietnamese, United States,
and Australian search and destroy operation has been
in progress since 31 December, The operation com-
menced with the air movement of four ARVN battalions,
on 31 December, into an area very close to the Soutn
Vietnam - Cambodian border which made initial con-
tact with an estimated two companies of Viet Cong.
On 1 January, two battalions of the
US 173d Airborne Brigade and the Australian infantry
battalion were helilifted into positions to the
west of the ARVN units and commenced operations.
At last report, on 2 January, the US forces were
still engaged with a well-entrenched Communist
force of undetermined size. The movement of US
and Australian forces into the southwestern portion
of Hau Nghia Province marks the first time that
foreign troops have been used in the Mekong Delta
area against the Viet Conga Cumulative results of
this operation so far show 123 Viet Cong killed
(US body count), 63 captured,and 248 suspects de-
tained. Friendly losses are given as eight US
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killed and 11 wounded, and 31 South Vietnamese killed
and 97 wounded.
6. Elsewhere in South Vietnam, a Viet Cong
force attacked a government outpost approximately
40 miles southwest of Saigon, killing eight of
the defenders and wounding 11. Three others were
listed as missing. Five Viet Cong were killed in
this attack. Also in the delta region, on 31 Decem-
ber, in Vinh Binh Province, a South Vietnamese
Regional Force company was attacked by a Viet Cong
unit of unknown size. Friendly losses were 10
killed, 15 wounded, and 16 missing, A reaction
force sent into the area has so far failed to make
contact with the attacking force.
7. On 1 January in Nha Trang an unidentified
explosive device, presumably the work of Viet Cong
terrorists, detonated on the roof of a US recreational
club. Five US personnel and four Vietnamese were
wounded in the explosion, none seriously.
8. Two children were killed and four others
were wounded on 1 January while playing with a dud
mine. The incident occurred about eight miles
northwest of Saigon, in Binh Duong Province,
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II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. On 31 December a Polish member of the Inter-
national Control Commission surrendered himself to
a local police station in Saigon and asked for polit-
ical asylum. The Polish nati nal, identified by
the police was an interpreter with
the ICC. Ile as su sequen, y been turned over
to the Vietnamese Military Security Service for
further questioning.
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. A US reconnaissance drone was shot down
apparently by North Vietnamese MIGs on 1 January
about 30 miles northeast of Hanoi, The MIGs re-
portedly staged out of Kep Airfield. This was the
tenth US drone lost over North Vietnam. There are
no indications at present of what type of weapons
the MIGs used.
4. Another SAM site--the 62nd-was discovered
by NPIC in photography. Located approxi-
mately 20 miles northeast of Hanoi, the site has
six revetted launch positions. No missile equipment
was noted. A study of all of the North Vietnamese
SAM sites is presently under way at NPIC to determine
the quality of construction and, if possible those
that appear to be permanent installations,
5. The Hanoi - Lao Cal rail line is now re-
paired and serviceable, according to photography
A restoration of all bridges
and bypassing of stranded or derelict stock was
noted. This line is a major link in North Vietnam's
domestic transport system and part of China's only
rail connection between Kunming and East China.
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port.
IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Hanoi, Moscow and Peking in public state-
ments over the weekend discounted the current US
peace offensive. The DRV party daily, Nhan Dan,
on 31 December criticized the US peace effort as
only a cover-up for another escalation of the war.
Nhan Dan charged that US leaders "have not shown
the least sign of desire" for a peaceful settlement
and that current actions were for the purpose of
"preparing public opinion" for the dispatch of
additional US divisions to South Vietnam.
2, Hanoi continues to assail US overflights
of DRV territory, and on 1 January charged that US
planes were engaged in "spying and provocative"
activities. Hanoi has charged that continued
flights are')preparation for more criminal activ-
ities."
3. Hanoi on 30 December broadcast a tough
restatement of its basic position. A Voice of
Vietnam commentary derided various US proposals
to bring about talks, including US expressions
of willingness for unconditional negotiations
and the possibility of a cease-fire. The com-
mentary implied that, no movement in the Vietnam
situation is possible until the US proves by
"actual deeds" its willingness to withdraw its
forces from South Vietnam. In fact, the com-
mentator says that the only way to "end the state
of war" is for the US to withdraw its troops and
leave the settlement in Vietnamese hands.
4. In a New Year's message to the American
people, North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh
reiterated Hanoi's basic stand on a settlement
in Vietnam and again charged that US leaders
"speak of peace, but actually step up war."
5. North Vietnamese Premier Pham Van Dong,
in an interview broadcast on 31 December, claimed
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that the only obstacle to a "correct peaceful solu-
tion" in Vietnam was the "aggressive policy" of
the United States, Pham claimed that the Viet-
namese people were determined to defeat the US
"war of aggression" in Vietnam, "Only then," he
claimed, "can the way be paved for a peaceful
settlement."
6. The Chinese, in a People's Daily edi-
torial of 1 January, praiser Hanoi sTaMF-ments of
30-31 December, claiming that the DRV had "point-
edly scuttled" the current US "peace intrigue."
People's Daily claimed that the US aim in advocat-
ing TV neon i Tonal discussions" was to force the
Vietnamese people to surrender unconditionally
and to accept the "permanent stay" of US troops
in Vietnam,
7. In a New Year's editorial in People's
Daily, the Chinese again charged that T e is
'pIofting to impose war" upon the Chinese people.
The editorial charged that the US "uninter-
ruptedly carries out provocations against China
and intends to challenge China" and warned that
"if the US aggressors dare to invade, we will wipe
them out." This is a restatement of the standard
Chinese line which implies that Peking will not
provoke a war with the US but would respond to a
US attack,
8. In a 1 January commentary, Pravda referred
to the US peace offensive as a "propagan istic
diversionary maneuver," On 2 January, a Pravda
editorial charged that, having intensified om -
ing of the DRV and widened the intervention in
South Vietnam, the US is now preparing to carry
hostilities into Laos and Cambodia, The So-
viets have not referred directly to the bombing
pause but, in the same Pravda commentary, stated
that the US was carrying oruf`-"reconnaissance"
flights over the DRV and continuing air attacks
in South Vietnam,
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9. Soviet party secretary Shelepin is ex-
pected to leave for Hanoi on 6 or 7 January, ac-
cording to a Soviet Foreign Ministry official,
A Soviet official had earlier indicated that
Shelepin would arrive in Hanoi this past week-
end. It may be that the departure of the So-
viet delegation has been delayed to give Mos-
cow time to study the implications of recent
US diplomatic moves. There has been no edi-
torial comment on the visit from Moscow, Peking,
or Hanoi, Albania has assailed the visit as an
attempt by the USSR to convince DRV leaders
that the North Vietnamese party should attend
a world Communist meeting,
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3. Close to 20,000 strike sorties were
flown by US aircraft over North Vietnam during
1965. Nearly 190 US aircraft were lost. Sur-
face-to-air missiles accounted for eleven of
the planes downed. More than 75,000 tons of
ordnance were dropped on North Vietnam. A
chronology of some of the highlights of the year
is given below.
US initiates regular air strikes on
Vietnam
First US losses to MIGs: Two USAF F-105
Thunderchiefs downed by MIGs at Thanh Hoa
bridge
First SAM site detected under construc-
tion in the Hanoi area
First MIGs downed by US aircraft: USN
Phantom jets down two MIGs with air-
to-air missiles
...07 February
....4 April
....5 April
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First US loss to SAMs. Soviet-launched SAM
downs one Phantom jet, damages three
Vietnamese control of SAM operations
first noted
US Navy jets destroy first mobile SAM
unit
MIG-21s confirmed in North Vietnam
Uong Bi thermal power plant knocked
out
Christmas truce
VI-2
....24 July
....5 September
....17 October
.....12 December
....22 December
....24 December
2 January 1966
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