THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A000500010031-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 31
• Content Type: REPORT

~FC'RET
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OCI No. 0367/66
-'I ly
Copy No. 13 *
WEEKLY REPORT
THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
30 March 1966
INTELLIGENCE AND REPORTING SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE INTERAGENCY
VIETNAM COORDINATING COMMITTEE
SECRET
GROUP I
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and declassification
DIA review(s)
completed.
State Dept. review
completed
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THIS MATERIAL CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECT-
ING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES
WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE LAWS,
TITLE 18, USC, SECTIONS 793 AND 794, THE TRANSMIS-
SION OR REVELATION OF WHICH IN ANY MANNER TO
AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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 Approved For Release 2007/08/23: CIA-RDP79T00826A000500010031-6
OCI No. 0367/66
Published by the Directorate of Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
(24 March - 30 March 1966)
Page
THE WEEK IN PERSPECTIVE iv
Map, South Vietnam, facing page 1
I. THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM 1
A. POLITICAL SITUATION 1
Buddhist agitation shows no sign of
abating (p. 1); Unrest centered in I
Corps (p. 1); Mass meetings and strikes
slacken then flare up again in Hue and
Da Nang (p. 1); Two incidents involve
US Marines (p. 1); Buddhists apparently
reject government compromise (p. 2); Ky
holds out possibility of election speed-
up.(p. 2); Military prepared to resort
to stronger measures (p. 2); Government
attempt to split Buddhist camp unlikely
to succeed (p. 3); Growing signs of
Catholic restiveness (p. 3); Viet Cong
may be moving to exploit situation
(p. 4); Anti-US overtone in Buddhist
campaign lends itself to VC efforts
(p. 4); GVN economy minister and US of-
ficials disagree on implementation of
Honolulu agreements (p. 4); Minister
Thanh's unilateral action on rice up-
sets US Mission's plan (p. 5); Import
slowdown continues (p. 5); Port conges-
tion unrelieved (p. 6); Michelin reportedly
SECRET
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)JlJ ( nAr-1 l
decides to withdraw (p. 6); Gold
price reaches all-time high (p. 6).
B. MILITARY SITUATION
Page
Communist activity increases (p. 7);
Weekly statistics are given (p. 7);
Large-scale friendly operations reach
highest level of war (p. 7); GVN/Allied
operations in the foux' Corps areas are
recapitulated (p. 7); Five B-52 missions
and 3,514 air sorties inflict variety of
damage (p. 9); Communist activity rate
increases in II and III Corps (p. 10);
Current operational status of major
transportation routes and coastal rail-
road (p. 11).
Map, Transportation Routes, facing page 11
C. REVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT 12
An Giang Province selected as national
priority area (p. 12); Budget for 1966
largest of any province (p. 12); Par-
tial Chieu Hoi tally shows increase over
February ;(p. 12); Refugee total reaches
904,438 through 13 March (p. 12).
Map, North Vietnam, facing page 13
II. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BLOC 13
Hanoi continues political support of
both Peking and Moscow while attending
CPSU congress (p. 13); DRV's delegation
and propaganda reflect carefully balanced
approach (p. 13); Peking avoids public
irritation over North Vietnamese attend-
ance (p. 13); NFLSV delegation at con-
gress indicative of Hanoi's close control
(p. 14).
III. THIRD COUNTRY DEVELOPMENTS 15
Sihanouk to allow Cambodian medical as-
sistance and rice for the Viet Cong (p. 15);
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Sl LKJS1
Page
Tel Aviv reports violent reactions
to possibility of Vietnam-Israel
cooperation (p. 15); US criticizes
Indian role in ICC (p. 15); Ky to
visit Argentina (p. 16); New Zealand
announces increased aid (p. 16);
West Germany awards three pedagogic
scholarships (p. 16).
ANNEX: South Vietnam Battle Statistics--
Personnel Losses (Weekly)
South Vietnam Battle Statistics--
Incidents and Attacks (Weekly)
(The Weekly Report on the Situation in South
Vietnam is based on contributions from CIA,
DIA,and INR; it is edited and published by CIA
without final coordination.)
-iii-
SECRET
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L L.JL.IL A Il
THE WEEK IN PERSPECTIVE
Agitation in behalf of Buddhist demands for a more
rapid transition to civilian rule shows no sign of abating,
and is increasingly including denunciations of the "Thieu-
Ky clique" in Saigon and anti-American sentiments.,
There has been no indication that the government's pro-
posed concession that would broaden popular representa-
tion in a constitutional drafting body is acceptable to
Buddhist militants. The Ky regime may be approaching
the point where it will have to suppress political agita-
tion forcibly, or see its position further eroded.
Military combat intensified during the week, as a
result of. both increased Viet Cong activity and of the
greatest number of large-scale allied operations initiated
in any week of the war to date. Contributing to heavy
Viet Cong losses were a number of successful allied
actions in the provinces north of Saigon, and three suc-
cessful South Vietnamese operations in the delta. There
are, nevertheless, indications of enemy concentrations
that may pose early threats to the northern coastal
province of Quang Ngai, the highlands provinces of
Pleiku and Darlac, and the previously less disturbed
provinces about 100 miles east of Saigon.
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