THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001300010009-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 27, 2005
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: September 30, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
State Department review
completed
NSA review completed
THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as of 1600
30 September 1966
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PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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30 September 1966
In the continued fighting just south of the DMZ,
US Marines seized a Communist command post. 777
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
US Marines seized a Communist command post near the
DMZ as Operation PRAIRIE continues to sweep northern
Quang Tri Province in search of the 324B North Viet-
namese Army Division (Para. 1). A total of 40 Com-
munist troops have been killed in two days in Binh
Dinh Province (Para. 2). US troops, participating
in Operation BATON ROUGE, located and destroyed a
Viet Cong base camp which included a mine factory
(Para. 3). Two South Vietnamese outposts near Quang
Ngai were overrun but later recaptured yesterday
(Para. 4).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
The first wo irk ng session of the constituent assembly
reportedly established a credentials committee (Para.
1) .
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
There is nothing of significance to report.
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Hanoi launches new propaganda campaign
urging population to work harder in support of the
war (Para. 2). A Soviet diplomat has attempted to
feel out US views on the role of the Liberation
Front in a postwar settlement (Paras. 3-4)
30 September 1966
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`Savannakhet
NORTH Dong Hoi
VIETNAM
Z.~ DMZ
uSM
OPERAT ON
PRAIRIE
DEMARCAT1ON IP4
?Quang Tri
\.
r
*Ban Me
Thuot
Ha Thanh Special Forces Camp
,Quang Ngai
PHNOM
PEN H?
n ~
?Vinh long
a Can Tho .
USA
OP ATION
EAYEP
SOUTH VIETNAM
30 SEPTEMBER
64033
25 50 15 100M,1-
25 50 75 100 Kilometers
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. US Marines participating in Operation
PRAIRIE in northernmost Quang Tri Province with
support from allied artillery fire and tactical air
strikes seized a North Vietnamese command post just
south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) early today.
A total of 51 Communist troops were reported killed
during the US Marine drive to clear the entrenched
enemy troops from a position which protected in-
filtration routes from the North. One American was
wounded in the action.
2. One company of the US 1st Cavalry Divi-
sion participating in Operation THAYER in the north-
ern part of coastal Binh Dinh Province encountered
a Viet Cong force of unknown size early today. The
American forces were supported by airborne rocket
artillery fire. There were no American casualties;
a total of 14 Viet Cong were killed. Yesterday,
armed helicopters strafed Viet Cong troops caught
in an open field. US pilots reported killing 26 en-
emy soldiers in this engagement.
3. US soldiers participating in Operation
BATON ROUGE, a two-battalion US - South Vietnamese
search-and-destroy operation in Bien Hoa Province,
located two Viet Cong base camps yesterday. One
of these camps contained a mine factory. Forty
mine-making devices were destroyed. Also found and
destroyed were 2,000 pounds of rice, 20 pounds of
salt, 350 grenades, 100 sheets of tin and copper,
and two sampans. Cumulative casualties for this
operation which began on 3 September are three
friendly troops killed and 13 wounded. A total of
44 Viet Cong have been killed.
30 September 1966
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4. Two South Vietnamese outposts adjacent
to the Ha Thanh Special Forces Camp about 15 miles
west of Quang Ngai city_ in coastal Quang Ngai
Province were overrun by a Viet Cong force of
unknown size yesterday. Seven hours later both
outposts were reoccupied by friendly forces. South
Vietnamese losses included 12 killed, 6 wounded, and
25 weapons and one radio captured. Enemy losses
are unknown.
5. Operation MONTEREY, a one-battlaion US
Marine search-and-destroy operation in an area
about 35 miles west of Tam Ky in Quang Tin Province,
ended early today. This one-day operation ended
without casualties, although one Viet Cong suspect
was detained.
30 September 1966
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1. The first working meeting of the newly
elected constituent assembly was held on 30 Septem-
ber. According to press accounts, the delegates
selected a committee to examine the credentials of
some 20 assembly winners whose seats have been con-
tested. Resolutions on the war, to be sent to the
United Nations and to the Philippine summit confer-
ence of seven nations next month, were also dis-
cussed. The status of those reported resolutions,
along with one other which requested the government
to release more political prisoners, has not been
confirmed, however, by official sources.
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30 September 1966
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port.
III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
30 September 1966
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
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2. Hanoi has followed up its denunciation of
recent US peace proposals with a warning to its
own people to expect a long war and additional per-
sonal sacrifices. The Communist Party central com-
mittee has called for a new nationwide propaganda
campaign making the people aware that the fighting
will probably get worse in the coming year and will
require renewed efforts on the part of the entire
population. The campaign is essentially an appeal
to patriotism. A party daily editorial on 29 Sep-
tember reminded the people that defeat means the loss
of freedom and their country, and claimed that keep-
ing up production and providing additional assist-
ance to the Viet Cong in the face of an increase in
the intensity of the war effort, requires that each
individual double his present efforts.
30 September 1966
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3. On 29 September Ivan A. Koulikov, second
secretary of the Soviet Embassy in London, during
a conversation with a US diplomat, attempted to
feel out the US view on the role of the NFLSV in
the political life of South Vietnam once foreign
troops were withdrawn. He said Hanoi would not at-
tend any conference until certain things had been
firmly agreed to.
4. The most important of these prior under-
standings would be some assurance of the continued
existence of the NLF and its participation in the
political life in SVN after foreign forces had
withdrawn. He added that agreement on' actual with-
drawal would be relatively easy since this is "not
a major problem." He went on, however, to say that
Hanoi was bound to ask whether the eventual agree-
ment would be worth the immense sacrifices of the
Vietnamese people. In any event he asserted it was
obviously not satisfactory from the DRV point of
view to return to the status quo prior to the in-
troduction of foreign troops.
5. According to the US diplomat, Koulikov
tried to give the impression that he was speaking
for more than himself, and expressed an eagerness
to meet again soon and talk "frankly and realisti-
cally. "
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30 September 1966
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