THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001600010015-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 1, 2006
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: January 19, 1967
• Content Type: MEMO

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0 Top Secre /i
MEMORANDUM
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
The Situation in Vietnam
25X1
Top Secret
112
19 January 1967
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Information as of 1600
19 January 1967
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Numerous scattered skirmishes were reported on 19
January as Operation CEDAR FALLS continued to sweep
the Iron Triangle area north of Saigon (Paras. 1-2).
A US Marine company was attacked by Communist ele-
ments near the DMZ in northernmost Quang Tri Prov-
ince (Paras. 3-4). Near Hue, in Thua Thien Prov-
ince, a Marine patrol reported two successful en-
counters on 18 January and killed 12 Communists
(Para. 5). The Viet Cong attempted to establish a
new regiment in the Saigon area but have been forced
to abandon the plan (Paras. 6-8).
remier y s our o Australia is
going quite: ' we1 (Para. 4). The Viet Cong have
stated that?any negotiations to extend the Teti cease-
fire should be conducted with the Liberation Front,
and not with North Vietnam as suggested in a recent
allied offer (Paras. 5-6).
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
Two US aircraft were lost in raids over North Viet-
nam on 19 January (Paras.-l-2).F__
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
There is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: There
is nothing of significance to report.
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Numerous small skirmishes were reported on
19 January as US and South Vietnamese troops in
Operation CEDAR FALLS pressed their search for Viet
Cong soldiers and base areas scattered throughout
the area known as the Iron Triangle. Guam-based
B-52 bombers supporting this vast sweep operation
destroyed 12 buildings, 59 bunkers, many trenches,
and three tunnels during a raid on 19 January.
2. Communist losses since this operation began
on 7 January number 524 killed and 85 captured.
Forty-three Communist suspects have been detained.
American casualties are 53 killed and 282 wounded.
More than 1,000 tactical air strikes have supported
this multibattalion allied operation.
3. A US Marine company was attacked by small-
arms fire and grenades in an area of northernmost
Quang Tri Province near the Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ) on 18 January. The marines counter-
attacked with small-'arms and mortar fire, but
results are unknown. Ten Americans were wounded
during the brief encounter.
4. This marine unit was participating in the
four-battalion search-and-destroy Operation PRAIRIE
which has been maintaining defensive positions and
patroling the area south of the DMZ since 3 August.
Heavy rains and few enemy redeployments in the
area have been responsible for the relatively low
amount of military activity in recent months.
Communist losses now total 1,352 killed and 13 cap-
tured compared with American losses of 223 killed
and 1,101 wounded.
5. In Thua Thien Province, a US Marine patrol
reported two successful engagements with Communist
troops early on 19 January. Twelve enemy soldiers
were killed as a result of the encounters, which
occurred about 15 miles southeast of Hue. There
were no American casualties.
19 January 1967
 Approv
Viet Cong Attempts to Create A New Regiment
6. Preliminary assessment of captured enemy
documents and interrogations of prisoners during
Operation CEDAR FALLS indicate that the Viet Cong
Regional Headquarters of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Spe-
cial Zone (also called Military Region IV) attempted
to establish a new regiment in 1966 but, because of
difficulties encountered, was forced to abandon its
plan in December 1966.
7. In July 1966, the Special Zone attempted to
create a four-battalion regiment using two existing
battalions as its base. In December 1966, the Viet
Cong apparently concluded that, because of the
situation in the Special Zone, concentrating of
forces was dangerous and the regimental headquarters
was deactivated. Although the documents and prisoners
did not so specify, it is also possible that the Viet
Cong were unable to fill the ranks of the new units.
The existing battalions were not assigned to guer-
rilla units but were returned to the control of the
military affairs section of the Special Zone,.'
8. There are other indications from the documents
that the 165A Regiment, traditionally the main force
regiment of the Special Zone, no longer exists, and
that its battalions, which have always operated in
squad- and company-size units in the districts,
have now come under control of the district commit-
tees.
19 January 1967
 Appro
Premier Ky's Australian Tour Proceeding Relatively
Smoothly
4. Reports thus far indicate that Premier Ky's
visit to Australia is proceeding exceedingly well,
with only minor and subdued anti-Ky demonstrations,
Ky's first television speech was well received, and
the attitude of the Australian press appears to be
mellowing rapidly. There is evidently a growing
feeling that Prime Minister Holt is being vindicated
in his refusal to submit to opposition demands that
Ky's invitation to Australia be withdrawn.
Viet Cong Comment on Allied Offer to Negotiate
Extended Tet Truce
5. A Viet Cong Liberation Radio broadcast on
18 January declared that if negotiations to extend
19 January 1967
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the Tet truce were held, they should be with the
Liberation Front because North Vietnam has noth-
ing to do with the fighting in South Vietnam.
The broadcast also denounced the four-day allied
truce, and stated that the Front would attempt
to implement its seven-day cease-fire. The com-
mentary concluded with a suggestion that indi-
vidual Viet Cong and South Vietnamese units ne-
gotiate seven-day truces at the local level.
6. Radio Hanoi earlier denounced the allied
truce, but ignored the offer to negotiate a longer,
properly supervised cease-fire. Both Communist re-
plies were in answer to a recent South Vietnamese
Government announcement reaffirming its original
four-day cease-fire plan for the holiday, but with
an offer to negotiate a longer cease-fire with
North Vietnam.
19 January 1967
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. A US Navy A-6 aircraft was destroyed by
North Vietnamese ground fire during a raid on the
Dong Phong Thuong transportation complex on 19 Jan-
uary. The plane burst into flames shortly after
firing on the target. The type of enemy weapon re-
sponsible for the shoot-down could not be determined.
Aircraft participating in the raid had received
electronic warning of SAM launches, but no missiles
were actually observed. Returning pilots reported
encountering a substantial amount of conventional
AAA fire at the time the plane was lost.
2. An Air Force F-4 was also lost to an un-
determined type of ground fire while providing es-
cort for an RF-101 photoreconnaissance mission near
Kep Airfield on the same date. The returning air-
men reported multiple SAM firings and heavy AAA fire
directed at their flight, but could not state with
certainty which Communist weapon was responsible for
the loss.
19 January 1967