PHUNG HOANG/PHOENIX PROGRAM IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R001100030004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 25, 1969
• Content Type: SUMMARY

Approved For Relea 2004/06/14: CIA-RDP80RO172&Z001 100.030004-9
FACT SHEET
25X
SUBJECT: Phung Hoang/Phoenix Program In Vietnam
To provide information on the above subject for the Senate Armed Services
Committee.
1. Phung Hoang is a Government of Vietnam (GVN) Plan with the objective
? of centralizing and coordinating the efforts.of all military and civilian
agencies engaged in the neutralization of the Viet Cong Infrastructure
(VCI). Open announcement of the heretofore classified program was made
by President Thieu on 1 October 1969. This announcement pointed out to
the people that Phung Hoang is a policy aimed at protection of the
people against terrorism. For example, during 1968 Viet Cong terrorism
wounded some 12,000 and killed 5,400 South Vietnamese; so far during
1969 there have. been some 14,000 wounded and 5,500 killed. The VCI is
defined as that political organization by which the Viet Cong control or
seek to control the people of South Vietnam. A more, detailed explanation
is at inclosure 1. The basic essence of the program is a fully coordinated
intelligence effort of all existing GVN and United States agencies targeted
specifically on tLe VCI with the express purpose of neutralizing its .
effectiveness and control over the people. The word Phung Hoang is derived
from the Vietnamese word meaning coordination.
2. To coordinate and manage United States assistance and support to the
GVN Phung Hoang Program, the Commander, United States Military Assistance
Command, Vietnam (:COMUSMACV) has developed an advisory structure known
as the Phoenix Program. This advisory and assistance program is under
the staff supervision of the Deputy to COMUSMACV for Civil Operations and
Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS), Ambassador Colby. There are
some 450 United States military advisory personnel involved in the Phoenix
Program. Of this number, 262 serve'at district and city levels, which
are the key operational elements,. with the.remainder of the personnel
serving at the national, regional, and provincial levels.
3. The coordinated intelligence effort against the VCI had its beginning.
.in July 1967, when COMUSMACV established a joint civilian/military advisory
activity entitled "Intelligence Coordination and Exploitation (ICEX)" with
the specific mission of assisting and supporting the GVN in a coordinated.
attack on the VCI. Initially this program received little official GVN
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SUBJECT: Phung.Hoang/Phoenix Program In Vietnam
attention and support. tiowever ?in December 1967, recognizing the need
for a coordinated intelligence effort against the VCI, the GVN.initiated
the Phung Hoang Program with the mission of neutralizing the VCI.
Accordingly, COMUS',IACV changed the name of its advisory activity I from ICEX
to its current name, Phoenix. With the issuance of a Presidential decree
in July 1968, which established formal GVN functions and organizations to
implement the Phung Hoang Program, the GVN officially committed itself to
the program.
4. To control the overall program and ensure the.coordinatiop and cooperation
among all elements capable of contributing, the GVN has established a
structure of committees from national to province levels. The Chairman
of the Central Committee is the Minister of-Interior; the Vice-Chairman is
the Director General of the National Police.
5. It is at.the district level that the concerted intelligence effort
against the VCI becomes most concentrated. At this level, the GVN have
organized District Intelligence and Operating Coordination Centers (DIOCCs).
The DIOCC is the facility where representatives of existing units and
agencies are brought together for a coordinated effort of intelligence
collection, processing, dissemination, and timely, positive exploitation'
operations specifically targeted against the VCI. The Vietnamese District
Chief is the DIOCC Chief; however, he normally delegates responsibility
for daily operations of the DIOCC to his deputy or Chief of Police. The
District Senior Advisor (usually a United States Army Major) is the District
Phoenix Coordinator. Also assigned to the advisory team is an intelligence
trained officer who serves as the full time Phoenix advisor to the DIOCC.
This officer advises and assists the District Chief.on DIOCC operations
primarily in the area of organizational and?management techniques and
procedures of intelligence collection and files (i.e., Name Index Files,
Dossiers, Area Files), first-level analysis and dissemination of intel-
ligence.
6. Ways in which the GVN attempts to neutralize and exploit intelligence
on the VCI within the concept of the Phung Hoang Program are, in order of
priority, defection, capture and exploitation, and discreditation or
compromise. It must be recognized that some VCI are killed unavoidably
during the normal course of combative reaction operations; however, the
overall percentage is quite low. For example during 1968 when some 15,000
VCI were neutralized, 72 percent were captured, 13 percent defected and
only,15 percent were killed. Defection and capture are the preferred
methods of neutralization as the individuals often provide highly useful
information which leads to additional neutralizations and to locating of
arms and supply caches.
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 Approved For Relea2004/06/14: CIA-RDP80R01720R001100030004-9
SUBJECT: Phung Hoang/Phoenix Program in Vietnam
7. The Phung Hoang Program has evolved from many regional programs,
some initiated as early as 1962. In July 1968 these programs were
pulled together into a single, integrated national program which was
indorsed by the GV\T leadership and given a high priority in the over-
all pacification effort. Basic organizational and operational tech-
niques are constantly being refined to improve the overall effectiveness
of the program.
FOR THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR MILIT~AR3j OPERATIONS.
1 Yncl
as
brigadier General, G
Acting Director,. International
and Civil Affairs, ODCSOPS.
25X1
3
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VIET CONG INFRASTRUCTURE (VCI)
1. Definition: The Viet Cong infrastructure is defined as the
political organization through which the Viet Cong control or seek
to control the South Vietnamese people. It consists of the People's
Revolutionary Party (PRP) structure (which includes a command/control
and administrative apparatus - Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN)
- at the national level), and the leadership and administration of a
parallel front organization, The National Front for the Liberation of
SVN (NFLSVN), both of which extend from the national through the hamlet
level. The PRP is the southern arm of the Lao Dong or worker's party
the official Communist Party of North Vietnam. Several high ranking
personnel in key positions at the COSVN level hold positions on the
Lao Dong Central Committee which interlocks leaders of the PRP and
Hanoi.
2. Not Considered to be in the VCI Category:.
a. Rank and File Guerrillas
b. Rank and File Members of Front Organizations
c, Soldiers and Members of Organized VC/NVA Military Units
d._ Persons Who Pay Taxes to the VC
e. Persons Who. Perform Miscellaneous Tasks for the VC
f. Members of the Populace in VC - Controlled Areas
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