COMMUNIST VIOLATIONS OF THE VIETNAM AND LAOS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELATED DEVELOPMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01719R000100180005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: October 31, 1973
• Content Type: PERRPT

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STATES CO
Thirty-Sixth Report
COMMUNIST VIOLATIONS OF THE VIETNAM AND LAOS
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELATED DEVELOPMENTS
(This report covers the period from
24 October through 30 October 1973)
This memorandum has been prepared jointly by the
Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense.
Secret
Secret
5
31 October 1973
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Thirty-Sixth Report
COMMUNIST VIOLATIONS OF THE VIETNAM AND LAOS
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELATED DEVELOPMENTS*
(This report covers the week from
24 October through 30 October 1973)
The Key Points 25X1
The cessation of the heavy rains in the North
Vietnamese Panhandle has been followed by stepped
up logistic activity, but routes in northern South
Vietnam remain flooded and closed to traffic.
For the first time in over six months, substantial
cargo shipments destined for northern Laos have
been detected. To the south in Laos, the Commu-
nists are preparing for heavy vehicular activity
in mid-November.
Indications suggest that COSVN may be expanding
its command responsibility into the northern half
of South Vietnam.
extensive con-
struction aclviyywwit in communist controlled
areas of South Vietnam, Laos and eastern Cam-
bodia. Roads are being extended, and airfields
repaired.
Combat activity remained at low levels in both
South Vietnam and Laos last week.
--This report has been prepared jointly by the
Central Intellingence Agency and the Department
of Defense.
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NOTE: This is the thirty-sixth in a series of memo-
randa summarizing evidence received during the report-
ing period of (I) Communist efforts to infiltrate new
manpower and military materiel toward and into South
Vietnam, (II) Communist-initiated combat activity in
violation of the Vietnam and Laos settlement agree-
ments, and (III) other developments affecting Commu-
nist military capabilities in Indochina.
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B. Movement of Military Equipment and Supplies
Norta Vietnam
2. The heavy rains which had virtually halted
traffic in North Vietnam?s Panhandle for the past
month abated during the reporting period. Small
amounts of cargo were
detected moving both in the Vinh area and in southern
Quang Binh province.
:4. In the area between Quang Khe and the DMZ,
significant cargo shipments also were detected after
about a one-month lull
Laos
5. For the first time in over six months, sub-
stantial cargo shipments were detected destined for
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 Mu Gia
Pass
w
har
Camrap
oak
Constructio
Bon Bac
Ream .y Key.
Names and boundary representation
are not necessarily authoritative
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PEC,IJLL ZOP4E'
South Vietnam
and
North Vietnam Panhandle
- Province boundary
Military region
International Commission
of Control and Supervision
region boundary
Road
Railroad
POL pipeline
0 25 50 75 Miles
Tyr I~
0 25 50 75 Kilometers
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Route 7,
although wet and muddy, was indeed capab.e_. ~o sustaining
such a supply flow. Historically, POL shipments at this
time are not unusual,, as the North Vietnamese prime
their logistic system in preparation for higher
levels of activity during the dry season.
6. Although no large supply shipments were de-
tected in southern Laos,
portions of the two major supply
routes in the Panhandle were now capable of handling
a light volume of traffic--after being unserviceable
for most of the summer rainy season.
South Vietnam
7. South of the DMZ rains continued to hamper
logistic activity. Parts of Route 9 and Route 14
were reported flooded and closed to traffic, and
little activity was noted in other areas of northern
Communist-Initiated Combat Activit
Vietnam and Laos
South
8. In South Vietnam, the total number of Com-
munist-initiated ceasefire violations reported by
the South Vietnamese Armed Forces since 27 January,
15 June, and for the last week (24-30 Oct) are shown
below:
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Military Total Since 27 Total Since 15 Last Week
Region January,Ceasefire June Ceasefire (24-30 Oct)
Major Minor Major Minor Major Minor
MR 1 1,410 4,989 385 1,630 8 84
MR 2 585 3,934 321 2,080 12 114
MR 3 575 4,227 173 1,651 5 88
MR 4 1,177 10,547 499 4,381 39 326
Totals 3,747 23,697 1,378 9,742 64(87) 612(623)1/
1/ Denotes totals of previous week.
9. Some of these violations may have been in-
itiated by GVN forces rather than Communist forces,
and it is impossible in all cases to determine the
actual. instigator. The table above and the charts on
the following pages, however, do show fairly accurately
the trend in the amount of combat that has occurred
in South Vietnam since the ceasefire. The fact that
a combat, incident occurred at a particular time and
place is generally reported accurately by the South
Vietnamese, even though the question of who started
it may not always be treated in objective fashion.
10. There was no significant military activity
in Laos last week.
III. Other Developments Affecting Communist Capabili-
ties in Indochina
A. Expansion of Central Office for South
Vietnam's Command Responsibility
11. The Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN)
and its military arm, the South Vietnam Liberation
Army (SVNLA) may be expanding their command responsi-
bility into the northern half of South Vietnam. Such
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(See Reverse Side of Page)
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 ed For Rele4E k!/44E c 4 19 0S4Uj8N005-0
VIETNAM AS REPORTED BY RVNAF
(28 JANUARY THROUGH 31 JULY 1913)
JAN?FEB 200
0
200
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
0
0
200
0
200
"NEW"
CEASE-FIRE
JUL
TI I INS
,0 0%sop 0 6%000%
1 0 I S
-7-77-T I
jr- I --q I 7Y --I F__j I 'fib.
1 2. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
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CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS IN SOUTH
VIETNAM AS REPORTED BY RVNAF
(1 AUGUST 1913 TO THE PRESENT)
AUG '??
200
SEP 100
0
200
Lai
ezm . . . . . . . . . . . . ;'
OCT 100
NOV 100
DEC 100
JAN
200 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
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a development, if true, would be the most far reaching
high echelon Communist command reorganization in
South Vietnam In recent years. Historically, COSVN/
SVNLA has been responsible for directing military and
political operations in GVN MR"s 3 and 4, while Hanoi
has assumed the command responsibility for the north-
ern half of the country.
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Therefore, additional evidence will be required before
any definitive judgement on the extent and scope of
this possible expansion can be made.
B. Recent Communist. Construction Activity
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building of new roads and the upgrading o hers
still appear to be of first importance to the North
Vietnamese, although
improvements to some airstrips and further building
of permanent structures/shelters in major base areas
and along the major logistic routes,
Roads
13. North Vietnamese engineers are continuing
to move toward completion of their two new north-
south dual lane road networks, one leading through
the Panhandle of Laos and the othe
in South Vietnam a ong
the western GVN border. 'Although late wet season
storms have slowed the pace of construction along
the Laotian corridor, several gaps in the central
portion have been cleared and graded in recent weeks,
and its dual lane terminus was extended another 15
to 20 miles south. The recent extension of this
roadway into the tri-border area now indicates the
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hew system will probably link up with the Route 14
?corridor in South Vietnam, thereby providing the
North Vietnamese with two independent supply routes
to their southern bases in South Vietnam. When con-
nected, this road network would substantially reduce
the effect of the rainy season on the Communist lo-
gistic system.
14. In South Vietnam, wet weather has forced
some slowdown in the construction of sections of
Route 14. Current motorable limits of this route
can be traced from the DMZ south some 150 to 170
miles to the vicinity of Kham Duc in Quang Tin Prov-
ince. From there, construction gaps totaling about
20 miles must still be connected before the northern
and southern halves are joined. This 20 mile sec-
tion of road is being cut through extremely difficult
mountainous terrain and probably will take at least
another month to complete. Although the lower half
of Route 14 is still in the early to mid-stages of
construction, most of the major clearing work has
been done. Dual lane construction now extends some
80 miles, including several small gaps, south of Duc
Co into Quang Duc Province. This includes about 6
miles of GVN Route TL-6B which the North Vietnamese
have widened and which also forms the present south-
ern terminus of the system at the Cambodian border
(see the map).
15. 1 __J revealed traces of 25X1
recent si__, tt e southwest of the
above dual lane terminus--apparently the initial work
on a further extension of Route 14. The clearing ac-
tivity begins some 1.2 miles to the southwest inside
Cambodia and extends southward 10 to 15 miles before
ending about a quarter mile from GVN Route 309. This
circuitous alignment through Cambodian territory prob-
ably is an effort to bypass the ARVN outpost at Duc
Lap, much like the earlier bypassing of the ARVN-held
Pek farther north in Kontum Province. 25X1
ome o this
'Lngie iane clZSaring was present, but no correlation
between it and Route 14 was apparent then.
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Airfields
16. Ire-
pairs and improvements nave recently been made to
several Communist-held airfields in South Vietnam and
Laos. With the exception of the Khe Sanh airfield,
improvements made to some half dozen former US and
ARVN airstrips in South Vietnam have been modest;
limited mostly to filling of craters and general
cleanup work, since most all of these airstrips were
more or less serviceable when occupied by the Commu-
nists. At the Thien Ngon airfield in Tay Ninh Prov-
ince, for example, repairs made since mid-July have
included the painting of a white guideline down the
center of the runway, the building of a detour road
around the field, and the construction of some 30
buildings lust nort epair
activity as
noted at ie in in Long Province and
at Bu Dop Airfield in Phuoc Long Province. Bu Dop
remains unserviceable, however, with one unfilled
crater at the south end of the runway. To date, we
have no categorical evidence that the Communists'
aircraft have used any of their serviceable airfields
in South Vietnam.
17. In Laos, airfield construction and repairs
have been more pronounced. The North Vietnamese
have reopened the Sam Neua Airfield and built a new
dirt strip nearby at Muona Nara (Ban NalcAAT Naga ) I
indicates that repairs earlier observe being
ma a on the Xieng Khouang Airfield on the Plaine des
Jarres have been completed.
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