WEEKLY SUMMARY - 1968/01/19

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03172633
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C03172633
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY SUMMARY
; et
4&
19 January 1968
No. 0003/68
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C03172633
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C03172633
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C03172633
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2018/07/26 C03172633
CONTENTS
'mow
(Information as of noon EST, 18 January 1968)
Far East
THE WEEK IN PERSPECTIVE
Page
1
VIETNAM 3
Enemy aggressiveness has continued to increase during
the first weeks of the year. The government in Sai-
gon settled the electrical workers strike, but its
heavy-handed tactics created widespread popular re-
sentment. Hanoi, meanwhile, is trying to maintain
the political initiative by stressing the favorable
impact of its latest gesture on talks with the US.
COMMUNISTS STEP UP MILITARY OFFENSIVE IN LAOS
The Communists, maintaining pressure on government
forces in northern Laos, have captured Nam Bac in
the most significant success of their current dry-
season offensive.
7
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SEC.RNmw
FAR EAST
Hanoi's latest statement on talks with the
US continues to dominate the political stage.
North Vietnamese propaganda claims that Foreign
Minister Trinh's statement of 30 December has
become the "focus of world public opinion."
Hanoi is trying to sustain the momentum of this
political offensive by insisting that the ball is
now in Washington's court and pointing out that
the US so far has not responded to Trinh's ges-
ture.
In Saigon, President Thieu has attempted to
counter Hanoi's move and to reassure South Vietnam-
ese who have shown growing uneasiness over the
possibility of unilateral US peace initiatives.
In a major speech on 15 January, Thieu attempted
to gain greater leverage on US decisions by in-
sisting that South Vietnam should have the "cen-
tral role" in any peace moves. Thieu also re-
affirmed the right to pursue Communist forces if
they continue to use staging areas in Cambodia.
Sihanouk, meanwhile, has tried to represent
his talks with Ambassador Bowles as an "enormous
success" over "US hawks" advocating hot pursuit
into Cambodia. He has emphasized the US pledge
in the communique to do everything possible to
avoid "acts of aggression" against Cambodia and
has criticized Washington's move to set the record
straight on the issue of hot pursuit. Although
the Cambodians sent a formal request to the Inter-
national Control Commission (ICC) that it strengthen
its surveillance of the border, Sihanouk appears
to have no illusions about the prospect of more
effective ICC operations.
Laotian Communist forces achieved their most
significant success in the current dry-season
fighting with the capture of the important govern-
ment base at Nam Bac. Although this is a severe
setback to government efforts to expand control
in northern Laos, there are no signs that this ac-
tion foreshadows a aenera Communist offensive.
3.5(c)
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Page 1 WEEKLY SUMMARY 19 Jan 68
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