WEEKLY SUMMARY - 1967/12/29

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03172622
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY SUMMARY
29 December 1967
No. 0322/67
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3.5(c)
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ET
CONTENTS
(Information as of noon EST, 28 December 1967)
Far East
THE WEEK IN PERSPECTIVE
Page
1
VIETNAM 3
The 24-hour Christmas truce in South Vietnam was
marked by 118 Communist-initiated incidents, and
the enemy again attempted to use the respite to
mount an extensive resupply effort. The Thieu
government's lack of political dynamism is gen-
erating dissatisfaction in Saigon. Meanwhile,
the Liberation Front continues efforts to enhance
its international position.
COMMUNISTS STEP UP FIGHTING IN LAOS
Communist forces are continuing their pressure
against government positions in widespread areas
of Laos.
Europe
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FAR EAST
The 24-hour Christmas truce declared by the
allies in Vietnam was marked by some 118 Communist
violations, most of which were small-scale guer-
rilla attacks or reactions to allied patrol ac-
tivity.
On the political front, Hanoi and the National
Liberation Front have refrained so far from com-
menting on President Johnson's remarks concerning
informal South Vietnamese contacts with Front rep-
resentatives. This silence suggests Hanoi hopes
US encouragement of such contacts will strengthen
the Front's claim to a major role in any future ne-
gotiations and also cause frictions in US - South
Vietnamese relations. Some Saigon newspapers have
criticized what they interpret as a dangerous shift
in US policy toward the Front.
In South Vietnamese politics, President Thieu's
failure to provide strong leadership is drawing
growing criticism from influential circles. Vice
President Ky's withdrawal from active participation
in the government has prompted speculation that he
is biding his time until an opportunity appears to
assert a more prominent role.
Tensions between South Vietnam and Cambodia
have been aggravated by Saigon's statements re-
serving the right of "hot pursuit" of Communist
forces into Cambodian territory. Sihanouk's de-
fiant rejection of the US note of 4 December made
clear his unwillingness to cooperate in dealing with
this "sanctuary" problem. He again denied that
Vietnamese Communists are using Cambodian territory
and threatened to call for foreign Communist "vol-
unteers" if allied forces cross his frontier.
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29 Dec 67
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VIETNAM
The allied 24-hour Christ-
mas truce period in South Vietnam
was marred by a greater number of
incidents than the number aver-
aged during the 48-hour Christmas
and New Year standdowns last year.
In addition, the Communists �again
attempted to use the respite to
mount extensive resupply efforts
in both South Vietnam and south-
ern North Vietnam.
The Communists initiated 118
incidents during the one-day
pause, with the majority occur-
ring in South Vietnam's I and III
corps. Most of the violations
consisted of harassing fire
against allied field positions,
outposts, and base camps, or of
enemy reactions to the intensi-
fied allied ground and air recon-
naissance patrols. No large-
scale enemy attacks occurred, how-
ever, suggesting that Communist
main force units were generally
content to abide by the cease-
fire while repositioning, rein-
forcing, or resupplying major com-
bat elements, particularly in
northern South Vietnam.
As in previous truce periods,
the Communists went to great
lengths to move both men and ma-
terial. Pilot reports and photog-
raphy revealed large southbound
enemy convoys moving throughout
the southern half of North Viet-
nam on 25-26 December.
Truck traffic on the infil-
tration corridors of the Laotian
Page 3
panhandle from 23 to 25 December
continued at a level consistent
with past dry seasons. No sig-
nificant sea infiltration was
noted this year, possibly because
of the shortened time frame of
the truce period.
Allied forces will observe
another 24-hour cease-fire on New
Year's Day, as well as a 48-hour
respite in late January for Tet,
the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
Similar enemy efforts are ex-
pected on these holidays.
Political Developments
In South Vietnam
The Thieu government's lack
of political dynamism is continu-
ing to generate dissatisfaction
among influential circles in Sai-
gon. A growing portion of this
criticism has centered on Presi-
dent Thieu's failure to provide
leadership and direction to the
new government, with some critics
speculating that the void created
by Thieu's inactivity will even-
tually be filled by Vice Presi-
dent Ky.
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3.3(h)(2)
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SEC
Prime Minister Nguyen Van
Loc has also come under increas-
ing criticism. His critics claim
that he lacks the initiative and
political instincts required for
the post, and that his cabinet
is generally devoid of persons
of experience who possess the
necessary vision to deal with
national problems.
In the National Assembly,
the Upper House this week elected
Nguyen Van Huyen, head of a pre-
dominately Catholic slate, as
its chairman. Huyen, once men-
tioned by Thieu as his choice
for the post, defeated an early
favorite, Tran Van Don. Huyen
will be assisted by two elected
vice chairmen, one of whom also
heads a Catholic slate.
Having completed the elec-
tion of its officers, the Upper
House can now be expected to
turn to legislative matters. The
first areas of legislative inter-
est will probably deal with the
drafting of laws governing po-
litical parties and the press.
Senator Nguyen Van Ngai report-
edly has already prepared a
draft of a political parties law
designed to facilitate the de-
velopment of a viable two-party
system.
The trial of the 26 people
involved in the Buddhist "strug-
gle" movement of 1965 has ended
with only four convictions, and
the military court handed down
remarkably lenient sentences.
Doctor Nguyen Van Man, former
mayor of Da Nang, and three mil-
itary officers each received
prison terms of ten years after
being found guilty cf rebellion.
The light sentences imposed on
the principal defendants should
Lend to defuse the antitrial
sentiment that had been generated
in the National Assembly and in
the press as well as among the
militant Buddhists.
-.Liberation Front Position Enhanced
The Liberation Front's per-
manent delegations in Communist
China and East Germany have re-
cently been upgraded to the
status of diplomatic missions
in what appears to be a further
effort to improve the interna-
tional standing of the Front.
Cuba, Cambodia, and North Korea
have granted this status to
Front delegations for some time.
The important Front posts in
Prague and Moscow, although
granted certain diplomatic priv-
ileges, continue to be accredited
to unofficial national front or-
ganizations rather than to the
governments.
This improvement in diplo-
matic status ties in with other
recent efforts by the Front to
enchance its international posi-
tion without actually declaring
itself a government. These ef-
forts abroad include the publicity
given the Front's new political
program and the attempt to get
maximum exposure for that docu-
ment by having it circulated to
United Nations members. There
is no evidence, however, that
the Front intends to proclaim it-
self a formal government in the
near future.
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COMMUNISTS STEP UP FIGHTING IN LAOS
Communist forces are contin-
uing their pressure against gov-
ernment positions in widespread
areas of Laos.
An enemy unit, estimated at
battalion strength, raided the
government base and airstrip at
Muong Phalane on 25 December,
destroying most of the camp's
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SE
facilities including the USAID
and Air America buildings. Pre-
liminary reports indicate that
government forces have reoccupied
the area.
The destruction of the US
facilities suggests that the at-
tack was specifically aimed
against the US presence at Muong
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Phalane.
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SF
The attack on Muong Phalane
is the first significant enemy
action in this part of the pan-
handle in over a year. It may
be related to recent attacks
farther south in the Bolovens
Plateau area, where heavy fight-
CHINA
BURMA
NORTH VIETNAM
"Nam Bac
ihmol
Unde
Enemy
Control
THAILAND
CiAnonn
Phalane
OLEVENS
LATEAU
SOUTH
VI ETNA WI
ET
6 11-67CIA
Statue Miles
ing is continuing. These opera-
tions appear to be part of a new
Communist campaign to forestall
stepped-up allied efforts to
interdict the infiltration cor-
ridor.
In northern Laos, the Commu-
nists have resumed their harass-
ment of the government position
in the Nam Bac area. The air-
strip there has been closed since
24 December, when it came under
mortar fire. Continuing reports
of a Communist build-up in the
vicinity suggest that more ground
assaults against Nam Bac's out-
lying defenses may be in the
offing. Government units are
being repositioned to reduce
their vulnerability and to cut
the enemy's supply lines into
the area.
Although the Communists ap-
pear to be putting a little more
bite into their dry season of-
fensive this year, there is no
evidence that they intend to
mount a concerted drive into gov-
ernment-held territory. The Com-
munist effort against Nam Bac in
the north and the Bolovens posi-
tions in the south appear designed
to restore the status quo. Until
Last year, both areas had long
been under Pathet Lao control.
,RET
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