DEVELOPMENTS IN INDOCHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R001000090038-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 3, 2008
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: February 23, 1973
• Content Type: REPORT

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Top Secret
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Developmeynts in Indochina
State Dept. review completed
Top Secret
127
23 February 1973
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DEVELOPMENTS IN INDOCHINA
(Information as of 1500)
The MR-2 commander intends to re-
capture some hamlets in Darlac Prov-
ince and reopen Highway 14 from Pleiku
to Ban Me Thuot. In MR-l, the commander
of the South Vietnamese 2nd Division
says he plans to retake areas in south-
ern Quang Ngai Province. The MR-3 com-
mander, has decided to be more faithful
in honoring the cease-fire. President
Thieu inaugurated his new "popular front"
on 23 February.
Cease-fire violations are concen-
trated in the south and in the Plaine
des Jarres area; the north is fairly
quiet. h a . the
violations
Page
1
The government has cleared Route
1 south of Phnom Penh and is taking
special security precautions for a
convoy scheduled to move up the Mekong
on 24 February. Students and teachers
are on strike protesting price in-
creases. The army is still struggling
with padded payrolls.
NORTH VIETNAM 9
The National Assembly adjourned after
two days of meetings and talks by Premier
Pham Van Dong, Foreign Minister Trinh, and
Defense Minister Giap.
23 February 1973
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SOUTH VIETNAM
Fighting remains light throughout the country,
although action increased somewhat in Pleiku and
Darlac provinces in Military Region (MR) 2. The
Communists reportedly attacked some government ar-
tillery camps in Pleiku without much success and
continued to harass Route 14. US officials report
that the MR-2 commander, General Toan, is preparing
a major operation to recapture hamlets in Darlac's
Buon Ho District, and to reopen Highway 14 from
Pleiku City to Ban Me Thuot. Toan has fired the
Darlac Province chief for failing to clear the Com-
munists from the hamlets and has ordered govern-
ment troops to resecure these areas by 26 February.
In MR-l, a slight increase in action was re-
ported west of Hue, but fighting along the northern
frontier in Quang Tri Province was the lightest
since th- cease-fire began. Government troops from
the 2nd Division have cleared Route 1 from Sa Huynh
village to the Binh Dinh Province border. General
Nhut, the division commander, told a US Embassy of-
ficer that he was pleased with his troops' perform-
ance. He commented that the successful operation
had been conducted without US help of any kind and
that US advisory assistance will not be needed in
the future. Nhut said he intends to keep up the
pressure in southern Quang Ngai Province and to re-
take other areas that the Communists have recently
captured or had controlled before the cease-fire.
He specifically mentioned the two district towns of
Duc Pho and Ba To. He indicated that these opera-
tions would begin within the next few days.
The government's commander for MR-3, General
Minh, is exuding more confidence about security in
his region. Despite his earlier orders to ignore
the Joint Military Commission's appeal on 17 Feb-
ruary to honor the cease-fire, Minh has now directed
his commanders to abide by the announcement. He
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also has ordered his province chiefs to extend what-
ever cooperation is necessary to members of the ICCS
and JMC contingents assigned to MR-3. Minh maintains
that he now realizes what effect a non-cooperative
South Vietnamese attitude would have on world opinion,
and he wants to be sure that the world press will not
be able to blame the government for "sabotaging" the
cease-fire a reement.
Thieu's New Front
President Thieu's new "popular front" held its
inaugural meeting in Saigon on 23 February. Thieu
addressed a crowd of several thousand at the ceremony,
denouncing the Communists for delaying serious nego-
tiations on a final political settlement. He called
on the front to be prepared for a political struggle,
and indicated that the front would be set up at the
provincial and the village levels, as well as the
national level. Signs of organiza',:ional activity
have already appeared in some provinces. There also
are indications that the Democracy Party will play an
important role; one front participant claims that
party cadre are to hold all key positions.
Reaction to the front from the country's politi-
cal figures varies from optimism that it can become
an effective counter-force to the Communists to suspi-
cion about Thieu's motives. Most seem to agree that
its immediate purpose is to improve the Thieu govern-
ment's image at the Paris conference next week and
the President's subsequent visit to the US. Some
feel that the success of the front will depend on
Thieu's willingness to make concessions, particularly
in liberalizing the decree on political parties.
Senate Chairman Huyen, however, fears that Thieu may
use the front to undermine the authority of constitu-
tional bodies such as the National Assembly.
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LAOS
Muting
Plalne
Sala Ph CV Khoun. So6 dud
grc
K
Xien
h
g c,
gun Nn
ouangvihe
long Tieng* 4
NORTH
Pak ng rj4 Nuong Munn'
~~.- CIF trobang Lorltl
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Additional reporting from the south indicates
that the North Vietnamese attack on Paksong began
shortly before the noon cease-fire deadline on 22
February. Fighting continued briefly past the dead-
line, and government field commanders report that
their units had withdrawn from the town by 1230
Elsewhere in the south, Communist units at-
tacked and dispersed a government battalion west of
Saravane early in the afternoon of 22 February.
Later in the day, an enemy attack forced Lao Army
troops to abandon a village on Route 13 northeast
of Khong Sedone.
In the central panhandle, there were several
minor incidents in violation of the cease-fire.
Enemy gunners fired mortar barrages at government
positions east and south of Thakhek on 22 February,
and preliminary reports indicate that a Lao Army
force pushing north on Route 13 from Thakhek was
attacked early on 23 February.
The North
Only relatively minor military activity has
been reported from northern Laos since the initiation
of the cease-fire. Fragmentary reports indicate
that late on 22 February the Communists shelled
government units near the Sala Phou Khoun road junc-
tion. Lao ground observers alleged that two tanks
were involved in these attacks.
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Irregular troops west of the Plaine des Jarres
near Ban Na have reported that sporadic enemy artil-
lery and mortar fire continued until dusk on 22 Feb-
ruary. During the previous night, these units aban-
doned one position in the face of heavy Communist
fire, but reoccupied it without opposition after the
cease-fire went into effect. East of the Plaine, a
North Vietnamese unit attacked a government force near
Xieng Khouangville on the afternoon following the
cease-fire deadline. General Vang Pao responded by
ordering Lao T-28s to hit enemy positions in this area
and also southwest of the Plaine.
Souvanna on Violations
Prime Minister Souvanna at a press conference on
23 February fired the first shot in the propaganda war
of ciarges and countercharges of cease-fire violations.
Before a receptive audience of local and foreign
correspondents, Souvanna accused the Communists of 29
cease:-fire violations and said that they had started
a "general offensive" while "the ink is not yet dry"
on the agreement. He said he was sending a protest
to tho International Control Commission and that he
would reek a renewal of US bombing if the violations
continue. The Prime Minister also stated tha
Lao would "pay any price" to retake Paksong.
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Kompong Thom
\i.
Clr;;,rerl by
PHNOM PENS C ovcr' tyrant forces
Prey Vang
(
Insurgent co.itfol or
1 1 danam
/
1Naak Luang
I Kratio
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CAMBODIA
Government forces met only token resistance on
22 February a;; they finally cleared a short section
of Route 1 about 15 miles southeast of Phnom Penh. The
highway had been closed for almost two weeks. Mean-
while, Khmer insurgent units are continuing to put
pressure on government units on Routes 2 and 3. On
Route 2, government troops abandoned an outpost some
20 miles south of the capital on 22 February after a
brief attack, and the insurgents continue to harass
Cambodian positions nearby. To the west, government
troops have been forced to withdraw from two positions
on Route 3 about 25 miles south of Phnom Penh, and
the insurgents retain their control over the highway
in that sector.
East of the Mekong River, the insurgents are still
probing government outposts north and south of Neak
Luong. The government is trying to shore up its shaky
defenses in this area, and is taking extra security
precautions to ensure the safe passage of a Mekong
convoy that is due to move up the river from South
Vietnam to Phnom Penh on 24 February. US, as well
as Cambodian, air cover will be available for the
convoy. As a result of a damaging insurgent attack
on the last convoy on 16 February, one major foreign
shipping firm has threatened to withdraw its vessels
from, the run unless better protection is provided.
The presence of insurgents along the Mekong's east
bank suggests that the convoy may well be harassed.
Strikes in Phnom Penh
The US Embassy reports that all government schools
in Phnom Penh are still closed as a result of strikes
by teachers and students that began on 20 February.
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The teachers maintain that they will stay out until the
government rescinds recent price increases on petroleum
products and other items, and until their salaries are
raised. University students are also calling for a
roll-back in prices. In addition, they are demanding
that the government crack down on corrupt officials.
Although no disturbances have occurred thus far, some
anti-government banners have begun to appear on school
buildings. Several place the blame for the present
situation squarely on President Lon Nol.
The education minister reportedly has told some
of his key subordinates that the government is thinking
of taking strong action-- including arrests--against
leaders of the strikes. He also apparently indicated,25X1
however, that he is willing to meet with the strike
leaders if they make the request.
Army Problems
Defense General Thappana Nginn has
told that the elimination of 25X1
"ghosts from miiitary pa rolls continues to be his
most pressing problem. The general stated that dis-
agreement among military authorities over what consti-
tutes an "effective" soldier and confusion over the
categories of personnel on the army payroll make it
very difficult to come up with accurate figures. He
believes that the army's true strength is about 200,000
to 210,000 rather than the approximately 270,000 per-
sonnel now on the official rolls.
Thappana Nginn also said that he would like to
institute certain innovations that would not only
clarify the actual number of troops, but would raise
troop morale. One possibility, he said, was to estab-
lish central training facilities through which battal-
ion-sized units would pass every four to six weeks.
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He believes this would be a way to arrive at an accu-
rate troop count and would also improve the army's
over-all effectiveness. He would also like to set up
cooperatives where mil:~.tary personnel could purchase
their equipment at reasonable prices.
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NORTH VIETNAM
This week's session of the North Vietnamese
national assembly was even more pro:forma than
usual. Its sole action was to endorse the Paris
accords and to express approval of the Laos agree-
ment that was reached while the session was in
progress. Having heard the usual string of re-
ports from Premier Pham Van Dong, Foreign Minis-
.er Trinn, and Defense Minister Giap (the latter
to, as usual, were not carried by the media)p the
assembly expressed its joy at the arrival of peace
and its support of the party and government. It
then dispersed, after meeting for only two days.
23 Februax.y 1973
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