THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM (AS OF 1500 EST)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00875R001100130010-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 18, 2008
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: April 8, 1972
• Content Type: IM

 Approved For Release 2008/11/18: CIA-RDP85T00875R001100130010-1
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OCI 0779/72
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
8 April 1972
The Situation in South Vietnam
(As of 1 00 EST)
1. Communist forces are attempting to isolate the
provincial capital of An Loc in Binh Long Province. As
enemy tanks reportedly moved down Route 13 from Loc Ninh,
Communist forces were pressuring a South Vietnamese
position at Chon Thanh, a district town some 15 miles
south of An Loc. According to a press report, the
district chief said outposts in the area were being
evacuated and the troops concentrated in the district
capital.
most of the western and central provinces, including the
air base at Bien Hoa city. In addition, shellings,
abductions and increased terrorism will be employed for
maximum political effect. Meanwhile, the Communists
have been moving captured South Vietnamese tanks, armored
personnel carriers, and 105-mm. howitzers, which were
abandoned during the earlier fighting in Binh Long,
northward toward Snuol across the border in Cambodia.
the current enemy offensive in Military Region (MR) 3
will continue at least until 15 April with targets in
3. The government has reacted quickly to strengthen
defenses north of Saigon.
The move was ordered by President Thieu on the recom-
mendation of the MR-3 commander, who believes that the
communists are planning additional attacks in Tay Ninh
and Binh Duong Provinces along the Saigon River toward
Vietnam, will now be deployed in northwestern MR-3.
originally scheduled for transfer to northern South
the 21st ARVN Division from the Mekong Delta,
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PHNOM PENH,;
M 1109
Snuol
BI H
Route 3
!,n Lo
LONG
TAY
Chon
N I N H Than
?B/ack
o 9nBtn.
Neak Lung ray I H
Niah
DINH
IGOA
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the capital. Additionally, territorial forces from Gia
Dinh, the province surrounding Saigon, are being reas-
signed to positions in the northern and western parts of
the province. Police checkpoints are being reinforced
and anti-sapper reaction teams have been organized. The
Cia Dinh Province chief said he has been ordered to
prevent the shelling of Saigon, and he has taken steps
to patrol possible launching sites in his jurisdiction.
4. Elsewhere in MR-3, the Communists are attacking
the radio relay station atop Black Virgin Mountain just
northeast of Tay Ninh city. South Vietnamese reinforce-
ments have been helilifted to the scene.
5. Communist local force and sapper units are
placing increased emphasis on disrupting South Vietnamese
forces and supplies by interdicting key highways in many
parts of the country. A number of bridges have been
destroyed in the southern part of South Vietnam and
ambushes of convoys headed for battle zones have been
stepped up.
Military Regions 1 and 2
6. The hiatus in mi:titary action in the northern
half of South Vietnam is allowing both sides to prepare for
future fighting. Enemy forces are continuing to reposition
and resupply, while the South Vietnamese are bolstering
their defenses and regrouping for counterattacks.
Soviet Comment Still Low-Keyed
7. The Soviets are sticking to a gingerly approach
in their official commentary on the fighting in Vietnam.
What little Moscow has said has been discreet and it
has yet to issue a serious, authoritative statement.
8. TASS today carried a low-key, carefully edited
report on Secretary Laird's press confe rencc on 7 April.
The dispatch routinely criticized US actions against
North Vietnam and claimed that the Secretary was' trying
to justify them. Interestingly, Tass avoided any mention
of Secretary Laird's pointed remarks concerning the Soviet
role in the conflict. Tr.,:~ only noteworthy comment in the
Soviet press today was a low-level article in Pravda
which criticized "the Pentagon" for increasing i s"agres-
sion in Vietnam.
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