THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A000100010004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: January 3, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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NT RAL I NTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as Of 1600
3 January. 1966
PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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3 January 1966
Viet Cong military activity continues heavy
in Quang Ngai Province, and there are indications
that the Communists may be planning to step up
the action in Pleiku Province.
In Hanoi, the North Vietnamese have again
broadcast a denunciation of what they term the
"deceitful and hypocritical" US peace campaign.
The broadcast attacked the dispatch of senior US
government officials to various world capitals
as "nothing but trickery." Hanoi continues to
avoid mentioning the cessation in US air strikes
on North Vietnam.
I. Military Situation in South Vietnam: The
Viet ong are continuing their high
activity in Quang Ngai Province (Paras, 1-3).
_jtne Viet ong are p anning attacks in
Pleiku Province (Paras. 5-8). Friendly troops
have lost contact with the enemy in Hau Nghia
Province (Para. 10). Tear gas has been used in
Hau Nghia and Phu Yen provinces (Paraso 10-11).
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IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
Nothing of significance to repor .
V. Communist Political Developments: Hanoi
today again attacked w a i erme -T e deceitful
and hypocritical" US peace campaign (Paras. 1-2).
The North Vietnamese economic delegation currently
touring East Europe signed new agreements on aid to
Hanoi in East Germany on 31 December, then moved
on to Bucharest (Paras, 3-4).
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I. THE MILITARY SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. Heavy Viet Cong activity continues in Quang
Ngai Province. Press reports indicate that an enemy
force, estimated at two battalions, yesterday attacked
a South Vietnamese outpost 10 miles southwest of the
provincial capital, Quang Ngai city. The outpost's 100-
odd defenders reportedly repelled the attack with the
help of air support. The Viet Cong apparently are still
in the area, however. No casualty reports have been re-
ceived so far.
2. The Viet Cong have been extremely active in
Quang Ngai since late December. On 29 December they
overran the district capital of Minh Long in the center
of the province, shelled another district capital on
Quang Ngai's coast, and blew up three bridges south of
the provincial capital on South Vietnam's main coastal
highway. The next day, the Viet Cong attacked and
briefly occupied an outpost near a third district capi-
tal--killing at least 18 South Vietnamese, while losing
six dead--and overran a militia outpost 14 miles south-
west of Quang Ngai city. In the latter action, 203
militiamen are reported missing. Viet Cong casualties
are unknown. On 31 December, the Viet Cong assaulted
and briefly held still another militia outpost--this
one 11 miles west of Quang Ngai city--killing 14 of
its defenders; another 14 are reported missing. Again,
Viet Cong casualties are unknown.
3. At least one Viet Cong regiment, and one North
Vietnamese Regimen ere reported in the
province in December. Sever reports about that time
indicated Viet Cong intentions to increase activity in
Quang Ngai.
4. Casualty reports have come in for the action
in Chau Doe Province, described in the Situation Report
of 30 December. The Viet Cong lost 45 Killed,
eleven killed for the South Vietnamese.
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6. Reports of impending Communist activity in
Pleiku Province are continuing to come in.
I Ireports indicate the Viet Cong plan to
a acc :wo pecial Forces camps northwest of Pleiku
town early this month. In December, a local vil-
lager reported that he had been a member of a 200-
man porter party which had moved to within ten miles
of one of the camps. He said 1,000 Viet Cong (al-
legedly now in Cambodia) were to participate in the
attack on the camp. The PAVN 32nd Regiment was re-
ported in Cambodia near Pleiku in mid-December.
9. Two explosive charges, preceded by a short
burst of small arms fire, were detonated beside a
US Army enlisted men's quarter in Dalat in Tuyen Duc
Province on 30 December. The explosions killed one
American and wounded nine. A South Vietnamese na-
tional was also wounded.
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10. Operation MARAUDER, in Hau Nghia Province
west-southwest of Saigon, continues, but at last
report US airborne soldiers had lost contact with
the enemy. So far, friendly troops have killed
238 Viet Cong (body count), captured 77, and detained
553 suspects. Friendly losses are 81 killed (15 US),
and 173 wounded (76 US). Tear gas has been used
against the Viet Cong on three occasions during
MARAUDER, but its effectiveness is unknown.
11. Friendly forces also used tear gas yes-
terday in Phu Yen Province in support of the two
Korean and two South Vietnamese companies operating
there. So far, the gas has been ineffective be-
cause of high winds. The Viet Cong are reportedly
holed up in bunkers, however, and tear gas reportedly
will be used again.
12. Yesterday, 18 US heavy bombers struck a
Viet Cong supply complex about 28 miles north-north-
east of Saigon. No ground follow-up is planned.
13. A five-day American operation in Binh Dinh
Province, called CLEAN HOUSE III, officially ended
on 31 December. Elements of the First Cavalry Divi-
sion (Airmobile) killed 34 Viet Cong and captured
nine. The enemy killed five Americans and wounded
35. Four US soldiers are listed as missing.
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port,
1e There is nothing of significance to re-
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Hanoi again today let loose a blast at what
it termed the "deceitful and hypocritical" US peace
campaign. A commentary in the 3 January issue of
the party daily, Nhan Dan, charged that the dispatch
of senior US officials to various world capitals was
nothing but "trickery." It rehashed old DRV allega-
tions that the US, rather than proposing "uncondi-
tional discussions," is actually insisting that its
troops remain in South Vietnam indefinitely.
2. The commentary seemed to reflect chagrin by
Hanoi at a loss of political initiative due to the
US "peace offensive." It attempted to dismiss US
offers for talks as a "trick aimed at screening their
plans of war intensification and expansion." The
commentary continued the DRV practice of avoiding any
mention of the cessation of US air strikes against
North Vietnam. Hanoi apparently feels that to admit
that a halt in the bombings has taken place would put
it even more on the defensive in the eyes of world
opinion. It undoubtedly also wants to keep the ces-
sation in effect as long as possible, and probably
believes that to comment negatively might provoke re-
sumption of the strikes.
3. A joint communique signed on 31 December by
a North Vietnamese economic delegation headed by Le
Thanh Nghi and East German officials announced new
agreements on GDR aid to the DRV and on goods ex-
change between the two countries for 1966. The East
German agreement, like the one signed in Hungary on
27 December, was vague in wording and avoided any
mention of specific aid. Both of these new agree-
ments appeared as efforts to shore up the Soviet
bloc's claims of full support to the Vietnamese Com-
munists.
4. The communique noted that "both sides
stressed that the unity within the socialist camp
was one of the important conditions for the victory
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of the Vietnamese people's just cause." Nghi
moved on to Bucharest on 31 December and will prob-
ably sign similar agreements with Rumanian offi-
cials. It is probable that the delegation will also
visit other Eastern European capitals, as it did on
a similar trip in June and July, before making its
last scheduled stop in North Korea.
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