THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001300010063-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2006
• Sequence Number: 63
• Publication Date: October 21, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For elease 20'O,G/03/1 T:`Ci'Q1&79T008~6,Af101`300010063-2
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM
Information as of 1600
21 October 1966
NSA review completed
PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
FURTHER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT AUTHORIZED
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Viet Cong forces in the Mekong Delta continue
a high level of terrorist and military activity.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
Allied forces are continuing 30 major ground opera-
tions against Communist troop concentrations through
out South Vietnam (Para. 1). The recent upsurge of
Viet Cong = initiated terrorist and military activity
in the Mekong Delta is continuing. (Irara- 2)'.
The Viet Cong alert warning system against B-52 at-
tacks is explained (Paras. 3-4). Weekly review of
South Vietnam battle statistics (Para. 5).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam:
There have been no reports of changes in the status
of the cabinet crisis (Para. 1). South Korean Pres-
ident Pak was expected in the Da Nang area today for
a brief visit on his way to the Manila Conference
(Para. 2
The Constit-
uent- Assem has completed passage of its proce-
dural rules, and the election of permanent assembly
officers will probably begin early next week (Para8.
4-5). Government leaders are planning to extend a
"national reconciliation" program to the Viet Cong
(Para. 6).
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
There is nothing of significance to report.
IV. Other Communist Military Developments:
Changes in communications activity serving Chinese
units in North Vietnam may indicate a small increase
in these units (Paras. 1-2).
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1963 Through 9-15 Oct 1966
-Weapons and Personnel Losses
-Viet Cong Attacks and Incidents
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`',Savannakhet
;` ~.Jr' C??^^~..! r' Kontum?
?Quagg Tri
Hue
1 Attopeu
J) Saravane
1
oPakse
VIET CONG
SOUTH VIETNAM
NORTH ?Dong Hoi
\VIETNAM
DFMARCATION IINF
4
$epone
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I. THE MILITARY SITUITION IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. No major combat has been reported in any
of the 30 allied battalion-size or larger search-
and-destroy operations currently in progress.
Viet Cong Activity
2. Viet Cong forces are continuing to in-
tensify the pace of their terrorist and military
actions in the Mekong Delta. On 20 October, Com-
munist terrorists detonated a fragmentation mine
in the central market place of a small town lo-
cated about 17 miles east of Can Tho, the capital
of Phong Dinh Province. Nine Vietnamese were
killed (four military) and 48 wounded (15 mili-
tary). Enemy units also attacked and overran five
South Vietnamese paramilitary outposts in the
southern delta provinces of Chuong Thien, Bac Lieu,
and Ba Xuyen, and shelled the district town bp- Gia
Rai (Bac Lieu Province) with heavy mortar fire.
Cumulative government casualties from these ac-
tions were 55 killed, 33 wounded, and 27 missing.
Viet Cong B-52 Alert Warning System
3. On 16 August 1966, Viet Cong Military Re-
gion 5 Headquarters (MR 5)--the major Commu-
nist control authority for the northern half of
South Vietnam--activated a special communications
group for dissemination of B-52 strike alerts to
its subordinates. This action has streamlined the
warning system in MR 5 and parallels a similar
development observed since 25 August on communica-
tions channels of the Military Intelligence Bureau
of the Central Office for South Vietnam (MIB/COSVN),
which serves all other military regions.
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4. The warning system now employed by Viet Cong
military authorities throughout South Vietnam permits
dissemination of B-52 alerts via radio communications
down to at least provincial unit and main force bat-
talion echelon stations. Information contained in
these alerts appears to be limited to date and time
of the planned B-52 strikes; specific target informa-
tion apparently is not included.
Weekly Review of South Vietnam Battle Statistics
The week of 9-15 October compared with the week
of 2-8 October:
I.
Viet Cong Incidents
Time
Period
At-
tacks
Regimental
size
Battalion
size
2-8 Oct
17
0
0
9-15 Oct
37
0
2
Time
Period
Company
size Harassment Terro
rism
2-8 Oct
2
358 2
7
9-15 Oct
6
347 2
5
Time
Sabo-
Propa-
Anti- Tot
al
Period
tage
ganda
Aircraft Incid
ents
2-8 Oct 13 12 238
9-15 Oct 26 20 153 608
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VC/NVA
2-8 Oct
9-15 Oct
2-8 Oct 9
-15
Oct
Killed
1,471
993
160
1
89
Wounded
---
425
5
04
Missing/
Captured
TOTALS
2,129
1,741
603
2-8 Oct 9-15
Oct
-
Killed 91 73
Wounded 604 432
Missing/
Captured 17 2
2-8 Oct
9-15 Oct
24
26
70
48
0
0
III. Weapons Captured
VC/NVA
25 Sep-10 Oct 2-8 Oct
2-8 Oct
GVN
Individual 294 371 133 244
Crew-Served 39 27 1 3
21 October 1966
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II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
1. There were no significant developments on
21 October in the cabinet crisis. According to an
amended list of the Vietnamese delegation to the
Manila Conference, Economy Minister Au Truong Thanh,
one of the seven resigneoDs, has been replaced by
Premier Ky's economic adviser and former economy
minister Truong Thai Ton.
2. President Pak of South Korea was expected to
arrive in the Da Nang area on 21 October to visit
South Korean troops. Chief of State Thieu and
Premier Ky were scheduled to confer briefly with
him there before heflew to Hong Kong later the
same day, and then to Manila on 23 October.
Extraordinary National Buddhist Congress
3. There have been no reports on the actual
proceedings of the extraordinary congress of the
Unified Buddhist Association,,(UBA)', which was
scheduled to begin on 21 October in Saigon.
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Tam au an all members of the Institute council,
which acts as the UBA's executive arm for lay af-
fairs, resigned earlier in order to allow the con-
gress to resolve the leadership dispute. Should
the militants of Tri Quang control the congress,
as now appears likely, the onus for any future or-
ganizational split in the UBA would fall upon Tam
Chau and his moderates.
Constituent Assembly Developments
4. The Constituent Assembly, which has lately
been more businesslike in its working sessions, has
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completed the passage of its procedural rules. It
now appears that the election of permanent assembly
officers will take place early next week. One of
the more controversial rules, however, which has to
do with the purpose of the assembly, was scheduled
to be reconsidered on 21 October. A version which
limited the assembly strictly to drafting a consti-
tution was passed earlier by a narrow majority.
Subsequent attempts to reconsider this article led
to a general breakdown of parliamentary order on 13
October. Now that some time has elapsed, however,
a rules committee official believes that the as-
sembly will adopt a version sufficiently vague to
please both those pressing for a more active assembly
and those who prefer to stick to the government's
decree law.
5. During the past few days, the assembly has
approved in principle the formation of formal blocs
in the assembly. Each bloc must have at least 12
deputies, and no deputy may be a member of more than
one bloc. The assembly has also approved the estab-
lishment of four permanent committees: constitution
drafting, information and press, budget and finance,
and "people's aspirations;" The latter committee
is to survey popular opinion on constitutional
forms, while the press and information committee
will apparently attempt to improve the image, which
has been somewhat poor to date, of the assembly in
the Vietnamese press. The assembly has also offi-
cially certified the credentials of 111 of the 117
deputies, with the remainder apparently still await-
ing court rulings on charges of election irregular-
ities.
National Reconciliation Program
6. Vietnamese Government leaders are planning
to put new emphasis'on programs designed to increase
Viet Cong defections. The program, called "national
reconciliation," will consist of an expansion and
high-level emphasis of the present "open arms" pcl-
cy. Specific and more attractive appeals will be
made to the Viet Cong rank and file, middle-level
cadre, and high-level leaders. The program will be
officially unveiled on 1 November, a major national,
holiday.
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 Ap
port.
III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
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IC'UN?MING ?Ko.chiu
MILITARY
REGION
Ching-hsi
.,,~?~,~ CHINA
Case Sang
BaoLac?
r? `:/ ? Ha Giang
ao Cai
I>
Ban Chieng
\ ? Cua Roa Phu Qui ?
~
T H A I L A N D
~?.
Muang Nakhon Phanom\Khammouane
NORTH VIETNAM
Vinh Linh
~ DEMARCATION LINE
Dong Ha
r Quang Tri
?-? ^ SOUTH
? - ` VIETNAM-'`
Muong Nong'--?'.
0
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1. The appearance of new units in intercepted
Chinese Communist communications as well as other
unusual communications activity may indicate an in-
crease in Chinese logistical support in northwest
North Vietnam. During the past week, two previously
unobserved units were tentatively identified in as-
sociation with Chinese Communist forces in North
Vietnam. Routing instructions in intercepted mes-
sages indicated that one of these units,
may be located either in the F_ I
or in northwest North Vietnam. The o er unit,
I may be located in the Yen Bai area,
w ere C inese units are engaged in construction
activities.
2. Since 2 October, there has been an increase
in communications activity of the sus-
pected special engineer division in the Yen Bai
area. This unit has made initial contact with
engineer headquarters at Peking and has also con-
tacted an out-of-area rear services element, routing
the ge addressed to one of the new units,
There is also a tenuous possibility
that an element of the lst Railway Engineer Divi-
sion may have deployed to this area from the
vicinity of Kep.
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V. COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1, The gathering of East European, Cuban, and
Mongolian Communist leaders in Moscow apparently
ended on 21 October
oscow con roues to wi o o -
ficia comment on the discussions, but a communique'
on the meeting may be released shortly.
21 October 1966
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Jet Cong
--T
I
3000
1000
Weapons Losses
11 I,jj, 11-A.-L-1
142
Personnel Losses
(Excludieg Wounded)
L/PAJ
GVN/US/other Free World
9 -15 OCT
2129
15001
375
E
51
11 ILII I,III IIII1I..I~,I IJ~~~~~~~~.IIIII~. ~.. ~..II III I I I II I III II I I i i I. ( ii
L
.
19 4 196 5 066 1967 AUG SEP OCT
U5 Casualties to Date: Killed 5,485 Wounded 31,409 Captured 78 Missing 334
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Viet Cong Attacks
SEPTEMBER
86 1
i0 III1H1III
yi.IIIIIIII
L I I I _ I I J J I I I I I II 1 i i _1I Ij11 I_II i a_Li_l I-kj- Liii
, 96 3 19? 4 1965 1966 1967
37 'fOTAL
30 Less than Company
7 Company and Over
i
15 OCT
9
57111 TOTAL
1531A,A Fire
20 propaganda
Z 26 Sabotage
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TOP SECRET
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