THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001500010036-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 4, 2006
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: December 19, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
MEMORANDUM
The Situation in Vietnam
NSA review completed
State Dept. review completed
Top Secret
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Approv
Information as of 1600
19 December 1966
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US forces engaged Communist troops near Saigon
on 18 December. The Saigon government is beginning to
replace significant government officials in IV Corps.
I. The Military Situation in South Vietnam:
American forces engaged Communist troops in a ive-
hour battle seven miles from Saigon on 18 December; light
casualties were reported (Para. 1). The enemy lost 131
soldiers killed over the weekend as Operation THAYER
II continued to sweep Binh Dinh Province in search of
elements of the 18th NVA Regiment (Para. 2).
II. Political Developments in South Vietnam: The
first sign ficant replacement of government officials in
IV Corps since the removal of General Quang as corps com-
mander in November reportedly will take place sometime
this week (Paras. 1-2). US officials have reported in-
creasing restiveness within the dissident tribal or-
ganization FULRO, and largely blame recent government
inaction for this trend (Paras. 3-4). Supporters of
moderate Buddhist leader Tam Chau are attempting to or-
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ganize a new national Buddhist church with a revised
charter (Paras;,. 5-6)
III. Military Developments in North Vietnam:
or Korean
continue flights in the uc Yen area and North Korean
ground controllers have been detected at six different
locations in North Vietnam (Para. 2).
IV. Other Communist Military Developments: There
is nothing of significance to report.
V. Communist Political Developments: Communists
continue propaganda protests over US bombings of the
Hanoi. area (Para. 1).
Appro
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NORTH
Pang Hai
N 1
THAILAND
PHNOR,
PEN H?;
4Sihano l~vIIIe
3 PHU U QVOc
Q Deng Ngai
SOUTH VIETNAM
19 DECEMBER
0 25 50 75 100Mae5
0 25 50 75 I 0 Kilometers
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1. US infantry elements participating in Op-
eration FAIRFAX engaged an estimated company-size
Viet Cong force about seven miles south of Saigon
on 18 December. Allied air strikes and artillery
fire were directed against enemy positions. Two
Americans were killed and six wounded during a
five-hour battle. Known enemy losses were one
killed and one captured.
2. Units of the US 1st Air Cavalry Division
have reported 131 Communist soldiers killed and
three captured in three days of fighting in the
jungle hills of coastal Binh Dinh Province. Only
light contact with enemy forces was reported on 19
December however, as the four-battalion Operation
THAYER II. continued to sweep an area 37 miles north-
west of Qui Nhon in search of elements of the 18th
North Vietnamese Army Regiment. American losses
reported over the weekend were 34 killed, 81 wounded,
and one missing.
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1. The first significant replacement of government
officials in IV Corps since the removal of General Quang
as corps commander in November will reportedly take place
sometime this week.
the Saigon government has approved the rep acemenl
of the province chiefs in Kien Giang and Phong Dinh.
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2. Corruption among Vietnamese officials in Kien Giang
has been, an .. important issue in the province for sev-
eral months and was the subject of some Saigon press com-
mentary even before General Quang's removal. The IV Corps
chief of staff reportedly believes that Quang did not
have a direct hand,-'in the provincial administration, but
that his failure to take corrective action damaged his
reputation. The replacement of the Phong Dinh Province
chief has been widely expected ever since Quang's depar-
ture, because the incum- 25X1
bent province chief is a weak official who had depended
upon his personal friendship with General Quang. General
Nguyen Van Manh, the new corps commander, has reportedly
stated that he does not now plan any changes within the
corps staff itself.
Little Recent Progress in GVN-FULRO Relations
3. US officials have reported increasing restiveness
within FULRO--the dissident tribal autonomy organization
which has significant influence among the montagnards in the
central highlands. The US officials believe that the major
cause of this trend is an almost complete lack of government
follow-through since October in regard to a general GVN-FULRO
agreement which was reached after many months of negotiations.
4. All US officials involved agree that II Corps com-
mander General Vinh Loc exercises real control over govern-
ment policy toward FULRO. Although Loc has at times ex-
hibited a hard line toward FULRO, and the montagnards in
general,US officials have reported that in a discussion on
14 December General Loc appeared receptive to various sugges-
tions designed to improve the employment and resettlement of
FULRO members who have agreed to return to government control.
US officials also reported that they intend to work with ap-
propriate government officials to speedup the implementation
of programs upon which agreement has already been reached.
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Appro~
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Moderate Buddhists Plan New
Organization
5. Supporters of moderate Buddhist leader
Thich Tam Chau reportedly are continuing their ef-
forts to organize a "reformed" Buddhist church with
a revised charter,
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em ers o some ay and clerical organizations
agreed on 4 December to attempt to form a new Bud-
dhist organization to include the broadest possible
representation. They plan to present a new charter
to the government, and they believe that the gov-
ernment will grant recognition, thus nullifying the
charter of the present Buddhist Unified Church.
6. The major difference between the old and
new charters evidently would involve the basis of
constituent membership. The current charter is
drawn primarily on the basis of regional represen-
tation, while the new charter would be based on
various Buddhist sects and associations. Tam Chau
apparently hopes to use this new approach to con-
solidate his leadership over the Buddhist movement
and to isolate the Tri Quang faction. There has
been and continues to be, however, a significant
regional aspect to Vietnamese Buddhist organizations.
Tri Quang's central Vietnamese supporters have al-
ready reportedly criticized Chau's actions, and it
is uncertain whether Chau can garner the support
necessary to make his new movement a success.
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ang Vieng
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VIENT A
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NORTH VIETNAM
19 DECEMBER
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III. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH VIETNAM
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2. North Korean pilots on 17 December again
flew area familiarization flights out of Phuc Yen
Airfield. Twelve North Korean pilots were noted
in intercepted communications on that date, This
is the seventh time North Korean pilots have been
detected flying since they were first noted in North
Vietnam on 22 November. North Korean ground con-
trollers have now been detected at six different
facilities in North Vietnam.
19 December 1966
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IV. OTHER COMMUNIST MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS
1. There is nothing of significance to re-
port.
19 December 1966
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COMMUNIST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. A high level of Communist propaganda con-
tinues to protest the American bombings of the
Hanoi area. On 17 December, the Havana-based
"Tr -Continental Anti-Imperialist Organization,"
a Communist-dominated group claiming to represent
70 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America,
issued an appeal for world-wide harassment of US
embassies to protest the bombings, Several Com-
munist; countries, including China and North Ko-
rea, have already staged public protest rallies,
and the Havana appeal indicates that the Commu-
nists would like to stage demonstrations in free
world areas also,
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19 December 1966
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Top Secret
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