THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM NO. 18

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02397535
• Document Creation Date: January 28, 2019

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
6 February 1968
INTELLIGENCE MEMORAnUM
The Situation in South Vietnam No. 18
1.
munists
tary attacks
kind of
the DMZ
(As751-71-7/FIMMMW7017----
the Com-
of mili-
some
in
may be about to launch
in South Vietnam,
assistance from North
area.
a new series
possibly with
Vietnamese aircraft
3. Although fighting in most urban centers in
the South has abated for the moment, intensive new
fighting could come at any time. There are many in-
dications of concentrations of VC/NVA main force units
maneuvering near towns throughout the country. Some
of these units were not committed in the offensive
which began last week. Fresh attacks by these forces
seem quite possible in the near future, perhaps in
coordination with the opening of the enemy assault
on Khe Sanh.
4 Inte nications on North Vietnam-
ese air defense nets suggest
some xina of unusual air activity is forthcoming,
possibly in the vicinity of the Demilitarized Zone.
For more than a month there have been strong indications
TSP RET
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that Hanoi has been preparing to employ its fighters
in the southern part of the country, possibly against
US- B-52 bombers in the DMZ area.
5. In the past five days there has also been
considerable activity concerning movement of DRV
tactical AN-2 transport aircraft. It had been as-
sumed that any AN-2 attacks would take place against
targets in Laos, but certain intercepts now suggest
they might be used in a ground attack role to support
Communist ground assaults on allied positions in the
Khe Sanh region. Recent intercepts have discussed
deployments of AN-2s. A message on 6 February from
a DRV unit in Laos said that "our propeller aircraft"
would be landingintheAshau Valley on 6 February. It
is also possible that the enemy may only be planning
to transport men and/or equipment on an urgent basis to
the South.
6. There also is considerable air activity by
North Vietnamese aircraft, which have been based in
China and which could be related to t-ie above develop-
ments.
Political Moves
7. In an unprecedented move to put the Commu-
nist case in the public eye, Dang Quang Minh, chief
of the National Liberation Front mission in Moscow,
held a press conference today to which all members
of the Western press were invited. Its primary pur-
pose seems to have been to give the Communist view
of recent developments in South Vietnam. According
to a Reuters account, Minh told his audience that
the Communists would continue with the struggle until
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the US decides to end its "aggression." Minh rejected
a suggestion that the Viet Cong might agree to a coali-
tion government with the present Saigon regime and
declared that the Front's aim was to "overthrow the
Thieu-Ky administration." He said the Front had many
offers of volunteers, but that they would be called
on only "if the time comes." Minh apparently did not
mention negotiations and apparently held out no hope
for a settlement except on Communist terms.
Other Military Developments
8. There have been no significant changes in
the current status of Communist military pressure on
the urban centers of South Vietnam since that reported
in this morning's CIB and 7 A.M. Situation Report.
9. In the Saigon area, sharp fighting apparently
continues in Cholon, the Chinese quarter in the south-
western sector of the capital. ARVNIs 18-battalion
task force continues to press its house-to-house clear-
ing operation throughout the entire capital city,
but is meeting determined enemy resistance on some
areas.
10. The director of the Saigon police believes
that the Viet Cong hope to isolate Cholon from the
rest of the city, and that they have as many as two
VC main force battalions in Cholon. It was earlier
reported that the VC were attempting to infiltrate
additional manpower into the southern portion of the
city.
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