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Thia nu1trr1i,1 1"••111ntn11 111romt1111on ntrcctlnlf the N11t101111I l)('fen&e or the United Statell within the 111rn11ln1: ot the E.splon111:e 1..Aw11, TIUe 18, u.e.c. &cs. i!r.l 1111d ~94. u,e tron111111ss1on or revelation or which In on:, manner to an unauthorized person Is prohibited by law. ..-...,,.,.~,---.·

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NO FGRl!:IGN DISSEM THIS 15 AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT INALL EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.

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~ CITE .3.5(c).

'.)

Of Z :,: DIST 31 JANUARY 1968 '

COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM

DOI 3.3(h)(2)

(:)

SUBJECT SUMMARY OF VIET CONG ACTIVITIES IN,).DNG AN PROVINCE

ACQ

SOURCE

DURING DECEMBER 1967

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C.

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SUMMARY•- ACCORDING TO A PRISONER INTERROGATION THE VIET (0

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CONG /VC/ IN LONG AN PROVINCE ARE ATTEMPTING TO FORM VILLAGE-LEVEL

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c, C

LIBERAT)ION cmlMITTEES IN ORDER TO GAIN WIDER SUPPORT AMONG THE

PEOPLE ANI) TO PREPARE F'OR A POSSIB'l.E COALITION GOVERNMENT. IF' A

COALITION FAILS JO MATERIALIZE,-THE LIBERATION CO~M~TEES CAN BE

USED TO SPEARHEAD A GENERAL UPRISING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF

4. VIETNAM. 3

THE VC HAVE REPORTEDLY DIVIDED SOl!,TH ,?IETiNAM INTO TWO C

2 1

\ • fduum control• O~SEM

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AREAS AND WILL CONDUCT A SEPARATE MILITARY PROGRAM IN EACH AREA•

THE VC CONTINUE TO SUFFF.R FOOD, MEDICAL AND MANPOWER SHORTAGES,

BUT THESE SHORTAGES DO NOT YET 'APPEAR TO HAVE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED ·._ .

MORALE. THE LOW RALLIER RATE MAY BE PARTIALLY EXPLAINED BY THE

CURRENT RICE HARVEST AND THE PROMISED HWLT IN OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

IN LONG AN AFTER TET. END SUMMARY.

.. .

POLICY 3.3(h)(2)

I. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION, OBTAINED FROM THE INTERROGATION OF

PEOPLES• REVOLUTIONARY PARTY L__ _______________ ~

MEMBF.R, THE VC ARE ATTEMPT! NG TO ESTABLISH VILLAGE LIBERATION 3.3(h)(2)

COMMITTEES DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE 1967-68 WINTER-SPRING

CAMPAIGN. THE VC FEEL THAT THEY LACK SUFFICIENT

CONTROL AT THE VILLAGE AND HAMLET LEOELS AND, IN ORDER TO CO~PETE .. i: ... ;.:· ..

WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM:,jr,vN/, THEY NEED TO ESTABLISH THEIR

O.,.'N GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LIBERATION

CO~MITTEES WILL HAVE TWO ADVANTAGES FOR THE VC-- IT WILL FACILITATE

THE FORMATION OF LOCAL VC GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION~ IN THE

EVENT f\ COALITION GOVERN~ENT IS ESTABLISHED AND, IF' NEGOTIATIONS FAIL,

THE COM~ITTEES CAN BE CALLED UPON TO INSTIGATE A GENERAL UPRISING <

5 AGAINST THE,·GVN. THE SOURCE STATED THAT DISTRICT, PROVINCIAL ANO ': ·:- '

4 CENTRAL-LEVEL LIBERATION COMMITTEES "1ILL BE FORMED DURING THE 3 2 1

SECOND PHASE ,OF' THE WUJTER-SPRING ,CAMPAIGN. COMPETENT AMERICAN .. -.·,··,!'

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\ NOF~ISSDl

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:OBSF.RVF:RS IN THE PROVINCE BELIEVE THAT THE VC ARE ATTEMPTING TO

DE-EMPHASIZE THE COMMUNIST OVERTONES OF THE ''LIBERATION''

MOVE~'ENT AND, BY CREATING A NEW GOVERNMENTAL FRONT, PRESENT A !

NON-COfwlMUNIST OR NEUTRALIST F"ACE. THIS NEW F'ACE WOULD ALLOW

NEGOTIATION~ TO BE STARTED WHILE THE VC CONTINUE THE REVOLUTION

THROUGH POLITICAL ACTION INSTEAD OF GUERRILLA WARFARE. EXTENSIVE

DEBRIEFINGS OF RALLIERS ANO PRISONER INTERROGATIONS DURING THE

PAST SEVERAL MONTHS INDICATED A FEELING AMONG THE VC THAT THE

3.5(c)

WAR WILL NOT BE WO~ ON THE BATTLEFIELD, BUT WILL BE WON BY POLITICAL

MEANS. THAO STATED THAT THE VC::HAVE. DIVIDED SOUTH VIETNAM INTO 3.3(h)(2) -~···\' .>. <-, ..

. TWO ARF.AS, AND THAT A DIFFERENT MILITARY PLAN WILL BE FOLLOWED IN

EACH AREA. THE AREA NORTH OF AN IMAGINARY LINE

DRAWN ACROSS THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OF III CORPS WILL BE THE SCENE

OF THE DECISIVE BATTLES OF THE \JAR. THE AREA TO THE SOUTH Or THIS LINE L

WILL FOLLOW A PROGRAM OF TYING DOWN U.S. AND GVN FORCES.

OPERATIONS

2. DURING DECEMBER THE VC ATTEMPTED TO ISOLATE GVN-CONTROLLED

AREAS AND DESTROY OR CUT LINES OF' COMMUNICATION A.OC/ .. THE MA1.IORITY

OF VC MILITARY A_CTIVITIES WERE DIRECTED AT NATIONAL ROUTE 4, WHICH

5 RUNS THROUGH LONG AN PROVINCE AND SERVES AS THE MAIN TRAFFIC LINK 4 .•· · . · .... :,:;;i "',,; -.:,_ _;~:: :?t }:/ ·:... . 'I •

7·~ ~I~EEN s~l~-~~D THEi MEKONG o~~IA.::, ' AMERICAN 09SERVERS IN LONG AN

. 1 BELIEVE VC Mit:lTARY ACTIVITIES WERE.INTENDED NOT ONLY TO CUT THE • CONFIDiu,-!"AL NO~ISSE.l(

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. LOCS, BUT WERE ALSO DESIGNED TO~PRES£NT A SHOW OF vc STRENGTH TO

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THE POPULACF. IN CONTESTED AREAS ANO TO APPLY PSYCHOLOGICAL AND

ECONOMIC PRESSURE AS A MeANS OF ENCOURARING A CONDITION WHERE

FAVORABLE NEGOTIATIONS MIGHT BE INITIAT~D.

3.

3.3(h)(2)

VC EFF'ORTS TO RECRUIT YOUTHS ANO FEMALES INTO THEIR RA~JY.~.

ACCORDING TO AN ALLEGED DISTRICT-LEVEL VC DOCUMENT

THE VC LONG AN PROVINCE 3.3(h)(2) l__ _________________ ~

CURRENT AFFAIRS COfl4MITTEE I SSUEO AN ORDER ON 9 OECF.:MBER CALLI NG FOR I

RECRUITMENT OF ABOUT 1500 VILLAGE · HAMLET GUERRILLAS BY 10

JANUARY 1958. ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENT EACH DISTRICT WAS REAUIRED

TO RECRUIT 402' GUERRILLAS AND EAC~ VILLAGE WAS TO RECRUIT 100

GUERRILLAS. THERE H.I\S BF.EN NO INDICATION THAT THE VC HAVE HAD ANY

OUTSTANDING SUCCESS IN THIS RECRUIT~ENT DRIVE. ArEP.ICAN OBSERVERS

IN LONG AN BELIEVE THAT IN VC-CONTROLLEO AREAS ·Or THE PROVINCE SOME

SUCCESS WILL BE MET, BUT THAT IT ' IS UNLIKELY -THAT THE vc CAN RECRUIT ('~~~ _j ~

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1500 USEF'UL GUERRILLAS \1JITHIN THE ONE MONTH TIME FRAME.

PROBLEMS

4. F'OOD SUPPLY CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THE VC.

NGUYEN VAN THAO STATED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE VC HAVE SUFFICIENT RICE, 5 . . I 4 OTHER STAPLES: SU.CH AS MEAT, FISH ANO VEGETABLES ARE BECOMING SCARCE•

~ >£ STRESSt:O'.(:il¥1 ·vc REAR SERVIC~~::~~t~ ,M~NTS AND MAIN FORCE UNITS HAVE A 1 ..

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. GREATER PROBLEM OF FOOD SUPPLY THAN DO LOCAL UNITS BECAUSE THE GVN

HAS DIRECTED ITS MILITARY ACTIVITY MORE TOWARD THESE TARGETS. THIS

GVN MILITARY ACTIVITY AL90 HAS FORCED MANY PEOPLE TO MOVE TO MORE

SECURF.: AREAS.

5. THE LACK OF MEDICAL FACILlTIES AND SUPPLIES IS A CONTINUING

PROBLEM FOR THE VC. GVN MILITARY AND POLICE CHECl< POINTS ON MAJOR

. LOCS HAVE ErF"ECTIVELY REDUCED THE.'.At,,QUNT OF' MEDICINE BEING 3.3(h)(2) :/, _ ' ~---------i \

TRANSPORTED TO THE VC BY SUPPLIERS FROM SAIGON.

THE VC HAVE SOUGHT

TO REPLACE A PORT I ON OF' THEIR SUPPLY LOS!;ES, CAUSED BY THE GVIJ

RESOURCES CONTROL PROGRAM, BY DIRECTING LEGAL RESIDENT VC AND FEMALE ~--• ('.;····.

CADRE~ WITH F'RIENDS IN GVN-CONTROLLED AREAS TO HAVE THEIR rRIENDS

PURCHASE ANTIBIOTICS AND MEDICINES FOR THE VC.

6. THE AC~UISITION OF SUFFICIENT ~ANPOWER TO SUPPORT THE VC 3-3(h)(2)

5

MOVEMENT CONTINUES TO BE A CHRONI9 VC PROBLE~. ACCORDING TO RALLISR

• GVN AND ALLIED SWF.EPS AND PACIF'ICATION OPERATION~

HAVE F'ORCEf) PEOPLE TO FLEE TO GVN-CONTROLLED AREA~, THEREBY RF.DUCING

THE SIZF. OF' THE MANPOWER POOL AVAILABLE TO THE VC. THAT THE VC ARF.

SHORT OF' PERSONNEL IS SUGGESTEDL-------~ THAT IN PAST 3

.3

(h)(2

)

YEARS THE VC COULD CONSCRIPT LABOR FORCES TO ASSIST IN MINING ROAf.)~

4 AND IN REr.OVHJG WOUNDED AND DEAD<FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, BUT THAT NOW 3 ~. .· .··,:#'~TS:~

2 THREE-~N uN1rS:; coNoucr{ rHE MINttf~?,oPERATioNs AND vc TROOPS SOMETIMES 1 c a~u F I » ·_ /,,: ··. ·~ A L Ndi~mD«·\ · -•

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T I A L NO~ISSEM (tfi.unn ~onlMI ! •

/LEAVE :HEIR DEAD BEHIND AFTER AN OPERATION.

7. VC REACTIONS TO THEIR PROBLEMS ARE OIF'F'ICULT TO ASCERTAIN.

RALLIER f0

IGURES CONTINUE ·TO BE'.'"LOW AS THEY HAVE BEEN IN LONG AN

F'OR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. THESE LO\,J FIGURES SUGriEST THAT THE

ffiOBLEMS FACED BY THE VC ARE NOT AS SERIOUS AS HAS BEEN BELIEVED

AND THAT CADRES ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT DEVELOPS FROM THE CURRENT

THEME BEING EXPRESSED_ IN THE PROVINCE THAT OF"F'ENSIVE OPERATIONS

WILL CEASE AFTER THE TET HOLIDAYS. THE CURRENT RICE HARVEST IN

LONG AN PROVINCE MAY ALSO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOW DECEMBER

F'IGURES OF' TWO INFflASTRUCTURE RALLIERS. OTHER VC INF"RASTRUCTURE

LOSSES WERE 9 KILLED A ND 12 CAPTURED.

3.5(c) s. I DIS EM-- STATE USMACV CORDS 7TH AF' USARV COMNAVF'ORV

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