THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

Created: 2/24/1965

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CENTRALTELL1GENCE AGENCY

APPPCVED BMR RELEASE DATE: CCT'-'OOZ"

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THE SITUATION IN VIETNAM

Information oi05

PREPAREDON AL SECURITY COUNCIL FURTHERNFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NtJlATJTHQRJZED

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INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Current Intelligenceebruary5

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INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM

The Situation in Vietnam as0 EST

Political IVvl opmenls In South Vietnam

Genoral Khanh appears to bo resigned to leaving South Vietnam in his new capacity of "roving ambassador." Talking to reporters in DalatKhanh seemed relaxed but resentful ot the way ln which he had been removed an commander-in-chief. He implied that his services might again be needed in South Vietnam "at some point."

There are indications that Buddhist leaders are assessing recent developments in Saigon and are apprehensive that Khanh's ouster may bave anti-Bud-dhist ovortones. Addressing followers in Saigon yesterday, Buddhist monk Tarn Chau made no direct reference to Khanh. He stated that the Buddhists are opposed to any coup d'etat but added they willthe present government.

Press accounts of the meeting quote Chau as calling for an end to the fighting, similar to remarks allegedly made by Tri Quangeporter last week. US military sources noted only that Chau commented that supporters of Communism should go to North Vietnam and that supporters of freedom should stay in tho South.

Colonel Pham Ngoc Thao, organizer of tho initialebruary coup attempt against Khanh, may be hiding ln the vicinity of

) Thao is apparently trying to get wora to General Khiem, ambassador to the US, that many circles credit Khiem with Khanh's eventual ouster and that some pro-Khlem forces are stilland unexposed by the coup's failure. Khiem

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has tacit supporters in Saigon although Thaobe exaggerating the extent of support he had lined up for the coup.

Viet Cong Military Activity

Cong activity continues to pickthe country, most notably in thewhere some drop in intensity wasweek. In central Vietnam, extended fighting

linkingII Corps concand in Pleiku with Its supply depots at Qui Nhon on the coast. Although periodic upswings of Viet Cong activity have been observedast pattern, the present gradual stop up may reflect Curununist efforts to take advantage of tho latest political upheavals in Saigon.

analysis of the coastalby South Vietnamese aircraft last week indicates

oet longdcapacity or ioo tons. Components examined to date includo

an engine of East Germanrench engine order telegraph,hinese windlass. Place of construction and registry are still unknown. The ship is not salvageable by flotation, although various snail sections could be recovered. As ofebruary the ship had been stripped of all name-plate data, weapons and cargo by underwaterpersonnel. This material has been turnod over, MACV for analysis.

Communist Military Developments

No Chinese Communist or Vietnamese military deployments connected with Vietnam have been dotectcd in the lastours.

Preliminary analysis ofebruarysuggests that the Chinese areecond new airfield near the Vietnamese border

northeMt oi *engtzu. An area some fuuu reet long has boon cleared and approximatelyuildings were noted there. Earlier photography had indicatodajor airfield has been under construction since October at Ningmlng, someiles from the Vietnamese border.

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0 cases of "urgent"

medical cargo is being shipped from Bast Germany to Hanoi via Moscow and Peiping. It is possible that the Chineselight amyontinuation of the Medical cargo delivered to Peiping onndebruary. An East German News Agency release ofebruary stated thatorth of medicines, blankets and other materials was being sent to North Vietnam.

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Soviet freighter Admiral Scnyavin

(reported in theebruary Sltrep as unloading

unknown cargo onebruary in Namort

for Hanoi) is now known to have been carrying about

ons of fertilizer and Ls not believed to have

carried any military cargo. The ship departed the

Soviet Far East onanuary, several days prior

to Kosygln's visit, and has been in North Vietnamese ports sinceebruary.

Communist Political Di-velopments

caution in handling theis reflected in llikoyan'sebruarya reception for Finnish President Kekkonen. ASS report, Mikoyan confined himself

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eiteration of support for the Genevaand stressed the need toiderconflict in Southeast Asia, lie took much the sane line in bis response to Cambodia'sebruary request asking the USSR to intercede with the US and Britain for an immediate conveningeneva conference,

on Soviet Ambassador Vinogradov's

meeting with President De Gaulle inreports based on "reliable sources" stated

that the USSR agreed with French desiresew conference on Vietnam but on the condition that tbe US bombing raids on North Vietnam are halted for two or three weeks. The same sources maintained that this was also Hanoi's position and implied Communist China's agreement. However. TASS coverage of the meeting did not mention negotiations but simply stated that Vinogradov had said that "efforts should be made to remove then tbe area."

major propaganda pronouncements onsituation have been iHsucd during the past

by Peiping or Hanoi.

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