Intelligence and Security Operations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ministry of National Defense

——5'EGR‘E'T-
cal warfare and fifth column penetration operations. It drafts and establishes"
enemy military proselytizing programs and POW indoctrination and handling
procedures for implementation by PAVN and its CDV=‘field commands in
Kampuchea, Laos, and Vietnam. It is responsible for organizing, training,
directing and monitoring the development of the Lao People's Democratic
Republic and Kampuchean People's Republic enemy military proselytizing
branches through assigned advisers. -
The CDV studies and researches the history, morale, and organization of
enemy military forces and their commanding officers for weaknesses to be
psychologically exploited; establishes guidelines for the preparation of
demoralizing propaganda themes to be used against enemy forces in and
outside Vietnam; drafts and disseminates measures to counter enemy
psychological warfare programs against PAVN; maintains a central registryof
all military POWs exploited by PAVN; and has the primary responsibility for
the political indoctrination and psychological exploitation of enemy POWs.
During the Vietnam War, the CDV and its forward field commands were
deeply involved in-subverting ARVN, US, and Allied military forces. It
targeted ARVN, Australian, Filipino, Republic of Korea (ROK), New Zealand,
and Royal Thai Government forces in South Vietnam. It has an English-,
French-, Khmer-, Korean-, Thai-, and Chinese-language capability.
The CDV field commands in South Vietnam were responsible for fifth
column penetration operations against ARVN, US, and Allied Forces, as well
as against the ARVN and Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Regional Forces (RF),
Popular Forces (PF), . People's Self-Defense Forces (PSDF), Provincial
Reconnaissance Units (PRU), Rural Development (RD)fTeams, and pacifica-_
tion personnel. The CDV had considerable success in this area. As of 1968, its
field commands had over 20,000 assets with a goal of 50,000 agent assets by
1969. Based on the analysis of captured documents, the latter figure of 50,000
agent assets is a conservative estimate on the extent of CDV operations in
South Vietnam. No figures are available on the number of recruited agent
assets employed by US and Allied forces, although captured documents clearly
spell out priorities for the recruitment of US/ Allied forces interpreter/ transla-
tors. CDV penetration operations were coordinated with the Ministry of
Public Security (Bo Cong An/BCA) and PAVN Military Security Department
(CBV) forward field commands in South Vietnam. The CDV, as well as the
BCA and the CBV, were heavily engaged in dispatching false defectors to
disrupt the RVN Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) Program, utilizing it as a vehicle to
legalize penetrations of ARVN, US and Allied forces.
In the POW field, the CDV was the PAVN service in North Vietnam
which conducted the initial interrogations of US POWs. Using results of these
interrogations, the CDV drafted tailored interrogation programs for the
psychological exploitation of US POWs. It supervised the political indoctrina-
tion of US POWs and gathered information from interrogations and
handwritten statements to prepare pscychological warfare pamphlets, leaflets,
and materials for radio broadcast. The CDV was the service which directed
the activities of POWs, ARVN as well as US, who cooperated with their
captors. The’ CDV exploitation of POWs was coordinated with the BCA and
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