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

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forward commands. Other information was developed from agent
and fifth column operations, and from liaison with foreign
. Communist Parties.
11. Training Office: It operated Military Proselytizing School No. 105
which graduates over 140 cadres annually for service in Laos,
Kampuchea, and ‘Vietnam. The office conducts courses in the
specialized areas of psychological warfare propaganda, interrogation,
the indoctrination and handling of POWs, and intelligence tradecraft
for agent handlers. About 2,000 officers were trained by the CDV
between 1961 and 1974.
Handling and Exploitation of US POWs in North Vietnam
In the US POW field, the CDV maintained a central registry of all PO\Vs
exploited by the MND, and had primary responsibility for the political
indoctrination and assessment of military POWs. Whenever a POW was
captured in North Vietnam by MND elements, both the CDV and the
Research (Military Intelligence) Department (Cuc Nghien Cuu/CNC) of the
MND General Staff Department were notified. If a POW was captured by
Ministry of Public Security (Bo Cong An/BCA) elements, the BCA notified
the CDV before his arrival at the BCA Central Hoa L0 Prison—the “Hanoi
Hilton.” When informed of the captured of a US POW, the CDV notified the
MND General Political Department of the capture before taking any action.
The CDV Policy (POW) Office then sent a cadre to the Central Hoa Lo Prison
to make arrangements for the POW's reception and housing. Arrangements
were also made for the initial interview of the POW by a CDV Policy Office
cadre to conduct an initial psychological assessment. ,
After arrival at the Central Hoa Lo Prison, the POW was stripped and
searched (if not already done), particularly for the POW's “gold blood chit"
which contained his military serial number. Senior cadre of the CDV Policy
Office believed that these “gold blood chits" were intended for prisoners to
buy off guards to facilitate their escape. After the search was completed, all
the POW's personal effects, documents, military clothing, handcarried
equipment, and dog tags were brought to the CDV Policy Office for
examination and storage. When the body of a dead US pilot was recovered or
when a POW died in captivity in North Vietnam, all personal affects were
turned in to the CDV Policy Office which arranged for the burial at an
unknown location. The CDV Policy Office maintained a central master listing
of all US military POW's detained or recovered in North Vietnam.
Although the CDV did not maintain a permanent representative at the
Central Hoa L0 Prison, BCA prison and CDV Policy Office authorities
maintained close coordination with each other. One room at the Central Hoa
Lo Prison was reserved for CDV personnel where they interrogated and
indoctrinated POWs. After the POW arrived at the Central Hoa Lo Prison,
the BCA prison authorities informed the CDV Policy Office POW Reception
Unit of his arrival, and the CDV Policy Office POW Reception Unit sent a
cadre to the prison where he conducted a preliminary interrogation for basic
biographical data and vulnerability data.
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