Documents / FOIA release

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

Central Intelligence Agency · 1979-12-01 · 120 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is a December 1979 Central Intelligence Agency study published by the Directorate of Operations Counterintelligence Staff. It describes the Enemy Proselytizing Department (Cuc Dich Van) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ministry of National Defense. The study traces the department's origins from 1941 through the French and Vietnam wars. It covers psychological warfare, fifth column penetration of ARVN and allied forces, the handling of US and allied prisoners of war, and the postwar reeducation of former ARVN personnel. It contains no material on UFOs.

  • p. 13 …MPS components in South Vietnam '-,_- |. ._ ' w__ere tasked with the mission of undermining the power base…
  • p. 29 …15 personnel plus 200 others assigned to six detention camps under its control. The Policy Section…
  • p. 38 …Thus, the CDV was indirectly assisted in its mission ofinducing US military desertions and in fomenting…
  • p. 45 …missions: 1. Destruction of the accelerated pacification program, the assassination of "tyrants," the seizure of control…
  • p. 54 ____ P Y -SEGR-E-T— ‘ . - 1a special 15-man penetration cum (unit) with the mission of…
  • p. 62 …He had the mission of inducing Montagnard tribesmen to resist RVN control efforts in the five…
  • p. 82 …Committee, member of the Central Committee's Control Committee Secretariat, and as a deputy secretary of…
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Propaganda Subsection: 25 personnel organized into research
printing, armed propaganda, and propaganda proselytizing cells. The '
research and printing cell was headed by an English linguist who
monitored US Armed Forces Radio, BBC, and VOA broadcasts to
gather background information which was used to prepare English-
language leaflets against US military personnel. The cell also hadone
Korean linguist who processed Region 5 EMPS Korean-language
materials received from the Region 5 EMPS for distribution to ROK
units in the QDSR. The cell also prepared Vietnamese-language
psychological warfare materials. Between 1968 and 1969, over 10,000
Korean-language leaflets were distributed monthly in the QDSR, as
well as 100,000 English-language and 100,000 Vietnamese-language
leaflets. The armed propaganda cell was responsible for loudspeaker
broadcast appeals against US and ARVN bases, and had four English-
language speaking members. The propaganda proselytizing cell had
five English-speaking cadres who were assigned to US military base
areas with the mission of collecting information on US military
attitudes towards the war which were later used in the preparation of
psychological warfare leaflets against US military personnel.
The Quang Ngai EMPS was, like the other Region 5 provincial EMPS,
organized into a 42-man headquarters staff with seven subordinate subsections
as follows: ,
F-1 Administrative Subsection: 7 personnel.
F-2 Propaganda Subsection: 7 personnel, who wrote Vietnamese-
language psychological warfare leaflet and loudspeaker broadcast
materials for use against ARVN, RF/ PF, PSDF unit personnel in the
province. It organized district-level teams which distributed the leaflets
and made loudspeaker appeals. About 10,000 Vietnamese-language
leaflets were distributed monthly, as well as about 50 loudspeaker
broadcasts monthly.
. F-3 Penetration Subsection: 10 personnel, including six female agent
handlers. Female Deputy EMPS Chief Nguyen Thi Ngoc Suong
headed the F-3 subsection. As compared to male agent handlers,
female agent handlers had better access, were not subject to the draft,
had legal papers, and freedom of movement to operate since the RVN
was less suspicious of them. Most initial recruitments were made under
the direction of the F-3 subsection by district and village-level EMPS
cadres. According to a captured document covering the period
January-April 1971, the Quang Ngai EMPS F-3 Penetration Subsection
had 314 agent assets: 20 in ARVN units; 24 in RF units; 47 in PF
military units; 156 in PSDF units; 5 in ARVN special forces units; 8
national policemen; and 54 others who operated in the vicinity of
ARVN units and installations. Agent assets assisted in supporting 16
attacks against various outposts in the province, and had organized 25
cases of mutiny in various units during the same period. The EMPS
-also claimed credit for 1,100 PSDF and 400 RF / PF desertions in four
districts.
56
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 120 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.