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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04834.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04834
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Title
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The CIA's Spy-Drops Into Red Viet
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Description
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Article published in the New York Herald Tribune about the CIA's activities in North Vietnam, page 13
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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New York Herald Tribune
13
The CIA's Spy-Drops Into Red Viet
By Beverly Deepe
A Special Correspondent
SAIGON.
The U.S. Central Intelli-
gence Agency canceled in mid-
July its part of a multi-mil-
lion-dollar contract with a
private American aviation
company that had the under-
cover mission of airlifting
guerrillas and supplies behind
enemy lines in North Viet
Nam and Communist-held
sections of Laos.
Reliable military sources
said that pilots of more than
12 aircraft included Chinese
and Turkish nationals, but no
Americans, American civilians
were used for ground support,
administrative and mainten-
ance functions.
The American government,
through the CIA, about two
years ago, had signed jointly
with the Vietnamese govern-
ment a contract with a pri-
vate American firm called
American Aviation Investors
Inc. The CIA broke the con-
tract several weeks ago.
The cancellation of the
American co-signature was in-
terpreted here as a rebuke to
South Vietnamese Premier
Gen. Nguyen Khanh, who has
in recent weeks launched a
"Go North" campaign to at-
tack Communist North Viet
Nam. Gen Khanh's campaign
contradicted American policy
at the time. Presumably the
American government broke
the contract in order to limit
his capacity to send Viet-
namese Special Forces guer-
rillas and saboteurs into
North Viet Nam and Laos.
UNMARKED
Since the cancellation of
the contract, Gen. Khanh
has toned down and
re-
defined his "Go North" policy
to mean simply a means of
finishing the war "instead of
letting it drag on." And since
then, North Vietnamese PT
boats have twice attacked
American destroyers in inter-
national waters off the coast
of North Viet Nam.
more
The Tonkin Gulf attacks
led directly to retaliatory
strikes by U. S. planes against
the torpedo boats' bases and
supply centers far
drastic action than the clan-
destine guerrilla operations
north of the border. But the
U. S. shows no sign of adopt-
ing the "Go North" slogan.
The CIA contract with
American Aviation Investors
Inc. called for a highly mobile
undercover air operation in-
volving several helicopters,
six to eight C-45 and C-47
transport aircraft, some of
them equipped with radar,
and L-28 Helio-courier planes.
None of the silver-colored
aircraft carried identification
markings or insignia; except
black numbers.
The C-45 and C-47 trans-
port aircraft are often used to
drop paratroopers behind
enemy lines; helicopters have
the capabilities of landing in
small jungle clearings and
the four-seater L-28 Helio-
couriers can land on short
clearings and runways.
Other American private
aviation companies with mis-
sions comparable to Ameri-
can Aviation Investors are
presumably still in operation.
The American government at
times contracts with private
firms to implement programs
for which the U. S. govern-
ment officially cannot be held
responsible.
When asked about such ac-
tivities, Gen. Khanh simply
smiles and says, "We can not
discuss that." American mili-
tary sources confirm that
South Vietnamese Special
Forces, trained by their
American counterparts, are
dropped behind enemy lines,
but details "are classified."
The wives of South Vietna-
mese Special Forces troops
sent to North Viet Nam also
sometimes inadvertently drop
information. The wives call
the mission into North Viet
Nam an "express train to
death." Casualties on such
missions are considered high,
although one Vietnamese
Special Forces officer has
been dropped into Commu-
nist-held sections of Southern
Laos six times and has fought
his way back to safety.
LANDING
Within the past six weeks,
reliable Vietnamese sources
confirmed that a South Viet-
namese Special Forces unit
landed on the South China
Sea coast near the North
Vietnamese city of Dong Hoi,
about 30 miles north of the
17th
Parellel separating
North and South Viet Nam.
They succeeded in sabotaging
the city water system.
The most detailed informa-
tion regarding South Viet-
namese saboteurs and guer-
rillas operating in North Viet
Nam comes from North Viet-
namese radio broadcasts and
newspapers, but the accuracy
of the information is difficult
to assess.
On April 22, 1964, the
North Vietnamese govern-
ment reported a "spy trial"
in which a Communist mil-
itary court two days earlier
tried a group of seven "spy-
commandos of the U. S. and
its henchmen in South Viet
Nam who had been air-
dropped on a mountain re-
gion of Cam Xuyen district,
Ha Tinh province." The
North Vietnamese report
listed names and ages of the
seven "spies" and their sen-
tences which ranged from
three years to life imprison-
ment.
Duties of the seven were
listed as chief of the group,
deputy chief, radio operators
and psychological warfare ex-
pert. The report said that
from November, 1962, the
seven were directly trained
by American officers in spy-
ing activities, and were air-
dropped into the North Viet-
namese province during
early morning hours of Oct.
8. 1963.
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Date
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1964, Aug. 16
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Campaigns, American; United States. Central Intelligence Agency; Vietnam (Democratic Republic)
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Container
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B4, F6
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Format
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newspaper clippings
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
