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Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C02000170 SECRET # Situation Laos The loss of Nam Bac village to the Pathet Lao increases the threat to Luang Prabang, although the royal capital does not appear to be in any immediate danger. Control of Nam Bac will enable the Pathet Lao to proceed down the Hou River toward Luang Prabang, 55 miles south. [Laotian defense officials anticipate, however, that the Pathet Lao will first move on Muong Sai, 30 miles to the west of Nam Bac, which would pose a threat to the Pathet Lao rear in any attack on Luang Prabang by way of the Hou River. The government plans to send general Ouane to Muong Sai to set up defenses there.] [Five government companies meanwhile have secured the junction between the Luang Prabang - Vientiane road and the road running eastward to the Plaine des Jarres. The government force apparently met no resistance; however, there are indications it is already coming under Pathet Lao harassment. In Xieng Khouang Province, little fighting has been reported in the past two days. Government troops are withdrawing southward from the Nong Het - Plaine des Jarres road. Col. Kham Kong has been assigned to command a task force whose mission is to retake the Plaine des Jarres. His headquarters will be at Pak Sane, but he plans to establish a command post at Tha Thom. Preparations for a drive against the Plaine des Jarres will take considerable time as it will be necessary to regroup the scattered government forces available for such a mission and resupply them by air.] In contrast to press reports alleging that the USSR had stopped its airlift to the Kong Le - Pathet Lao forces, with the investiture of the Boun Oum government on 5 January, the flights of 16 of 20 scheduled aircraft for 6 and 7 January and the scheduling of six IL-14 flights from Hanoi to Vang Vieng and five to Sam Neua for 8 January. North Vietnamese LI-2s were also scheduled for flights on the same day to Vang Vieng and Sam Neua. On 5 January Izvestia, in Moscow's first reference to the Soviet airlift, charged that US allegations the USSR was carrying SECRET 9 Jan 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 1 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C02000170

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