Khe Sanh - from the Perspective of the North Vietnamese Communists

Abstract

This article revisits the Khe Sanh siege during the Vietnam War, focusing not on the battle itself but on the North Vietnamese communist decision-making and military preparation prior to the episode. The communist sources reveal that contrary to contemporary Western reportage of the siege, Hanoi did not view Khe Sanh as another `Dien Bien Phu'. Neither was it the most important target of the 1968 Tet offensive. Rather, it was part and parcel of an overall military strategy that was finalized only in December 1967. Indeed, the North Vietnamese sources hint that the timing of the Khe Sanh operation was brought forward, which consequently affected the operation-readiness of the communist forces.