Put Instance SMS_ApplicationAssignment fails with "ERROR: Property array AssignedCIs is empty" Relates to VBS (WinScriptHost 5.7) NOT PS

Posted here because I'm not using Powershell.

I cannot seem to get the SMS Provider to recognize the AssignedCIs data I'm passing to it as part of a put.

In order to eliminate the possibility of type mismatch in casting or whatever, I am obtaining the SMS_ApplicationAssignment.AssignedCIs directly from SMS_ApplicationLatest.CI_ID using a sub.  Using an intervening variable instead, makes no difference.

Whatever I do, the put fails. 

Checking SMSProv.log shows:

a) the select CI_ID  from SMS_ApplicationLatest returns without error.  (And echoing the value returned displays expected data.)

b) The put always fails with "ERROR: Property array AssignedCIs is empty"

Can anybody confirm that SMS_ApplicationAssignment.AssignedCIs actually does map to SMS_ApplicationLatest.CI_ID in an instance put? 

Has anyone actually done it with vbs?  Please don't reply with powershell code....  Thank-you.

Set Assignment = wmiservices.Get("SMS_ApplicationAssignment").SpawnInstance_
Assignment.<various_properties except CI_ID> = <various_data>
rem snip
'use sub to load Assignment.AssignedCIs
get_CI_ID Assignment ' this is a sub
Assignment.Put_

sub get_CI_ID(ByRef UA)
'Note that global var 'app_ModelName' has been previously set with the correct value
   dim wmi,sms, query, o
   query = "" & _"select " & vbCrlf & _"CI_ID  " & vbCrlf & _"from SMS_ApplicationLatest  " & vbCrlf & _"where  " & vbCrlf & _"ModelName = '" & app_ModelName & "'"
   set wmi = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & PSERV & "\root\sms\site_" & PSITE)
   set sms = wmi.ExecQuery(query) 
   if sms.Count = 1 Then
      for each o in sms
         UA.AssignedCIs = o.CI_ID ' this populates the Assignment.AssignedCIs property
	exit for
      next
   End If
   set sms = Nothing
   set wmi = Nothing
End Sub