THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 16 DECEMBER 1964

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005967425
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 16, 1964

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A003400010001-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
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16 DECEMBER 1964
7017'--S-E&R-E-T
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DAILY BRIEF
16 DECEMBER 1964
1. South Vietnam
2. Congo
p. USSR
4. Pakistan
5. Guatemala
6. Cyprus
Buddhist leader Tri Quang told US,
Embassy officers yesterday that, while
he hoped for a "legal solution," "extra-
legal" mass action against Premier Huong's
government now appeared necessary. Quang
was not totally intransigeant,however.
Perhaps influenced by the Buddhists' fail-
ure so far to develop popular support,
he suggested an apparent willingness to
negotiate behind the scenes with Chief
of State Suu or the High National Council
and hinted that the US might mediate.
Quang added that he would wait a day or
two before giving the signal for more
anti-government activities.
In view of the growing Belgian con-
cern over giving continued backing to
Tshombe, we have included at annex a
cable setting forth the views of Auguste
Gerard, head of Belgium's Societe Gene-
rale. The Societe is a sizable share-
holder in the Congo's Katanga mines.
An Egyptian military group is in
the USSR inspecting a wide variety of
late model and up-dated equipment not
previously offered to non-bloc countries.
The new Soviet leaders are also filling
earlier contracts with Indonesia and
Syria, indicating their intention to
continue long-range military aid pro-
rams undertaken by Khrushchev.
Opposition parties think they have
the votes to oust AyUb from the presi-
dency in next month's election. His
opponents' joint candidate, Miss Fatima
Jinnah, has picked up surprising strength,
but Ayub's control of Pakistan's admin-
istration will probably give him the edge.
guerrilla activity there
is directed by a Communist headquarters
in Mexico.
The Soviet ship which docked in
Cyprus yesterday unloaded 100 military
trucks. The Greek Cypriots will prob-
ably exploit the delivery as demonstrat-
ing Soviet backing for Makarios.
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ANNEX
US Embassy Reports Conversation with Head of
(State from Brussels 1201, 15 December)
EMBOFF HAD LONG CONVERSATION EVE DEC 14 WITH AUGUSTE
GERARD SOCIETE GENERALE WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM CONGO.
GERARD'S ANALYSIS OF CONGO SITUATION HAD BEEN EAGERLY AWAITED
BY SOCIETE GENERALE AND CAN BE EXPECTED TO INFLUENCE PRIVATE
SECTOR'S ATTITUDES TOWARD CONGO, FOR THIS REASON EMB IS RE-
PORTING HIS COMMENTS AT SOME LENGTH.
GERARD TAKES SOMBER VIEW OF CONGO SITUATION. HE EMPHA-
SIZED THAT HE HAD FULLY RECOVERED FROM FATIGUE OF HIS TRIP
AND THAT HE HAD ARRIVED AT HIS ANALYSIS ONLY AFTER CAREFUL
REFLECTION, EMBOFF NOTED THAT GERARD WAS EMOTIONALLY AFFECTED
BY ATROCIOUS KILLING OF SOME OF HIS PEOPLE BY CONGOLESE REBELS,
IN GERARD'S VIEW ALL INTERESTED PARTIES IN CONGO HAVE
SERIOUSLY UNDERESTIMATED APPEAL OF REBELLION. OLD CONGO HANDS
HAVE BEEN AMAZED AT ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS OF REBEL SOLDIERS
TO FIGHT FOR CAUSE W4ICII IS APPARENTLY EFFECTIVE MIXTURE OF
TRADITIONAL TRIBAL PLUS ECONOMIC DISCONTENT AND THE KIND OF
POLITICAL PURITANISM WHICH PROTESTS AGAINST CORRUPTION, NO-
TING THAT ALL OF SIMBAS WERE NOT SAVAGES FRESH FROM BUSH,GER-
ARD POINTED OUT THAT SOME REBEL MILITARY LEADERS HAD RECEIVED
TRAINING IN BELGIUM. THESE SAME OFFICERS FOUGHT BETTER AS
REBELS THAN THEY EVER HAD AS ANC.
ON POLITICAL ASPECTS GERARD CLEARLY INDICATED THAT HIS
NEGATIVE VIEW OF TSHOMBE IS UNCHANGED (EMBTEL 76) BUT SUG-
GESTED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH HIM SINCE THERE SEEMED
TO BE NO AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVE. ON REBEL SIDE THERE SEEMS TO
BE NO ACCEPTABLE PERSONALITY WITH WHOM POLITICAL SETTLEMENT
CAN BE REACHED. IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS GERARD
IS CONVINCED THAT COLD WAR CONFRONTATION ALREADY EXISTS IN
CONGO AND THAT COMMUNISTS ARE IN POSITION TO EXPLOIT MAJOR
(Cont 'd)
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STRATEGIC BREAK?THROUGH WHICH COULD GRAVELY UNDERMINE WESTERN
POSITION AND EVENTUALLY CREATE DANGERS FOR EUROPE. FOR THIS
REASON, GERARD BELIEVES CONGO SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AS "NATO
PROBLEM" AND THAT NATO COUNTRIES SHOULD RALLY TO TAKE STEPS
TO RESTORE WESTERN POSITION IN CENTRAL AFRICA.
PROBLEMS FACING US HAS TWO INTERRELATED ASPECTS (A) MILI?
TARY AND (B) POLITICAL. REGARDING MILITARY SITUATION GERARD
BELIEVES MERCENARIES TO ENCADRE ANC ARE ESSENTIAL FOR AT LEAST
ONE YEAR UNTIL NEW ANC BATTALIONS CAN BE TRAINED. BELGIUM
ALONE CANNOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT VOLUNTEERS AND IT WOULD BE
PREFERABLE TO ELIMINATE SOUTH AFRICANS AND RHODESIANS INSOFAR
AS POSSIBLE. THIS LEAVES EUROPE AS ONLY SOURCE OF MERCENARIES
AND GERARD BELIEVES SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF QUALIFIED MEN COULD
BE OBTAINED ONLY IF NATO COUNTRIES COOPERATE.
TSHOMBE AND KASAVUBU MUST MAKE MAXIMUM EFFORT ACHIEVE
DOMESTIC RECONCILIATION WITH VALID POLITICAL ELEMENTS. CON?
CURRENTLY MAJOR CAMPAIGN WITH OTHER AFRICAN STATES MUST BE
UNDERTAKEN TO OBTAIN THEIR AGREEMENT TO STOP MEDDLING IN CON?
GOLESE AFFAIRS, NATO COUNTRIES SHOULD JOIN IN EXERCISING MAXI?
MUM POLITICAL INFLUENCE ON AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN THIS SENSE AND
OBVIOUSLY GDRC WILL HAVE TO COOPERATE IN ESTABLISHING BETTER
RELATIONS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS.
IT IS ASSUMED THAT SOCIETE GENERALE AND PROBABLY OTHER
BELGIUM INTERESTS WILL URGE ABOVE VIEWS ON GOB, IT FURTHER
SEEMS LIKELY THAT PRIVATE SECTOR WILL BE PREPARED COOPERATE
WITH GOB IN CARRYING OUT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INCLUD?
ING POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE IN MAINTENANCE OF ORDER ALTHOUGH LAT?
TER POINT WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY MADE BY GERARD.
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