THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 28 DECEMBER 1965

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968070
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 28, 1965

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
28 DECEMBER 1965
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DAILY BRIEF
28 DECEMBER 1965
North Vietnam
LATE ITEM
It is unclear why Moscow has decided
to send one of its top leaders--party
secretary Shelepin--to Hanoi right now.
Part of the answer undoubtedly lies in
Moscow's desire to make its influence
felt in Hanoi, especially at this time.
Moscow would want to discuss the pause
in US bombing. The Soviets could see it
as providing a good opportunity to encour-
age Hanoi to seek political alternatives
to the war. They have been telling the
North Vietnamese recently that they
should encourage the Liberation Front to
"facilitate negotiations when that stage
is reached."
Hanoi, perhaps in an effort to bal-
ance Shelepin's visit, today gave wide
publicity to an official newspaper ar-
ticle devoted to the "broad and tremen-
dous-support" given by China to North
Vietnam. The article contains a refer-
ence (highlighted by the Associated Press
today) to "several hundred thousand" Chi-
nese who have volunteered to help Viet-
nam fight the US. This statement, how-
ever, appears in a middle paragraph which
lists various gestures by the Chinese
since August 1964, and in context does
not convey any sense of imminent action
or 'threat. Nonetheless the language used
by Hanoi goes somewhat beyond standard
statements concerning Peking's "willing-
ness" to send volunteers.
(Cont d)
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North Vietnam
LATE ITEM (Cont'd)
? We think Hanoigs statement is an-
other play in the tangled Sino-Soviet-
Vietnamese relationship. With Shelepin's
visit upcoming, the Vietnamese may want
to assure Peking they have not moved
into Moscow's camp and to remind Moscow
that Peking is another, and closer,
source of aid. The reference to volunteers
in fact may be intended to put pressure
on Peking as the Chinese have lately been
less forthcoming in their public assur-
ances of support for Hanoi.
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DAILY BRIEF
28 DECEMBER 1965
1. South Vietnam
2. Indonesia
3. India-Burma
The Viet Cong are continuing to
build up their forces around Saigon.
US officials on the scene report
that seven Viet Cong regiments, ten Viet
Cong battalions, and several smaller
units may be within a 50-mile radius of
the capital. In addition, the North
Vietnamese 101st Regiment may be in
nearby Bien Hoa Province.
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Viet Cong forces farther north 50X1
in Quang Tri and Quang Ngai provinces--
are also being strengthened.
Sukarno's continuing refusal to ban
the Communist Party is further alienating
the army leadership and more officers are
coming to the conclusions that Sukarno's
forcible removal will be necessary. Most,
however, still apparently plan to con-
tinue bypassing the president and hope,
at least for the near future, to avoid
the risks of ousting him.
During his recent visit to Burma,
Indian Prime Minister Shastri told the
Burmese leader, General Ne Win, that
India would regard any Chinese attack
on Burma to be an attack on India. Shas-
tri told Ambassador Bowles that he had
found Ne Win "surprisingly outgoing" on
all subjects, including China, "which he
greatly fears." According to Shastri,
Ne Win went out of his way to identify
Burma's future with India.
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4. India
5. Zambia
Prime Minister Shastri told Ambas-
sador Bowles that he is "cautiously hope-
ful" about next week's talks in Tashkent
with Ayub. He said he will discuss any
subject and is prepared to compromise on
any but one--control of the Kashmir val-
ley, "which must remain in Indian hands."
Two Zambian cabinet ministers re-
turned last night from a fast trip to
Moscow, apparently with only generalized
offers of support.
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Regarding press speculation that they
had asked for Soviet military support,
the Zambian emissaries said, "although
this is untrue, we have not discounted
it." The Zambians did talk with Kosygin,
Podgorny, and Gromyko and made much on
their return to Lusaka of Soviet assur-
ances of support for any action Zambia
may take designed to "restore legal gov-
ernment" in Rhodesia.
Kaunda continues disparaging of the
US-British-Canadian efforts to keep his
country afloat. The British, however,
still seem confident that the difficul-
ties of establishing the emergency oil
lift into Zambia can be overcome before
the small reserves there are expended.
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6. Turkey
7. Soviet Union
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Pressure is building up in Ankara
for the suspension of US reconnaissance
flights from Turkish bases.
Soviet reaction to the recent crash
of a US reconnaissance plane in the Black
Sea has been in low key and not by itself
sufficient to cause the Turks to suspend
the flights.
The pressure in Ankara seems more
likely a reflection of the increasingly
hostile attitude among some prominent
Turks toward the US military presence in
Turkey. Parliament is scheduled to dis-
cuss the question of US bases in the near
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Amintore Fanfani's announcement to-
day of his intention to resign as foreign
minister comes at a bad time for the still
fragile government coalition. Premier
Moro is likely to find it hard to replace
Fanfani since his selection must be ac-
ceptable to all coalition parties, par-
ticularly the Socialists. He is expected
to try to persuade Fanfani to withdraw
or postpone his resignation.
Fanfani has offered to resign several
times since he became United Nations Gen-
eral Assembly president and he probably
means it this time. He claims the furor
over his involvement with the recent Viet-
namese "peace" maneuver led him to his
move. Actually, he seems to have his eye
on politics back home. He would like to
be premier again sometime.
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9. Cuba
Delegates from all over the world
are moving toward Havana for next week's
"Tri-continent Conference."- It is to
be a big and lavishly hosted affair with
some 500 delegates from more than 100
countries of Asia, Africa, and the Ameri-
cas. The Viet Cong delegation is to be
headed by a central committee member of
the Liberation Front. US imperialism,'
from the Dominican Republic to Vietnam,
is to be the principal target.
One of the aims is to expand the
present Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity
Organization to include Latin American
"liberation movements." There are in
fact to be nationals in Havana from al-
most all Latin American countries claim-
ing to represent such movements.
The stage is set for some new Sino-
Soviet fireworks. Peking's delegation
has already arrived in Havana, and there
will be some other pro-Chinese represen-
tatives. Most, however, are likely to
be sympathetic to the current Moscow-
Havana line. Some delegations have even
been given preconference briefings in
Moscow "to ensure uniformity of ideas."
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