THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 AUGUST 1966

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968472
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: August 15, 1966

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A004600390001-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
15 AUGUST 1966
-TO-P-S-ECFZEI
23
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DAILY BRIEF
15 AUGUST 1966
? 1. South Vietnam
2. North Vietnam
3. Cambodia
4. Indonesia
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The number of Communists defecting
to the government is running 70 percent
ahead of last year. Defectors are coming
in at the rate of about 44 a day,and so
far this year close to 12,000 have turned
themselves in. There has been an increase
in the number of defecting Viet Cong of-
ficers, too, and the information they
pass on is proving quite helpful to tac-
tical commanders.
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5. Belgium
6. Dominican Republic
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The prime minister says his govern-
ment would be seriously weakened if it
buckled under to the "offensive of the
NATO generals" on the proposed new loca-
tion for Supreme Headquarters Allied
Powers in Europe (SHAPE). He told Am-
bassador Knight last Friday that he will
continue to insist that the Chievres-
?Casteau ?site, some 30 miles from Brus-
sels, is the best available relocation
place in Belgium.
He views the objections to this
site as arbitrary, unjustified, and
based on matters of convenience and com-
fort. Unless this problem is resolved
soon, there could be a considerable de-
lay in relocating SHAPE from Paris.
The honeymoon is over. Balaguer
now faces some hard problems--and the
need for steady nerves. The signs point
to a resurgence of extremist terrorism
in the capital and to the danger that
the moderate left may be gradually ali-
enated from its role as a "loyal opposi-
tion."
Much depends on Balaguer's ability
to restrain some of his more trigger-
happy military and police officers. Also
important will be how he intends to im-
plement the "political austerity law"
he is now pushing for. Ambassador Crim-
mins fears the proposed two-year truce
in partisan political activity could
stimulate the very kind of agitation it
is designed to prevent.
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7. Congo
8. Cuba
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The situation has worsened consider-
ably. Rebellious Katangan troops in Kisan-
gani have now apparently been joined by
a large new Katangan unit which moved in
from the northeast. There may be as many
as 2,000 Katangans there now. An 80-man
white mercenary unit is the only signifi-
cant force there apparently still loyal
to Mobutu, and he has no other effective
troops to commit.
There are no signs yet as to how
the Katangans intend to exploit their
strengthened bargaining position. They
may head for home in Katanga--a move
that could lead to a new Katanga seces-
sion. There are reports that this is all
part of a move by Tshombe to regain power,
but we are not yet ready to accept these
reports.
The evidence filtering in from Latin
America since Castro's 26 July speech
points to a new period of friction be-
tween the Cuban regime and the Moscow-
oriented Latin American parties.
Last week's Latin American Student
Congress in Havana is likely to aggravate
the problem. The congress specifically
endorsed "armed, struggle" as the best
tactic and laid' the groundwork for a per-
manent organization based in Havana. This
will provide Castro with a new vehicle
for promoting the kind of uncoordinated
revolutionary action from which Moscow
has tried to dissuade him.
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9. Eastern Europe
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Next month's Warsaw Pact exercise
in Czechoslovakia is being billed as
the largest ever to be held. Elements
of several Soviet divisions will appar-
ently be moved into Czechoslovakia from
the USSR. This is intended to be an
other demonstration of the Soviet Union's
growing capability for rapid reinforce-
ment of Eastern Europe.
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TOP SECRET
TOP SECRET
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