THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 FEBRUARY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974297
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: February 26, 1968

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005900050001-7
The President's Daily Brief
7`677-Stac-r-et._ 26 February 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
26 FEBRUARY 1968
1. South Vietnam
2. Laos
3. Japan
Enemy activity has dropped to its
lowest level since the Tet offensive be-
gan on 30 January. The threat to a num-
ber of urban areas continues, however.
Communist forces are maintaining
pressure in the southern panhandle.
The towns of Attopeu and Saravane were
attacked yesterday after two days of
heavy pressure on their outposts. The
regional commander considers Attopeu un-
tenable and intends to withdraw if the
situation worsens.
Ambassador Johnson notes, "from
bits and pieces" recently picked up,
that both Sato and Foreign Minister Miki
are privately showing deep concern about
US prospects in Vietnam. Sato, real-
izing that US failure in Vietnam would
destroy him politically, appears to be
wondering whether he should try to dis-
engage himself. Miki, a prospective
successor who wants to carve out a po-
litical position for himself, is likely
to be even more standoffish than Sato.
The ambassador believes both men
will wait to see how the wind blows--
and trim their sails if necessary--be-
fore again publicly associating them-
selves with the US position in Vietnam.
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4. Panama
5. Paraguay
6. Czechoslovakia
7. Bahamas
Both Robles and Arias have backed
off from their collision course, and
the threat of major violence has dimin-
ished. The National Guard, still on
full alert, ought to be able to quell
any political arguments among pre-Lenten
carnival-goers.
Our embassy has it from a good
source that President Stroessner, dur-
ing his late March visit to Washington,
may offer to send a Paraguayan battal-
ion to Vietnam. Stroessner would prob-
ably hope for some goodies in return.
Other Latin American leaders, many of
whom have a low regard for Stroessner,
would not be impressed.
Party conservatives, possibly led
by ex-boss Novotny, are attacking
Dubcek's "liberalizing" program on
grounds that it dilutes the power of
the party too much. A real struggle on
this issue is shaping up, with the pos-
sibility that neither the liberals nor
the hardliners can win .a clear-cut vic-
tory at the mid-March Central Committee
meeting.
The US consul general has been pri-
vately tipped off that Premier Pindling
will announce today his decision to call
general elections. The voting, which
will then have to be set for sometime in
late March or early April, will surely
strengthen Pindling's hand, both at home
and in his determined efforts to get the
British to give the colony more self-
rule.
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8. Communist China
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Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
Top Secret
6
26 February 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
26 February 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
More US Prisoners to be Released?: Last Satur-
day, Ambassador Sullivan met the North Vietnamese
charg?n Laos for the first time since the release
of the three American fliers. The charg?affable
and willing to talk, was pleased to hear that the
released pilots were considered to be in good shape
and had indicated they were treated satisfactorily
because, he said, it is Hanoi's policy to treat
prisoners well. The charg?hen said, "You have al-
ready received three prisoners. There are two others
...." At this point, the " British in-
formation officer rolled up," and the charg?ever
finished this tantalizing sentence. Ambassador
Sullivan will see the charg?gain to try to find
out what he was about to say.
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Views of Ex-French Correspondent in Hanoi:
Bernard Cabanes, on his way back to Paris last week
from his lengthy tour in Hanoi, talked with an offi-
cer of our embassy in Vientiane. Cabanes, who im-
pressed the officer as an intelligent and reflective
observer (and obviously sympathetic to North Viet-
nam), made the following points:
--Hanoi is not counting on the US elections to
lead to a short-term end to the war favorable to
North Vietnam, and the population has been given no
such promises;
--The North Vietnamese had hoped the recently
released US pilots would return to the US via com-
mercial air, but were "disappointed rather than sur-
prised" that they chose to go on a US military plane;
--The release of these prisoners, Cabanes thought,
was a "genuine gesture of good will" at a moment when
it seemed that such a sign "might cover a little of
the distance on the road to negotiations";
--He believes, on the basis of his experience
with the temper of the North Vietnamese people, that
they "will be the winners."
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Comments of Czech Ambassador to Hanoi: A Czech
journalist has told our embassy in Prague of a re-
cent conversation with the Czech ambassador to Hanoi
while the ambassador was in Prague on home leave.
According to the journalist, the ambassador has
the impression that Moscow's influence in Hanoi is
growing at Chinese expense. The ambassador also be-
lieves Hanoi's offensive in South Vietnam was di-
rected at improving its position in anticipation of
negotiations sometime this summer. On the Pueblo
affair, the ambassador was quoted as having said
that this action was closely coordinated with Hanoi,
and that the North Koreans were "playing a very dan-
gerous game." There is no firm evidence that Hanoi
and Pyongyang acted in concert regarding the Pueblo,
although the timing of the incident has fostered
considerable speculation to this effect.
French Communists to Hanoi: The French Press
Agency on Saturday broadcast an announcement that
a delegation of the French Communist Party would
leave for Hanoi today. The delegation will include
members of the party's top policy body and at least
one member of the Central Committee.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Nothing of significance to report.
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