THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 11 MARCH 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974321
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: March 11, 1968

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005900170001-4
The President's Daily Brief
Top Secret II March 1968
23
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DAILY BRIEF
11 MARCH 1968
1. Laos
2. South Vietnam
3. Soviet Union
The Communists have ?overrun vital
portions of the important guerrilla
base at Phou Pha Thi
Some of the American personnel have
been successfully evacuated. Reports
are still fragmentary.
A new anti-Communist popular front
was formally launched yesterday at a
large rally in Saigon. Some 2,000 dele-
gates were present, representing a
broad spectrum of the country's politi-
cal and religious groups.
The event was marred somewhat, how-
ever, by the absence of several:promin-
ent politicians who had initially lent
their support. Other leaders are 'giving
the new group only lukewarm backing be-
cause they suspect it is lbeing used .as
a vehicle for the political ambitions
of Vice President Ky or of its chairman,
Senator Tran Van Don.
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4. Panama
5. Poland
6. Cyprus
The showdown may come today. The
National Assembly is scheduled to meet
at 5:00 EST this afternoon and is pre-
pared to indict Robles and set the stage
for his impeachment.
To prevent this, Robles is said to
have decided to order General Vallarino
to keep the assembly from meeting. If
Vallarino complies, Arnulfo Arias is
likely to respond by calling his follow-
ers into the streets. If, on the other
hand, Vallarino defies the President,
he will be subject to dismissal. But
that is an academic point; the National
Guard would most likely seize the gov-
ernment.
A last ditch effort is afoot to
work out a compromise, but there is no
sign of give in either camp. Robles
is emboldened by Arias' failure thus
far to bring out a truly massive out-
pouring of followers.
Student rioting in Warsaw on Sat-
urday was even uglier than on the day
before. More may come. The students
seemed to have the sympathy of watch-
ing Warsaw citizens who openly criti-
cized the harsh police tactics.
Gomulka's efforts to end the out-
breaks are hampered by rising faction-
alism in the upper echelons of his
party.
Reaction has been generally favor-
able on Cyprus to Makarios' removal of
restrictions on the movement of Turkish
Cypriots. The Turks, though wary of .a
Makarios trick, are saying that the ac-
tion could bring movement toward easing
of communal tensions. Prospects are
still dim, however, for any real settle-
ment soon.
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7. Common Market
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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11 March 1968
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\ I
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
11 March 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
* * *
Medical Problems: A senior Swedish Red Cross
official has told the US mission in Geneva that the
Russian Red Cross has asked for urgent and large
shipments of first aid kits, medicine, medical
equipment, and textiles for clothing to North Viet-
nam. A Russian Red Cross official was quoted as
saying that there had been a breakdown both in hos-
pital systems and medical treatment in North Vietnam.
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From talking with the Russian, the Swedish of-
ficial got the impression that conditions in North
Vietnam are much worse than Hanoi is admitting. The
Russian said Hanoi does not want the outside world
to know how bad things are; "the Soviets therefore
are moving in to help."
A hint as to the possible real motives behind
the Soviet approach came in some supporting "evi-
dence" shown the Swede by the Russian Red Cross of-
ficial. After claiming that many hospitals had
been destroyed in North Vietnam, the Russian dis-
played a photograph of a large building with 2 red
cross on its roof which had been hit. The Russian
also had some pictures of wounded civilians. The
photographs are being distributed to various national
Red Cross societies.
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
day.
There is nothing of significance to report to-
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" ? t
Top Secret
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