THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 27 MARCH 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974349
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: March 27, 1968

, Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006000020001-8
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The President's Daily Brief
1-----7--"Sprt-14el._27 March 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
27 MARCH 196
1. Panama
2. Communist China
Panama City has now calmed down
after the rioting last night, but there
will probably be more trouble today.
National Guardsmen during the eve-
ning prevented "President" Delvalle and
his aides from entering the Assembly
building. The Guard fired tear gas in-
to the crowd accompanying Delvalle after
stones and bottles were thrown. The gas
spread into nearby slum areas, forcing
hundreds to flee.
Despite orders from General Valla-
rino, guardsmen continued to use tear
gas to break up the crowds. By late
evening the Guard had the situation un-
der control in the downtown area, al-
though there were reports of sporadic
violence in other parts of the city.
Arias forces are again calling for
a general strike, and as a result of
last night's trouble, some ?businesses
will likely be closed today. Delvalle
and several pro-Arias deputies plan a
march through the downtown area this
morning, and some of the deputies will
again try to enter the Assembly building.
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3. Communist China
4. France
5. Jordan-Israel
According to foreign newsmen in
Peking, massive demonstrations yester-
day denounced three senior military of-
ficers as "plotters." The three men--
not previously under serious attack--
are Acting Chief of Staff Yang Cheng-wu,
the Air Force Political Commissar, and
the Peking Garrison Commander. Yang has
evidently been a prot? of Defense Min-
ister Lin Piao; his dismissal might be
the sign of more weakening of the leader-
ship group around Lin and Mao. The dis-
grace of these prominent military fig-
ures could well be a tip-off that a major
power play is under way.
The French press has given exten-
sive and favorable coverage to the Sar-
gent Shriver nomination.
The Jordanian chief of staff has
told the embassy in Amman that Israel
is moving more troops into the north-
ern section of the border, including an
additional battalion of tanks.
The Jordanians may be overreacting
this time, but another clash is likely
sooner or later.
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6. Liberia
7. Rhodesia
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. Nigeria
Federal forces now hold almost half
of Biafra, including a sizable chunk of
the heavily populated Ibo heartland. Vig-
orous Biafran counterattacks are in prog-
ress, however, and these will probably
force federal commanders to regroup and
resupply before pushing on.
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Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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27 March 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
27 March 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi's Propaganda Line in Stockholm: The chief
North VieTEamese delegate to the Stockholm conference
on Vietnam, Nguyen Thanh Le, used the meetings in an
attempt to convince European audiences that the Com-
munist Tet offensive had virtually destroyed the pres-
ence of the Saigon government throughout South Vietnam.
He took special pains to enhance the status of the
Front by stressing its alleged independence of Hanoi.
the Hanoi spokesman claimed he had no
idea why the Front changed its military tactics and
decided to go after the cities in South Vietnam, and
that he was not privy to their plans. He also said
he was unaware of any Chinese Communist criticism of
this military approach.
Le provided the usual Communist optimistic view
of the accomplishments of the Tet offensive, using de-
velopments in Hue to illustrate his points. He
claimed that Saigon's local administrative strength
in Hue had been reduced from 3,000 to 150, and that
the Communist-sponsored "popular revolutionary com-
mittee" was still in existence and functioning there.
He was particularly proud of the damage done to the
South Vietnamese pacification program, which he de-
scribed as "ruined." He told his interviewer not to
believe the documents which the US claimed to have cap-
tured in South Vietnam because many of them were in-
vented by US psychological warfare experts.
Asked if it would not be better to seek negotia-
tions with the Johnson administration now rather than
risk having to deal with a more hawkish Republican
administration in November, the Hanoi spokesman said
that the Communists were confident of winning the mili-
tary contest in the South and saw no need for negotia-
tions at the present time.
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More Hanoi Observations:
dispersed open storage areas for
vehicles and material are used widely to avoid bomb
damage. fire engines and military vehicles
parked under trees in downtown Hanoi, apparently
instead of in central garages where they might be
easier targets. Vehicle repairs were also being
carried out in the open.
piles of construction material,
fuel, bridge sections, and food grains along roads
leading into the city. Each supply area extends no
more than 100 yards along the road, and there is an
open space of at least the same distance between
each area. Four-man air raid shelters were seen at
about 20-yard intervals along the same sections of
road.
concluded from the external ap-
pearance of the main Hanoi thermal power plant that
it was completely undamaged and in normal operation.
the city's power
supply seemed reasonably normal, but this can be at-
tributed at least in part to the many small gener-
ators used throughout Hanoi, as well as to the fact
that foreigners get preferential service.
people in Hanoi are becoming noticeably
thinner, but no signs of large-scale mal-
nutrition or of epidemics.
despite privation and loss of efficiency, people's
morale was generally high.
* * *
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Hanoi Propaganda: Hanoi's international broad-
cast in English on 26 March featured the Moscow TV
appearance of Army deserter James Wright. The broad-
cast pointed out that Wright formerly served in Viet-
nam and quoted his comments on the "senseless killing
of Vietnamese civilians" and "the aspirations of a '
small country for independence."
* * *
More on General Westmoreland: Hanoi radio's
domestic broadcast on Sunday carried another "analysis"
of General Westmoreland's transfer. The theme is that
the General's "dismissal" proves the "unavoidable bank-
ruptcy" of US strategy in Vietnam.
* * *
More Hanoi Comment on US: In a broadcast on Mon-
day to South Vietnam, Hanoi radio stated that during
the previous four days President Johnson had delivered
three speeches "in which he boastfully said that the
Americans will win." The broadcast then went on at
length quoting contrary opinions from such US maga-
zines as Newsweek, US News and World Report, and the
American Daily News.
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Top Secret
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