THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 14 OCTOBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976407
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: October 14, 1968

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500010001-4
The President's Daily Brief
Top Secret 14 October 1968
23
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
14 OCTOBER 1968
1, Panama
2, Brazil
Shooting occurred last night in
Panama City following the formal in-
stallation of the junta and cabinet;
more clashes between Arias forces and
the National Guard can be expected to-
day.
Arias yesterday issued a highly
inflammatory, statement telling his fol-
lowers to take up arms against the
Guard. In addition, leaflets were cir-
culated urging people to go into the
streets. Some reports say that Arias
supporters hope to organize disturbances
or a general strike today. Communist
elements probably would join in, but
they, are remaining aloof for the time
being until other forces take the initi-
ative. In the past, efforts by Arias
to foment a general strike have failed,
guardsmen moved quickly over the week-
end to round up potential troublemakers.
Police have broken up a congress
of the illegal National Student Union
and arrested nearly one thousand stu-
dents, including the Rio and Sao Paulo
regional leaders. Some extreme leftist
students are barricaded in the Universi-
ty of Sao Paulo, however, and trouble
could develop if police try to force
them out. If charges can be made to
stick against the arrested leaders, stu-
dent antigovernment activities will be
severely handicapped.
The government still has no defi-
nite information on the murderers of
the US Army officer who was shot to
death in Sao Paulo on 12 October. Leaf-
lets left near the body denounced US in-
volvement in Vietnam and in the death of
Che Guevara,
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3. Czechoslovakia
4. Poland
In an emotional speech on Friday,
Dubcek bowed to nearly all of the So-
viet demands. He said that no oppo-
sition to the Soviets will be permitted
and that personal safety will be guaran-
teed only to law-abiding citizens. He
claimed his policies will be guided by
the principles of Communist Party su-
premacy and alliance with the Soviet
Union. He pointedly admitted his re-
gime's failure in the past to appreci-
ate the Soviet view.
Dubcek made it clear that while
he will not resign voluntarily, Soviet
dictates will be implemented with or
without him. In other remarks show-
ing a growing division in the leader-
ship, he implicitly blamed several of
his colleagues for bringing on the Rus-
sian intervention.
Gomulka has also been speech mak-
ing recently. In an agitated and stum-
bling performance on 8 October, he may
well have caused the party rank and
file to wonder if he is still up to the
task of running the country. Judging
?from excerpts shown on Warsaw television,
the 63-year-old Gomulka wandered from
his text a number of times to give ram-
bling answers to unexpected criticism
and to speak imprecisely about the situ-
ation in Czechoslovakia and the unsatis-
factory economic situation at home.
Gomulka spoke to the party organi-
zation in Silesia, which is led by one
of his rivals, politburo member Edward
Gierek. Gomulka's bewildered perform-
ance may have been partially caused by
the surprisingly frank discussion which
he encountered. It is also possible
that the subsequent telecast? of the
speech was a deliberate attempt to dam-
age his image.
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5. Dominican
Republic
Political maneuvering is already
under way in anticipation of the presi-
dential election next May. .Much of the
jockeying centers around President
Balaguer, whose partisans are already
moving to secure his re-election. Al-
though Balaguer's recent actions ,sug-
gest he is toying with running again,
.the drift and stagnation that character-
izes his administration does not sug-
gest that he has yet made a decision.
The former provisional president
and current ambassador to the US,
Garcia Godoy, has begun a campaign to
organize a moderate "movement of na-
tional unity" behind his candidacy.
Then there is Juan Bosch; his recent
statements that he intends to leave
his self-imposed European exile and re-
turn home have led to speculation that
he too will run again.
6. Guatemala The Communists
plan to set off
some bombs in the capital this week to
commemorate the revolution of 20 Octo-
ber 1944. Judging from previous Com-
munist actions, the bombings will prob-
ably be for propaganda effect and the
targets selected are likely to be those
where the risks of getting caught are
minimal. No US installations are be-
lieved to have been targeted.
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
16
14 October 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
, for the President's Eyes Only
14 October 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
* * *
Propaganda: The Vietnamese Communists in both
Paris and Hanoi issued pessimistic assessments of
the possibility of any progress in the Paris talks.
In propaganda commentary this weekend, the authorita-
tive Nhan Dan called the Paris peace talks "dead-
locked," saying there has been no progress in five
months and there is little prospect of improvement
in the future. .President Johnson steadfastly refuses
to meet Hanoi's demand for an unconditional cessation
of the bombing, said the Communist daily, and Commu-
nist reading of the statements of the major presiden-
tial candidates is that they both would continue this
policy. President Johnson and his Vice President were
called "obdurate and stubborn" and Nixon was character-
ized as "warlike and colonial." Without an uncondi-
tional cessation of the bombing and some significant
change in official US thinking, said Hanoi, there 'will_
be no progress in Paris and the war will be "prolonged."
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Xuan Thuy Interview: In Paris, Xuan Thuy told
a correspondent virtually the same thing
in an interview on Friday. Thuy also characterized
the talks as "deadlocked" and said a halt in the air
strikes was an "absolute condition for progress in
the current negotiations."
Thuy consistently avoided rising to the bait
of his interviewer's pointed questions. He used
the occasion to restate Hanoi's determination to per-
severe in its objectives, both in Paris and on the
ground in South Vietnam. He refused to be drawn out
on the kind of representation which Hanoi envisaged
for postbombing talks and ducked the question why
both the regular news conference and his own previ-
ously scheduled private interviews had been canceled
last Monday. This cancellation had caused consider-
able press speculation that Hanoi was cautiously
avoiding any inflammatory statements in the hope of
encouraging new US concessions. Xuan Thuy said mere-
ly that both he and his press spokesman had been
"busy with some work."
* * *
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report today.
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