THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 28 OCTOBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976431
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: October 28, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
Tor-Sec-get 28 October 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
28 OCTOBER 1968
I. Egypt-Israel
2. Soviet Union
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6
. Czechoslovakia
4. Laos
The National Assembly passed ?a
federalization bill yesterday giving
the Slovaks near equality in all as-
pects of national life. The bill sets
up separate Czech and Slovak govern-
ments subordinate to a skeletal federal
government in Prague. It also paves
the way for similar divisions in other
nationwide organizations. The plan
goes into effect 1 January.
This has been an extremely contro-
versial issue and implementation is
going to result in confusion and quite
possibly in a rekindling of traditional
antagonisms between the Czechs and Slo-
vaks.
While there may be some divide-
and-conquer advantages for Moscow in
the federalization, it was in the leg-
islative hopper long before 20 August.
In fact, some Russians, including Mos-
cow's special emissary Kuznetsov, have
urged the plan be shelved indefinitely.
They probably fear internal instabili-
ty and a further weakening of the Com-
munist Party's control.
* * *
Withdrawal of Pact forces from
Czechoslovakia is continuing.
With the shift of the monsoon
winds comes the almost ritualistic
change of roles in Laotian warfare.
This year is no exception. As the
rains end, it becomes the Communists'
turn to move out trying to recapture
positions taken by government troops
and loyal guerrillas during their
rainy season offensive. The Communists
are moving now, pushing in an outpost
or two, probing around more important
bases.
No major actions have taken place
yet, although, if the enemy follows
his usual pattern, some serious attacks
can be expected against the northern
redoubts of the tough little Meo guer-
rillas.
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5. Cyprus
6. France
Pressure from Athens has forced
Minister of Interior and Defense
Georkatzis to resign. Georkatzis is
charged with having aided the group
which tried to assassinate Papadopoulos.
A political storm is brewing over the
resignation, however, as powerful fac-
tions call for general elections and a
whole new government.
There is a good chance that the
intercommunal talks will be suspended
and some chance, if the atmosphere
becomes sufficiently charged, that
firebrands could stir fresh trouble be-
tween Turk and Greek Cypriots.
A former minister in the French
Government saw De Gaulle last week
and subsequently told an American of-
ficial that he had never seen the Gen-
eral so gloomy. De Gaulle, he said,
seems convinced the world is on the
brink of war.
Ambassador Shriver comments these
attacks of depression usually follow
some blow to one of De Gaulle's pet
policies--in this instance, the damage
done his concept of detente by the in-
vasion of Czechoslovakia--and are com-
pounded by his frustration with France's
impotence in shaping the course of ma-
jor world events.
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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
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fi
28 October 1968
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56)0
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
28 October 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
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* * *
Comment on Chinese Aid: Despite Peking's dis-
approval of any negotiations between Hanoi and the
US, Chinese economic aid apparently continues unham-
pered by politics. A Western diplomat in Peking re-
ports the North Vietnamese ambassador has expressed
his satisfaction with China's assistance, noting in
some cases the Chinese had made shipping available
for North Vietnam- bound goods at the expense of
China's own shipping needs.
* * *
Logistics: The beginning of the dry season in
the Laos panhandle has brought an increase in truck
traffic and stepped-up repair and construction work.
A Mu Gia Pass roadwatch team observed an aver-
age of 16 trucks per day moving south between 1 and
17 October, compared with 13 per day during the June
through September rainy season.
-3-
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II, NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report
today.
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Top Secret
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