THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 28 DECEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976535
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 28, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
et 28 December 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
28 DECEMBER 1968
1. Vietnam
2. West Germany
Early this morning, Washington
time, Radio Liberation broadcast a Viet
Cong proposal for another meeting on
1 January between US and Viet Cong of-
ficers to discuss "preparatory proced-
ures" for the release of the three
American prisoners. The broadcast called
for the meeting to be held at Tay Ninh--
site of the unproductive encounter on
25 December. One of the conditions im-
posed for meeting with the American rep-
resentatives is acceptance by the US
and South Vietnam of the cease-fire
ordered by the National Libellation Front
for New Year's Day.
Bonn says it wants in, if the
Eighteen Nation Disarmament Conference
is to be enlarged. The West Germans
appear to recognize that they will have
to pay, a price for membership and are
willing to discuss possible concessions--
probably up to but not including East
German membership--with Moscow.
This is the latest indication of
Bonn's intention to expand its activi-
ties in the field of international se-
curity. The West Germans were prime
movers in the recent Non-nuclear Nations
Conference and have sought to be in-
cluded on the Board of Governors of the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
The whole issue of membership on
an expanded disarmament conference is
a sensitive one in West Germany as in
other West European countries where
considerable resentment has arisen over
the recent US move to add six members
from regions of the world other than
Western Europe. The West Germans, the
Dutch, and others feel their region is
already under-represented on that body.
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3. Venezuela-Guyana
4. Peru
5. Pakistan
The Venezuelan foreign minister
has assured our ambassador that Vene-
zuela's armed forces will not become
involved in internal problems in Guy-
ana. The foreign minister, however,
indicated that Caracas would not be
surprised if troubles do break out
among the Indians in the disputed west-
ern region of Guyana.
Although Caracas may not stop
all covert efforts to stimulate an in-
ternal revolt ?against Burnham, ?the
assurances we have received from the
foreign minister should take much of
the heat out of the crisis. It great-
ly reduces the probability that Vene-
zuelan troops will be used in open
support of any rebellion.
The government is seeking to ex-
ploit nationalist sentiment throughout
Latin America in its continuing con-
troversy with Washington over refusal
to pay for expropriated holdings of
the International Petroleum Company.
The obvious aim of efforts by Lima to
secure public and official support is
to put pressure on the US to prevent
imposition of economic sanctions.
While we would expect most Latin Ameri-
can governments to try to steer clear
of the dispute, some may find it polit-
ically expedient to give at least nomi-
nal support to Peru.
Ayub could be in for serious new
disturbances following the shooting
death of a student demonstrator in
Rawalpindi on'25 December. The nation-
?wide demonstrations of the past seven
.weeks.were set off originally:by the
:police killing of a student during a
protest meeting in.the-same city.
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6. Communist China
7. Okinawa
On the basis of preliminary analy-
sis, we believe China's eighth nuclear
test, conducted at Lop Nor on 27 De-
cember, was an airdropped thermonuclear
device with a yield of about three mega-
tons. This is the fifth time that a
thermonuclear device has been tested,
evidence of the primary emphasis Peking
has placed on thermonuclear technology
in its nuclear weapons program. This
is also the first test to take place
since China's only failure in the series
on 24 December 1967.
The recently elected Okinawan leg-
islature has unanimously passed reso-
lutions protesting the continued pres-
ence of B-52s and visits to the island
by nuclear submarines. Since the B-52
crash in November, all Okinawan poli-
tical parties have been careful not to
be left behind on such popular emotion-
al issues. The conservatives, however,
have frequently acted as a brake on the
other parties and were responsible for
moderating the substance of the resolu-
tion on the B-52s.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of US
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
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28 December 1968
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Special Daily Report On North Vietnam
for the:President's EyeSOnly
28 December 1968
NOTES ON THE SITUATION
On US Warnings in Paris: The Front's initial com-
ments on Ambassador Vance's 19 December admonition to
Ha Van Lau regarding Communist attacks against cities
were similar to an earlier North Vietnamese dispatch
and contained several standard Communist retorts-. In
a Liberation Radio broadcast on 25 December, the Front
insisted on the right to unrestricted military activi-
ty in the South in response to continued allied tac-
tical operations. It added it had the "right" to re-
sist "aggression" until the "aggressors" are driven
out of Vietnam. The Front charged that Vance's State-
ments were motivated by an allied fear of Communist
military power. Serious talks in Paris can be Carried
out best, the broadcast repeated, when the current Sai-
gon government is overthrown.
More on Prisoners: The Communists probably in-
tend to step up pressure on the US regarding the trans-
fer of three US prisoners back to US control. A Lib-
eration Radio broadcast on 27 December claimed that
the meeting on Christmas Day between US and Viet Cong
representatives was unproductive because US represen-
tatives refused to discuss "procedural matters." The
Communists are well aware that the issue of prisoners
is an emotional one for the US and they hope this fac-
tor will lead the US to accept otherwise unpalatable
dealings with the Liberation Front.
Bo to Bern:
Hanoi's representative in Paris, Mai Van Bo, is con-
ferring with Swiss Government officials.
* * *
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It is doubtful that the North Vietnamese are ac-
tively considering enlarging the peace talks at this
time. Hanoi spokesmen have been consistently and re-
liably reported as opposed to bringing in either Peking
or Moscow at this stage of negotiations. There have
been reports that the North Vietnamese might be inter-
ested in a full-blown international conference as a
sort of guarantor of an agreement which had been worked
out directly with the US, but this is pretty far down
the road, and it seems unlikely that Mai Van Bo is work-
ing on arrangements of this type at this time.
Bo has been sent to Bern in the past, however, to
promote Swiss diplomatic recognition of North Vietnam,
and he may well be on a similar mission now. Hanoi
is currently putting special emphasis on increasing
its diplomatic ties especially in Western Europe.
* * *
Hon Gai-Kep Rail Line Progresses: Photography of
13 December reveals that since 30 September the Com-
munists have laid about 15 miles of new track and
finished a five-span rail bridge on the eastern section
of the new rail line being built from Hon Gai to Kep.
Only a five-mile gap and one multispan bridge need to
be finished to open the eastern half of the line to
traffic. Construction on the entire 66-mile line was
resumed in October after a three-month lull probably
caused by the extensive flooding of last summer.
When completed, the line will connect North Viet-
nam's major industrial centers with the primary coal
producing and secondary port area of Hon Gai. In a
recent speech, Vice Premier Le Ghan'Nghi mentioned that
North Vietnamese ports other than Haiphong will be
built or expanded. .He probably had Hon,Gai in mind.
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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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