THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST 4 JANUARY 1962

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992123
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: January 4, 1962

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I. LAOS
A. PHOUMI AND COMPANY SEEM TO BE TAKING THE LINE THAT THEY
ARE RESIGNED TO THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF US AID AND, THAT ALTHOUGH 50X1
PINCHED, THEY WOULD RATHER GO IT ALONE THAN GIVE IN. PHOUMI'S
INTENTIONS ARE STILL NOT CLEAR.
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THERE ARE
BEING MOVED
LAO FORCES.
SOME INDICATIONS THAT
POSITIONS FOR AN
ROYAL LAOTIAN FORCES ARE
ATTACK AGAINST KONG LE/PATHET
INTO
B. ON ANOTHER FRONT, COMMUNICATIONS TO HEADQUARTERS FROM
SOUVANNA'S FIELD COMMANDER IN CENTRAL LAOS REVEAL THAT RELATIONS
BETWEEN HIS FORCES AND THE PATHET LAO ARE VERY NEAR THE BREAKING
POINT, YESTERDAY, HE REPORTED THAT THE PATHET LAO HAD FORCIBLY
SEIZED A BORDER POST FROM A SMALLER GROUP OF HIS MEN, AND THAT
"IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO AVOID A FALLING?
OUT." THE DAY BEFORE HE HAD WARNED HEADQUARTERS THAT "THE PATHET
LAO ARE NOT SINCERE WITH US. ONE OF THESE DAYS THEY WILL SEIZE.
CONTROL OF OUR GOVERNMENT...DO NOT TRUST THEM AND THEIR TRICKERY."
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2. CONGO:
A. TSHOMBE'S ASSEMBLY, WHICH MET IN RUMP SESSION YESTERDAY
WITHOUT TAKING ANY ACTION, IS SCHEDULED TO MEET AGAIN TODAY, AND
INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT WILL NOT FORMALLY RATIFY THE KITONA AGREE?
MENT BUT WILL NOT REJECT IT EITHER AND WILL CALL FOR FURTHER
NEGOTIATIONS WITH LEOPOLDVILLE. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER GLIMMERS
OF PROGRESS IN THE RESUMPTION IN ELIZABETHVILLE OF JOINT POLICE
PATROLS BY THE UN AND THE KATANGANS AND IN THE ARRIVAL OF THREE
MORE KATANGA REPRESENTATIVES IN LEOPOLDVILLE FOR DISCUSSION ON
REVISING THE CONSTITUTION.
B. THE USSR'S ATTEMPT TO GET INTO THE RELIEF PICTURE
UNILATERALLY IS STILL STALLED BY SUDAN'S REFUSAL TO GRANT OVER?
FLIGHT CLEARANCE FOR ITS TRANSPORTS. OUR EMBASSY IN LEOPOLDVILLE
BELIEVES, IN ANY CASE, THAT IT HAS ADOULA'S AGREEMENT THAT THE
SUPPLIES, IF THEY ARRIVE, WILL BE FUNNELED THROUGH THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND THAT SOVIET TECHNICIANS WILL NOT BE
ALLOWED TO ROAM AT WILL INSIDE THE COUNTRY.
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3. NEW GUINEA ISSUE:
A. PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE AT THE HAGUE IS
GOING WELL FOR THE GOVERNMENT, BUT THE PROSPECT FOR DUTCH?INDO?
NESIAN NEGOTIATIONS IS NO BRIGHTER IN VIEW OF INDONESIA'S RE--
PEATED ASSERTIONS THAT THE TALKS MUST DEAL ONLY WITH THE RESTORATION
OF WEST NEW GUINEA TO INDONESIA.
B. SUKARNO HAS LEFT DJAKARTA FOR A TOUR OF EAST INDONESIA
ACCOMPANIED BY 10 FOREIGN AMBASSADORS, INCLUDING JONES.
C. MEANWHILE, THE BLOC SUPPORTED BUILD?UP OF INDONESIA'S
FORCES CONTINUES. FOUR SOVIET SUBMARINES HAVE LEFT VLADIVOSTOK,
PRESUMABLY FOR INDONESIA WHERE THEY WILL BRING THE SOVIET?SUPPLIED
TOTAL TO SIX.
SOVIET?DELIVERED
MIG-19'S MAY SOON BE OPERATIONAL.
4. LEBANANESE COUP AFTERMATH PRODUCING INTERNAL REPERCUSSIONS:
THE ARMY IS PUSHING ITS
ROUND?UP OF SUSPECTED DISSIDENTS WITH UNPRECEDENTED RUTHLESSNESS,
PRODUCING MOUNTING TENSION IN THE COUNTRY. THE ARMY'S SUSPICIONS
ARE BEING FOCUSSED ON THOSE LEBANESE THOUGHT TO HAVE TIES WITH THE
BRITISH AND ON FOLLOWERS OF FORMER PRESIDENT SHAMUN, WHO IS A
LEADER OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, AND THERE IS FEAR THAT THIS
ACTION WILL OPEN UP A CLEAVAGE ALONG RELIGIOUS LINES.
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5. NOTES:
A. THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO OPEN ITS BORDER FOR
2 MONTHS TO ALLOW SHIPMENT OF OUR AID SUPPLIES BACKLOGGED IN
PAKISTAN. AMBASSADOR BYROADE THINKS THAT IF THE ARRANGEMENT
WORKS WE?MAY GET A MAJOR BREAK IN THE AFGHAN?PAKISTAN IMPASSE.
C. TOURE HAS CLAMPED NEV RESTRICTIONS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF
BLOC PERSONNEL IN GUINEA AND IS TIGHTENING CONTROL OF INDIGENOUS
MOSCOW?SYMPATHIZERS AS, FOR THE MOMENT AT LEAST, HE VEERS MORE
TOWARD A POSITION OF GENUINE NEUTRALITY.
D. MOSCOW IS DANGLING THE BAIT OF ECONOMIC AID BEFORE THE
TURKS AS PART OF WHAT OUR EMBASSY IN ANKARA DESCRIBES AS A VIGOROUS
CAMPAIGN TO WEAKEN TURKEY'S TIES WITH THE WEST.
E. GREECE, SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY IN ALBANIA'S PARIAH STATUS,
IS WORKING HARD TO EXTEND ITS INFLUENCE THERE
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? F. THE CHINESE COMMUNIST'S HAVE CONCLUDED THEIR GRAIN DEAL WITH
THE FRENCH, WITH FIRST REPORTS INDICATING THAT IT CALLS FOR 1 MILLION
TONS OVER A 3?YEAR SPAN. IF THEY ARE GETTING NO MORE THAN THIS FRO
THE FRENCH, THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF NEGOTIATING TO DO IN ORDER TO
MEET THEIR IMPORT NEEDS, WHICH WE FIGURE TO BE AT LEAST 5 1/2 MILLION ?
TONS FOR 1962.
H. THE FALL OF THE FANFANI GOVERNMENT LATER THIS MONTH IS BEING
FREELY PREDICTED IN ITALY. THE MOST LIKELY ALTERNATIVE TO THE
PRESENT ALL?CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT CABINET IS A CENTER?LEFT COALITION,
BUT ONLY AFTER A FAIRLY LIVELY POLITICAL HASSLE.
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WATCH COMMITTEE CONLCUSIONS--3 JANUARY 1962
NO SINO?SOVIET BLOC COUNTRY INTENDS DELIBERATELY TO INITIATE
DIRECT MILITARY ACTION IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
ERLIN: FURTHER COMMUNIST HARASSMENTS ARE TO BE EXPECTED.
HOWEVER, PRESENT COMMUNIST MILITARY ACTIVITY DOES NOT SUGGEST THAT
THE COMMUNISTS EXPECT TO RISK SERIOUS MILITARY CONFRONTATIONS IN
THE IMMEIDATE FUTURE.
LAOS: THE BREAKDOWN OF THE THREE PRINCES' TALKS HAS RAISED
,THE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASED MILITARY ACTION BY EITHER SIDE, BUT
THERE ARE NO CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT THE COMMUNISTS INTEND MAJOR
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. HOWEVER, LIMITED?
SCALE ATTACKS CAN BE INITIATEt BY EITHER SIDE WITH NO WARNING.
SOUTH VIETNAM: VIET CONG SUBVERSIVE AND SMALL?SCALE MILITARY
ACTIVITY CONTINUES AT A HIGH RATE, DESPITE COUNTER?ACTIONS IN VARIOUS
REGIONS BY GOVERNMENT FORCES. THE VIET CONG HAS THE CAPABILITY OF
CONDUCTING LARGE?SCALE ATTACKS ON PRE?SELECTED TARGETS IN SOME
AREAS OF THE COUNTRY AT ANY TIME,
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