THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST 5 JANUARY 1962

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992125
• 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 5, 1962

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THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST--5 JANUARY 1962
1. LAOS:
A. NO PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE TOWARD BRINGING PHOUMI INTO LINE.
VIENTIANE RADIO IS ENGAGED IN MAKING MUCH OF SOME RECENT SKIRMISHES;
AMBASSADOR BROWN BELIEVES PHOUMI IS ESTABLISHING HIS PRETEXT FOR AN
ATTACK.
B. PHOUMI ON 30 DECEMBER ALERTED HIS COMMANDERS FOR AN ATTACK
"IN THE NEAR FUTURE" ON XIENG KHOUANG, WITH A DIVERSIONARY ATTACK
ON BAN BAN,A TOWN ON THE SUPPLY ROUTE FROM NORTH VIETNAM TO THE
PLAINE DES JARRES.
WE HAVE NO INDICATION OF WHAT
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HIS TIMING MIGHT BE, BUT HE HAS APPARENTLY CANCELLED THE MILITARY
COMMANDERS' MEETING SCHEDULED FOR YESTERDAY AND TODAY IN ORDER TO
KEEP THEM AT THEIR POSTS. :FOUR OF PHOUMI'S BATTALIONS ARE MOVING
NORTH TOWARD THA THOM, THE KEY TO THE SOUTHERN APPROACHES TOA.HE
PLAINE DES JARRES; PHOUMI WAS BARELY RESTRAINED BY BROWN FROMr
ATTACKING THA THOM LAST MONTH.
C. WITH ABOUT 2,000 TROOPS AVAILABLE, LARGELY MEO GUERRILLAS,
PHOUMI WOULD HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF TAKING XIENG XHOUANG TOWN, WHICH
IS GARRISONED BY ONE BATTALION ANSWERING TO KONG LL WE DOUBT,
HOWEVER, THAT HE COULD HOLD IT LONG AGAINST THE COMMUNIST CONCENTRATION
ON THE PLAINE DES JARRES. WE HAVE NOW CONFIRMED BY PHOTO-INTELLIGENCE
THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST 22 T-34 TANKS IN THIS AREA. THE IMPACT OF
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ENEMY TANKS ON THE. MORALE OF GOVERNMENT,FORCES WOULD BE ALL OUT
OF PROPORTION TO THEIR PURELY MILITARY VALUE IN LAOS. FURTHERMORE,
THE WILL-TO-FIGHT OF REGULAR GOVERNMENT FORCES, ALTHOUGH PROBABLY
STRONGER THAN IT WAS LAST WINTER, HAS NOT SO FAR BEEN TESTED IN
HEAVY COMBAT. KONG LE HAS BEEN WARNED BY THE VIET MINH OF THE
PLANS FOR AN ATTACK ON XIENG KHOUANG.
D. PHOUMI APPARENTLY HAS THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE CABINET AND
THE PASSIVE ENDORSEMENT OF THE KING.. LED BY PHOUMI TO BELIEVE.
THAT US AID HAS ALREADY BEEN CUT OFF., THE GOVERNMENT HAS INSTITUTED
MEASURES FOR THE CONTROL OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE. NEWS OF THIS ACTION
HAS REACHED THE PRESS IN VIENTIANE WHICH IS ALSO SPECULATING THAT
WE HAVE ALREADY ACTED.
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2. CHINESE COMMUNIST ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES SERIOUSLY AFFECT
EFFICIENCY OF ARMED FORCES:
LAST YEAR PRODUCTION OF WEAPONS AND RELATED ITEMS WAS
RUNNING AT LESS THAN 16 PERCENT OF PLAN. CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS
WERE TO BE "DRASTICALLY SLASHED. ._SHORTAGES OF SPARE PARTS, POOR
MAINTENANCE, AND HIGH ACCIDENT RATES WERE WIDESPREAD. WE WOULD
WARN, HOWEVER, THAT THESE DIFFICULTIES HAVE PROBABLY NOT AFFECTED
CHINA'S ABILITY TO SUPPORT DISSIDENCE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.
3. GUATEMALA WILL NOT ATTEND OAS: MEETING
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4. MBOYA AND KENYATTA STRUGGLE FOR LEADERSHIP OF LARGEST AFRICAN
PARTY IN KENYA:
MBOYA CLAIMS THAT KENYATTA HAS IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH .A
COMMUNIST-FINANCED FACTION OF EX-MAU MAU EXTREMISTS. THERE WILL
PROBABLY BE A SHOWDOWN AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE IN LONDON
NEXT MONTH. IF THE PARTY BREAKS UP, A RESURGENCE OF TRIBALISM
AND VIOLENCE IS TO BE EXPECTED.
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5. PORTUGUESE REQUEST COMMUNIST CHINESE SUPPORT ON GOA:
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6. WEST NEW GUINEA:
A. U THANT
THOUGHT HE HAD THE AGREEMENT
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HIS AUSPICES. THE INDONESIANS BALKED AT A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, HOWEVER,
APPARENTLY REVERTING TO THEIR TACIT PRECONDITION THAT THE TALKS BE
ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF TURNING OVER THE TERRITORY TO THEM.
B. SUKARNO IS STILL PLAYING THIS LINE IN PUBLIC WITH MORE
INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES.
C. OUR EMBASSY IN THE HAGUE BELIEVES THE DUTCH HAVE DONE ALL
THEY REASONABLY COULD DO TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR NEGOTIATIONS. LUNS SAYS
A INDONESIAN MILITARY MOVE MIGHT COME ANY TIME AFTER THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS, AND INSISTS THAT THE DUTCH WILL RESIST IN EARNEST.
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7. CONGO:
A. TSHOMBE'S MODERATE SPEECH TO THE KATANGA PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY
CONVEYS THE IMPRESSION HE THINKS SOMETHING CAN BE WORKED OUT WITH
ADOULA ON THE BASIS OF THE KITONA AGREEMENT. HE LEFT HIMSELF
ENOUGH LOOPHOLES, HOWEVER, SO THAT WE ARE NOT WILLING TO SAY THAT
ANY PROGRESS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN MADE. THE PARLIAMENT TODAY IS HOLDING
"SECRET" COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO ANALYZE THE AGREEMENT.
B. THE UN HAS CLEARED ONE SOVIET RED CROSS FLIGHT INTO THE
CONGO; THE SECOND HAS NOW REACHED KHARTOUM.
8. NOTES:
A. THE SOVIETS FIRED A SECOND-GENERATION ICBM TO KAMCHATKA
YESTERDAY, THE THIRD SUCCESS IN FOUR ATTEMPTS SINCE THE PACIFIC
SERIES ENDED IN OCTOBER.
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D. THE USSR HAS BEGUN A NEW DRIVE TO INDUCE ARMENIANS OVERSEAS7-
THERE ARE ABOUT A MILLION--TO RETURN.
E. BETANCOURT IS TAKING THE SPLIT IN HIS PARTY VERY SERIOUSLY;
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HE HAS WARNED THE VENEZUELAN ARMED FORCES TO RESPECT HIS CONSTITUTIONAL
AUTHORITY AND NOT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN ANY POLITICAL FACTIONALISM.
F.
ANOTHER TURKISH MILITARY COUP
ONLY A MATTER OF TIME."
G. EMBASSY NEW DELHI REPORTS SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN ARRANGING
INDIAN-PAKISTANI TALKS ON KASHMIR.
H. FRENCH-TUNISIAN SECRET TALKS ON BIZERTE WERE EVIDENTLY
SUCCESSFUL ENOUGH TO WARRANT A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIGH-LEVEL
NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH WAS MADE THIS .MORNING.
I. GHANA HAS TOLD US WITH SOME EMBARRASSMENT THAT MIKOYAN WILL
VISIT THE COUNTRY ON HIS WAY BACK FROM GUINEA.
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