THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF - 1968/01/06

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05974210
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

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The President's Daily Brief
it 6 January 1968
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.TOP CRET
DAILY BRIEF
6 JANUARY 1968
1. North Vietnam
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Two camouflaged sites on the coast
south of Thanh Hoa appear to be for
coastal defense missiles. What looks
like the tail of one missile is visible
in 19 December low-altitude photography.
Preliminary examination of the photog-
raphy suggests the missile involved is
the SS-N-2, a naval cruise missile de-
signed by the Soviets for use aboard
missile patrol boats. The missile has
a range of about 20 miles and flies
just under sonic speed.
Each of the sites has six revetted
positions and what appear to be launch
rails can be seen in some of the re-
vetments.
Current and past photography of
the coast is being searched for addf-
tional evidence.
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1,,Set4
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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6 January 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
6 January 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
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Communist Commentary on Trinh Statement and
Rusk's Press Conference: Communist propaganda is
still treading warily in treating Trinh's statement
and Secretary Rusk's comments on it. The Soviet
and Hungarian press have reported both statements
straight with little comment. Most of the other
Communist countries have been silent so far.
Only the Czechs have Claimed that the US has re-
jected the North Vietnamese offer to hold talks. A
5 January Prague broadcast alleged that the US re-
acted to Trinh's statement in a "completely negative
fashion." It charged that the "US is demanding an
assurance from Hanoi that the other side would not
_use the cessation of bombing to improve its military
position." While acknowledging that Secretary Rusk
used "a cautious formulation to give the appearance
of not fully rejecting the offer," the Czechs com-
plained that he did not say how long the US wants
to investigate the proposal for opening talks.
For the most part, the Communists appear to be
biding their time and waiting for a cue from Hanoi
before issuing any authoritative comment.,,
* * *
No Date Yet for Opening of Liberation Front
Press Office in Paris: The Liberation Front re-
presentative in North Vietnam, who has been in
Paris for the past two weeks, has again claimed
that the Front will establish a press office there
"in a few months." No precise date for the opening
was given nor were the individuals to staff it
named.
* * *
Ho in Unusual Spurt of Public Appearances:
Within e pas wo wee s o i Min as ma .e four
separate public appearances. During this time he
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has addressed an anniversary meeting, attended a
Council of Ministers meeting and met with a visit-
ing Mongolian delegation and with the Cambodian
Foreign Minister. During the preceding ten months,
the 77-year-old Ho had been almost completely out
of the public picture; there were persistent re-
ports that he was ill and out of Hanoi.
His current high visibility strongly suggests
that the regime is taking advantage of a period
when Ho is in Hanoi and in apparent good health to
discredit earlier reports of his illness. In refer-
ring to his appearance at the 25 December anniver-
sary meeting, the Hanoi press claimed Ho looked
"strong and healthy."
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report.
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