EASTERN EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00864A000800010069-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2010
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: April 2, 1968
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/18: CIA-RDP79B00864A000800010069-8
2 April 1968
EE Reaction to President Johnson's Speech
Communist news media in Eastern Europe generally view
President Johnson's TV address on 31 March as a strategic
maneuver, the full significance of which remains to be
seen. A UPI report states, however, that according to
"authoritative East European diplomatic sources," Hanoi
believes the Communists have "won the war in principle."
The sharpest critical reaction thus far seems to stem
from Poland, East Germany, and Bulgaria. Each of these
regimes particularly stresses the President's decision to
increase the number of US troops in SVN. Each also
emphasizes the "ambiguity" of both the locales and time
period applying to the plan for reduced bombing.
.In contrast, reaction by Hungarian, Rumanian, Czechoslovak,
and Yugoslav news media generally has stressed factual coverage,
and their commentary has been light.
Albania has reported Washington's increased military
commitment to Saigon, but Tirana stands alone in failing to
inform its listeners of the President's decision not to
seek reelection.
More Old Liners Resign from Czech Party
Jiri Hendrych and Vladimir Koucky, two of the leading
conservatives of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, resigned
on 2 April as the party's central committee reconvened in
plenary session for the third day.
Hendrych had been a member of both the Presidium and
Secretariat as well as a member of the Ideological Commission;
Koucky had been a secretariat member. Both men, leading
theoreticians, were members of the "old guard" who undoubtedly
found the current scene in Czechoslovakia not to their
liking. They have been under fire, along with others of
their ilk, for some time.
COMMENT: Details on the plenum are lacking, but more
personnel changes are expected. Party leader Dubcek presented the
party's action program to the central committee yesterday,
but specifics on this are not yet available.
GROUP I
EXCLUDED FROM AUTOMATIC DOWN-
GRADING AND DECLASSIFICATION
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Czech Supreme Court Deputy President Found Hanged
The Czech Interior Ministry announced on 2 April that
Dr. Josef Brestansky, a deputy president of the Supreme
Court, was found hanged in a woods some 12 miles west of
Prague. Brestansky, who was heading an investigation of trials
held during the Stalinist 1950?s, had been missing since
Thursday. According to AP, the police stated that they were
99% certain that Brestansky had committed suicide. The
Interior Ministry has called a press conference for the
afternoon of April 2nd.
Brestansky?s mysterious disappearance and death has
predictably led to much speculation by both Western and
Czech papers and news-services. One Prague paper, Svobodne
Slovo, ruled out suicide, and asked in an editorial "could
no Dr. Brestansky have been removed because he knew too
much? Perhaps even removed by agents from another country?"
But according to AP, a Bratislava paper accused Brestansky
of framing some chemical plant workers in 1955. Brestansky
learned of this charge on Thursday, and then traveled by
streetcar and taxi to the woods where he was found. The
implication is clear--Brestansky committed suicide rather
than defend himself. The Prague trade union newspaper,
Prace, reported, however, that Brestansky vanished after
eIR -summoned to an important "party" meeting.
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Poles "Postpone" President Ochab's Visit to Iran
The Iranian counselor in Warsaw confirmed on 1 April
that the Poles have inexplicably postponed announcement of
Ochab's visit to Iran, which had been scheduled for the first 25X1
week in May. The announcement of the visit--in return for
the Shah's trip to Poland last year--had been expected at
the end of March.
COMMENT: Even excluding rumors that the ailing Ochab
is on the way out, the intra-party struggle now going
on in Poland is sufficient reason to postpone or cancel the
visit. Although Ochab and his vote on the politburo may be
needed in coming months in Warsaw, his silence throughout
the student crisis and persistent reports that he is slip-
ping point strongly to his being ousted soon.
Hungarian Economic Reform Boss Visits Poland
Rezso Nyers, Hungarian party expert on economic reforms,
left for Warsaw on 1 April at the head of a party delegation.
Nyers was invited to Poland by the Polish Central Committee.
COMMENT: The Polish leadership probably is interested
in the gradualism of the wide ranging Hungarian economic
reform.
Czechoslovak Party Leader To Travel To Rumania
The Austrian ambassador in Bucharest informed Ambassador
Davis that he "understands" Czechoslovak party leader DubceI;
will pay a visit to Rumania toward the end of April. Hungar-
ian party leader Kadar will follow Dubcek to Bucharest in
May, presumably before the De Gaulle visit, now scheduled 25X1
to begin :14 May. The Austrian ambassador based his comments
on conversations he had had with Polish and other Eastern
European diplomats.
COMMENT: Dubcek has had private meetings with the Polish,
Hungarian, and Soviet party leaders since becoming first
secretary. Improved bilateral ties will undoubtedly be the
main subject under discussion during the coming visits. How-
ever, much more progress is expected to stem from Dubcek'9
talks with Rumanian party and state chief Ceausescu than dur-
ing the Kadar-Ceausescu exchanges.
NOTE: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ABOVE REPRESENT
ONLY THE ANALYSIS OF THE EE DIVISION
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/18: CIA-RDP79B00864A000800010069-8