CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A014400090001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 6, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 28, 1969
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Central Intelligence Bulletin
Secret
28 August- 1969
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No. 0206/69
28 August 1969
Central Intelligence Bulletin
CONTENTS
South Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 1)
Arab States - Israel: The Arabs have no immediate
plans to retaliate for the al-Aqsa fire. (Page 2)
Ghana: The program for returning to civilian rule
is entering a critical period. (Page 3)
Venezuela: The tensions between the minister of
defense and his subordinates have increased. (Page 4)
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El Salvador - Honduras: The Central American Com-
mon Market has become a target for Honduran resent-
ment. (Page 6)
Argentina: General strike (Page 7)
Zambia: Government reorganization (Page 7)
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NORTH
VIETNAM
SOUTH VIETNAM
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AVERAGE STRENGTH
OF ENEMY UNITS
Battalion:
VC
200 400
NVA
300- 500
Royimeni:
VC
1.0001,500
NVA
1,200-2.000
Dwuuon:
Vc
5.000 7,000
NVA
5,000-8,000
/Que Son
Valley
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r South Vietnam?
Military action continued to be heaviest in
central,I Corps yesterday.
Allied troops are still encountering stiff
resistance in a week-old drive to dislodge North
Vietnamese regulars from the hills around the Que
Son valley. Communist terrorists were active
elsewhere, with South Vietnamese civilians bearing
the brunt of the a Their casualties were
relatively heavy.
28 Aug 69 Central Intelligence Bulletin
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Arab States - Israel: There are no signs that
the Arabs plan to take any immediate, decisive ac-
tion against Israel in retaliation for the al-Aqsa
fire.
After some days of demonstrations, calls for a
holy war, and threats of renewed hostilities, the
Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo. They decided
to call an Arab League Defense Council meeting
sometime after the first of November. The fedayeen
organizations were given a vote of support and told
to carry on as the symbol of the struggle against
Israel. Morocco and Saudi Arabia were tasked with
convening an Islamic summit, which Egypt and Jordan
may use to wheedle more financial support.
Israel is back to the daily business of border
defense. Its aircraft have struck fedayeen bases
and army positions in Jordan twice during the past
two days .
Israeli spokesmen in Jerusalem have claimed
that the number of incidents and Israeli casualties
are up sharply on all borders. Faced with emotional
calls for holy war and with increased terrorist
incidents both at home and abroad, the Israelis
may believe that the Arabs need to be reminded again
of the reality of Israeli military superiority. To
emphasize this point, Israel last night staged a
deep-penetration commando raid into the Nile Valley.
This attack, like previous such raids, was probably
designed primarily for its psychological impact
rather than as a tactical military blow.
28 Aug 69 Central Intelligence Bulletin
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Ghana: Tomorrow's national election ushers
in a period critical to the success of the program
for a new civilian government.
The elections will determine the membership
of the 140-man parliament established under the new
constitution promulgated by the constituent assembly.
On the eve of the contest, the outcome remains a
toss-up between two major parties. Both of them are
moderate and generally pro-Western.
Kofi Busia's Progress Party may have a slight
edge. Busia has a consistent record of opposition
to the former Nkrumah regime and is popular with
traditionalist elements. He also stands to profit
from the controversy over the eligibility of Komla
Gbedemah, leader of the other major party. There
is a distinct possibility, however, that the balance
of power will go to one or more of the minor parties
participating.
However the voting goes, the losers are not
likely to take defeat gracefully. The postelection
period will be dominated by lawsuits, intense po-
litical maneuvering, and possibly violence. Should
Gbedemah's party win, he would not only face pro-
longed legal challenges over his right to sit in
parliament, but would also have to deal with key
military figures who are basically hostile to him.
If a major impasse threatens to upset an
orderly transition to the new regime, the present
police-military junta is likely to step in and
postpone the changeover now scheduled for the end
of September.
28 Aug 69 Central Intelligence Bulletin 3
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Venezuela: The arrest of three high-ranking
military officers will aggravate tensions between
the minister of defense and his subordinates.
Minister of Defense Garcia is disliked by many
military men because he is considered a weak admin-
istrator and an intellectual. one of the officers
arrested reportedly told a Ministry of Interior
official that Garcia was plotting to overthrow
President Caldera. The President, who is a friend
of Garcia, accepted Garcia's denial, and the officer
was arrested. Another officer was arrested for
"plotting to overthrow the Ministry of Defense,"
There is no evidence that military discontent
has reached any serious level. The recent arrests,
however, coupled with the government's attempts to
come to terms with the Communist insurgents, are
likely to increase military unhappiness with the
Caldera government.
28 Aug 69 Central intelligence Bulletin
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El Salvador - Honduras: The Central American
Common Market, along wit El Salvador and the
United States, is becoming a target for Honduran
resentment.
The Honduran Economist Association has pub-
licly called for a policy of economic nationalism
directed principally against the Central American
integration movement and secondarily against for-
eign capital. A majority of the country's econo-
mists appear to believe that Central American in-
tegration no longer works to the benefit of Hon-
duras and have attacked the cornerstone of the
Common Market, the principle of free intraregional
trade. They have also called for nationalization
of unused land, an end to foreign control of the
banking system, and changes in the laws regulating
exploitation of natural resources.
The economists have also supported the trade
unions' insistence that immigration and labor laws
be strictly enforced against Salvadorans. Because
most Salvadorans in Honduras do not have proper
documentation and few have registered with the
Ministry of Labor, strict enforcement could mean
mass firings and mass deportations. Any such
development would add to the pressures on Salvadoran
President Sanchez tough anti-Honduran policy.
28 Aug 69 Central Intelligence Bulletin
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NOTES
Argentina: Yesterday's nationwide general
strike was quite effective, despite a government
warning that it was illegal. The shutdown was most
successful in the major industrial centers of
Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Cordoba. A few terrorist
incidents were reported, but a heavy deployment of
security forces prevented serious violence. The
government is committed to follow up on its threat
to fire public employees who took part in the strike,
and it may also decide to punish private workers who
participated.
Zambia: President Kaunda's extensive cabinet
and party reorganization on 26 August emphasizes
his pre-eminence in Zambian politics. Kaunda has
extended his direct supervision of key government
departments. He has also lessened the responsibili-
ties of the two rival protagonists for the second
spot in the ruling party and in the government.
The other government changes for the most part
rotate positions. Preliminary information on the
composition of new party organs suggests an effort
to balance the two major tribal-regional groupings.
28 Aug 69 Central Intelligence Bulletin 7
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