WEEKLY SUMMARY

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CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0
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S
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49
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December 21, 2016
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November 14, 2008
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1
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Publication Date: 
August 14, 1970
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SUMMARY
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Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Secret DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY Secret 45 State Dept. review completed 14 August 1970 No. 0383/70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 25X1 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET CONTENTS (Information as of noon EDT, 13 August 1970) Page FAR EAST Laos: Another Step Closer to Peace Talks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Burma: Progress Against the Insurgents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 China's Foreign Trade Continues to Expand . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Cambodia: Muddling Through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 East Germans in a Quandary over Soviet - West German Treaty USSR: Crop Prospects Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Spain: New Agreement with US Hailed . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Middle East Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 PRE-ELECTION POLITICS IN PAKISTAN SECRET Page i WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET WESTERN HEMISPHERE Bolivia: Political Tension Eases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Balaguer Begins New Term in Dominican Republic . . . . . . . . . 15 Central America: Reaction to Soviet - Costa Rican Trade Deal . . . . 16 Uruguay Government Cracks Down on Tupamaros . . . . . . . . . 17 HAITI: NO PRESENT, NO FUTURE NOTES: Eastern Europe; Czechoslovakia; Togo; Colombia; Cuba - Trinidad and Tobago SECRET Page ii WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET FAR EAST Laos: Another Step Closer to Peace Talks Vientiane is moving rapidly to get peace talks going with the Communists following this week's meeting between Prime Minister Souvanna Phouma and Pathet Lao emissary Souk Vongsak. The Communists have agreed to hold the first round in the talks at Khang Khay, a town on the Plaine des Jarres under their control, and a site they had previously ruled out as "insecure." They rejected, however, Souvanna's proposal that in- termediate talks be omitted in favor of meetings between the three factions-the leftists, the rightists, and the neutralists. The discussions in Khang Khay will be, in effect, between repre- sentatives of the "two sides." Souvanna lost no time in choosing the gov- ernment's negotiating team. He proposed Minister of Interior Pheng Phongsavan, a well-known neutralist, to head the delegation; but, mindful of his problem on the right, he also selected prom- inent rightists in the government and national assemblymen. Pheng was authorized to discuss "technical matters" with the Pathet Lao envoy at the outset of the Khang Khay meetings, including assurances to the Communists of a halt in the bombing in a 15-kilometer (9.3 miles) area around the town. Souvanna anticipates, however, that there might be additional problems to be solved before the talks actually get under way. The prime minister clearly anticipates dif- ficult negotiations ahead, and he has made a special effort to assure his cabinet that there would be full consultations before the delegation departs for Khang Khay. In trying his best to get substantive talks under way before he leaves Laos for an extended trip in early September, however, Souvanna may find that he is moving too fast for some of his long-standing, rightist critics. At least one of them has already charged that Souvanna is prepared to accept a full US bombing halt in return for "inspections" and to consider giving the Communists more cabinet seats than they presently hold. Another rightist-the deputy chief of the government delegation-anticipates rough sledding in hammering out an agenda for the talks, with actual negotiations at Khang Khay unlikely before October at the earliest. For their part, the Communists appear genuinely interested in getting the peace talks moving. This is, of course, far different from being amenable to a reasonable settlement, but the Communists may hope that they can drive a wedge between Souvanna and the US on the bombing issue or perhaps reduce the drain on their resources by substantially reducing the level of m i I itary activity in Laos. 25X1 Burma: Progress Against the Insurgents In a major operation begun in early July, the Burmese Army has made gains against Communist insurgents in northern Shan State near the Chinese border. The Burmese military regime, alarmed over incursions by the Communists far beyond their normal area of operations during the dry season earlier this year, decided to make concentrated effort to contain the rebels. This led to a command reorganization and an augmenta- tion of troop strength, which have paid dividends. The major success achieved was the recap- ture on 23 July of the town of Mong Si, which had been abandoned by the government earlier SECRET Page 1 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 %swe SECRET this year. Previously, in a three-hour battle with a 500-man Communist force east of Kutkai on 21 July, the government claims to have killed over 100 rebels. Despite its own relatively heavy losses and some retaliatory rebel ambushes, the army appears to have regained the upper hand, at least temporarily. Advances in the northeast have been matched in the Irrawaddy Delta closer to Rangoon, an area long plagued by Burmese Com- munist Party insurgents and by tribal Karen rebels of both Communist and non-Communist bent. In this area the army believes it has reversed a de- Page 2 teriorating situation of several months' duration that was caused by troop deployments to the northeast. Renewed army pressure in the delta is bringing more of the area under government con- trol, and the insurgents, being kept constantly on the move, are now finding it difficult to operate in as large bands as before. Both Communist and non-Communist insurgents in this area are never- theless able to make their presence felt. The rebel practice of taking revenge on village militia forces after the withdrawal of army units illustrates the necessity for a continuing military presence, which in many localities the army is unable to provide. Despite its recent successes, the army does not appear disposed to move much farther or to overextend itself in northern Shan State. An army spokesman says, for example, that no attempt will be made to retake the border town of Kyu- hkok, lost to Communist rebels in March, lest firing into China incur a reaction by Peking. The government, furthermore, apparently does not plan to conduct operations in the area east of the Salween River, abandoned to the Communists over a year ago and over which the Communists have evidently established firm control. SECRET WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET China's Foreign Trade Continues to Expand Peking's foreign trade is increasing for the second straight year from the low levels of the Cultural Revolution. Early trade returns, along with current contract information, suggest that total trade this year will exceed last year's by about ten percent and will approach the record $4.3-billion mark set in 1959. The free world now accounts for about 80 percent of this trade. An outstanding feature is the increase in trade with Japan, which, for the first half of this year, is up 77 percent over the same period last year, to more than $425 million. This largely reflects an upsurge in Japanese deliveries of steel and chemicals under 1969 contracts. Trade with Western Europe during the first part of the year is slightly ahead of the 1969 level. Growth in trade with the United Kingdom and France has largely offset declines elsewhere in Europe. This pattern could be altered somewhat by Chou En-lai's decree last April to halt Chinese trade with Japanese subsidiaries of US firms and firms that conduct business with Taiwan and South Korea. Peking may not enforce this restric- tion to the letter, but business conducted during and since the spring Canton trade fair suggests that China is shifting some of its Japanese trade to Western Europe. Japanese businessmen are optimistic, however, that by the end of the year Sino-Japanese trade will reach a record $700 mil- lion. Current negotiations show a strong Chinese interest in the import of machine tools, textile machinery, and machinery for processing paper and plastics. Peking already has contracted for $70 million worth of trucks, and steel imports probably will exceed last year's purchases of $145 million. Peking continues to purchase large quantities of copper, platinum, and other nonferrous metals. Imports of these goods, which reached unprec- edented highs last year, are in part related to Chinese stockpiling. Peking's effort to build up reserves of these basic materials probably is the result of strategic as well as industrial consider- ations. Chinese exports also are expected to increase in 1970. First quarter exports to Hong Kong and Singapore-Peking's principal source of hard cur- rency-are moderately above the 1969 level. Sales of traditional Chinese agricultural goods at the spring trade fair showed a marked improvement over last year. Although Chinese metals were again in short supply, Peking may soon liberalize their sale. All 1970 trade agreements with Eastern Europe call for modest increases and should boost trade above the $280 million recorded last year. SECRET Page 3 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET THAILAND = Comrnunist-controlled SECRET Page 4 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECKE1' Cambodia: Muddling Through Military activity in Cambodia has tapered off since government forces repulsed a series of large- scale Communist attacks last week on the isolated provincial capital of Kompong Thom. The Com- munists appear to have shifted their major at- tention to the adjacent provinces of Siem Reap and Kompong Cham. I n Kompong Cham, the enemy launched a drive to isolate Kompong Cham city by attacking government positions to the west along Route 7, the major land route from Phnom Penh. The towns of Skoun and Prey Totung on Route 7 have been subjected to continuing Communist harassing attacks since their recent recapture by government forces. In the west, the Communists stepped up pressure on the provincial capital of Siem Reap by attacking nearby government positions along Route 6. The city itself has again been subjected to harassing attacks. Land access to the city is under Communist control, although the enemy has been forced to relinquish the crossroads town of Kralanh. Farther north, the situation in Oddar Mean- chey Province continues to deteriorate. The pro- vincial governor, upon receiving a report of large enemy troop concentrations in the eastern part of the province, has ordered the evacuation of mili- tary dependents from the poorly defended pro- vincial capital of Samrong. Government forces in the province have received little support from Phnom Penh The Communists are also active south of amrong, as they move to extend their control over the entire province and adjacent areas north of Route 6. Meanwhile, small enemy elements made sev- eral probing attacks near Phnom Penh. Although the city itself has been free of incidents, the recent flurry of enemy activity portends raids in the near future. Prime Minister Lon Nol has re- cently ordered the police to increase vigilance in the city, but the Communists probably will be able to get troops into the capital if they so desire. The situation at Kirirom has eased, with the Communists reportedly withdrawing from several positions in the town. Earlier in the week, three government battalions moving toward Kirirom re- portedly suffered heavy casualties when they were ambushed about two miles from the town. The district capital of Saang was again hit by the Communists, but it is still in government hands. SECRET Page 5 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET Vietnam: There are additional signs that the North Vietnamese have selected an allied outpost in the remote mountains some 25 miles west of Hue as a target for another persistent siege. Enemy shellings and ground probes around Fire Support Base O'Reilly have increased steadily during the past week and a sizable enemy force is massing in the vicinity. The reinforced South Vietnamese battalion defending O'Reilly has suffered relatively light casualties so far, but there is growing concern that the enemy may intend to repeat the same kind of sustained pres- sure that caused US forces to abandon nearby Fire Support Base Ripcord last month. The commander of the South Vietnamese 1st Division has asserted that his forces will not with- draw from the forward artillery and patrol base, thus increasing the likelihood of a significant bat- tle. The commander, a respected officer, appar- ently has made at least a preliminary determina- tion that the outpost is in a viable defensive position and that it is better to fight the North Vietnamese in the mountains than along the pop- ulated coastal lowlands. The North Vietnamese probably reason that an attempt to break through to the coast in force would be too costly right now. Pressure against the allied defense screen in the mountains of western Quang Tri and Thua Thien provinces, on the other hand, would have certain advantages. These include attrition of US and South Vietnam- ese units and their diversion from more populated areas, and the immobilization of South Vietnam- ese forces that have been rumored planning to attack Communist supply lines and bases along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in nearby Laos. Stepped-up enemy action in the western reaches of the north- ernmost provinces also frees Communist local force and guerrilla units in the lowlands to in- crease their harassments and localized actions. The Communists reportedly have begun ac- tions in the lowlands that appear intended to set back the government pacification program. This program has been relatively successful along the northern coast during the past two years. The Communists have not put a high military priority on this region since 1968 and tens of thousands of South Vietnamese have been gathered behind an as yet not seriously tested shield of territorial security forces. If the Communists keep up the pressure in the mountains, however, and at the same time make many more forays along the coast, government security gains may be severely challenged. Preparations for Senate Elections Many South Vietnamese political leaders have firmed up their strate for the 30 Au ust Senate elections. It is not clear how the preferred candidate lists are to be supported, but the Information Minister and his top deputies are to tour the provinces to pass the word directly to their subordinates. In past elections, local govern- ment personnel have found ways in the course of their official duties to create advantages for some candidates and to discriminate against others. There were earlier indications that the Presi- dent would back the Huyen, Cao, and Le lists, SECRET Page 6 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 ..?' SECRET but it now appears that he may confine his sup- port to working behind the scenes through the bureaucracy. The Le slate's prospects are not as good as the other two, and Thieu probably pre- fers not to risk his prestige by endorsing only favored slates. Meanwhile, two opposition slates that the government reportedly believes would damage its interests if elected may cooperate with one an- other. Leaders of the militant An Quang Bud- dhists allegedly have decided that, in addition to backing the list headed by Buddhist layman Vu Van Mau, they will also support the slate led by Nguyen Ngoc Huy of the Progressive Nationalist Movement (PNM). The PNM has been a moderate opposition party so far and its leaders supported the government's suppression of the 1966 Bud- dhist "struggle movement." There are three prom- inent Buddhist laymen on the PNM ticket, how- ever, and the Buddhists apparently will support the list because of the PNM's strength in the southern provinces, where An Quang is relatively weak. If this election agreement is backed up by good voting discipline, the chances of these op- position slates will be greatly enhanced. New demonstrations against the Thieu gov- ernment by disabled veterans' groups have flared in Saigon and in a provincial capital. Clashes be- tween veterans and police last week were touched off after the police tore down some of the squat- ter shacks built by protesting veterans. The agita- tion abated only after government officials promised to leave veterans' shacks intact and to negotiate further with them. There is no firm evidence of over-all direc- tion to the veterans' agitation, and the causes of the incidents are dissimilar. Many veterans around the country, however, are concluding that they can use force with relative impunity to get what they want. The Saigon government is extremely re- luctant to use harsh tactics against the veterans because of the sympathy they enjoy in the army. Police have complained that, although they are responsible for containing unrest, they receive little backing from the top leadership. President Thieu and his government in the past have been able, with a mixture of firmness and conciliation, to prevent demonstrations of this nature from getting too far out of hand. The more militant veteran factions, however, remain unappeased and seem determined to instigate further violence. If the violence continues to spread, the government will be forced to adopt tougher measures to bring the situation under control. SECRET Page 7 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET EASTERN EUROPE: The Soviet - West German first Soviet diplomacy and secondly Brandt's po- nonaggression treaty has elicited a favorable and litical courage, most news media characterized the optimistic echo among all Eastern European treaty as a step in the direction of a new regimes except maverick Albania, which called it European security system by encouraging West a "plot against the German people." Crediting German reconciliation with the rest of the Soviet SECRET Paae 8 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 VOW SECRET bloc. The Poles, claiming "coauthorship" of the accord, have particularly stressed their key role in preliminary negotiations between Bonn and East- ern Europe, while the Romanians depicted it as confirming the principles of equal rights, national independence, and noninterference in the internal affairs of other states. The optimistic Yugoslavs, who took the broadest view, focused on the possibility that the treaty would reflect favorably on the prospects for general East-West detente, and specifically on US-Soviet relations via the East Germans in a Quandary Over Soviet - West German Treaty The conclusion of the Soviet - West German nonaggression treaty appears to have impelled the East German regime to accelerate its drive to gain international recognition as soon as possible. At the same time, Pankow's fears that Ostpolitik is making inroads into Eastern Europe at East Ge-- many's expense has led it to soften its heretofore belligerent attitude toward continuing a viable, substantive dialogue with Bonn. Apparently anticipating the impact of the treaty signing, East German party chief Walter Ulbricht last week sent letters to several NATO and nonaligned countries asking for the establish- ment of diplomatic relations and for UN mem- bership for both German states. The assistance of other Soviet bloc representatives in delivering the messages suggests that Moscow is encouraging this hard-sell campaign, and is trying to help East Germany obtain a negotiating initiative before the East and West German heads of government meet again. Top East German leaders continue to differ on how to respond to the relatively rapid progress of the Brandt government's policy toward Eastern Europe, but they are almost certainly united in the view that Ostpolitik poses a threat to Pan- kow's efforts to maintain East Germany as a separate state. The East Germans, for example, no doubt are disturbed by the USSR - West German treaty's allusions to nonpermanent borders, re- unification of Germany, and residual four-power rights-all issues that Pankow considers non- negotiable. Thus far no top East German official has publicly commented on the treaty. The press hailed the agreement as "good news" insofar as European security is concerned, but gave the pact less positive treatment than the other Eastern European regimes. Once again the news media emphasized that Bonn should recognize Pankow in the interest of East-West detente and peace, and made another plea for admission to the UN. Nevertheless, the nonaggression treaty has taken some of the wind out of East Germany's sails. In the last two months there have been indications-notably Ulbricht's speech to the June party plenum-that the East Germans are now more inclined than formerly to sit at the con- ference table with the West Germans. Ulbricht, in fact, is said to be planning to visit Moscow later this month to discuss East - West German relations in the aftermath of the treaty. One probable topic is the problems af- fecting Berlin-an issue upon which Pankow reportedly is becoming more flexible. West German Foreign Minister Scheel has said that the Bonn-Moscow treaty will not be ratified until there is a significant improvement in the Berlin situation. Pankow now may be hoping that some concessions on its part will generate a reciprocal willingness by Brandt to grant some of the major concessions that the Ulbricht regime has long been seeking. SECRET Page 9 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Party leader Husak re- turned from the Soviet Union on 11 August after a three-week "vacation" that included substantive talks with Brezhnev. In particular, the two leaders probably discussed the Prague regime's purge of former reformists. They may possibly even have agreed on what to do with Alexander Dubcek, who is presently unemployed. Husak un- dou to y assured Brezhnev that the necessary security precautions would be taken to quell any disturbances during the second anniversary of the Soviet invasion on 20-21 August. In the light of the recently concluded Soviet - West German non- aggression pact, Brezhnev and Husak also may have reviewed Prague's relations with Bonn. The Czechoslovak news agency on 11 August hinted that Prague might be receptive to West German overtures regarding a similar agreement. For his part, Husak probably was again fishing for more demonstrative Soviet support, possibly through a reduction of Soviet forces in Czechoslo- vakia. USSR: Crop Prospects Good As of mid-July, the condition of Soviet agri- cultural crops was good, and a record or near- record grain harvest appears to be in the making. The occurrence of bad weather before the end of the harvesting season, however, could change the picture markedly. A good harvest will permit some upgrading of the still-drab diet of the Soviet consumer both directly and through the provision of more and better livestock feed, and it will make more raw materials available for certain industries. More- over, it will lessen the Soviet need to import agricultural products and will put the USSR in a position to help those Eastern European states that are experiencing setbacks in grain production this year. Variations in the weather have caused yields to fluctuate widely from year to year, but over the last decade grain production has increased at an average annual rate of about 3.5 percent. Net output of all agricultural products has trended upward also, but less rapidly. The gradual up- swing in crop production reflects the increased use of mineral fertilizer and other chemicals and the introduction of improved plant varieties. Greater mechanization, land improvement through irrigation and drainage, and the adoption of better cropping practices also have con- tributed. Despite continuing improvement, how- ever, the agricultural sector still suffers from a general shortage of supplies and equipment. Thanks largely to favorable weather, this year's grain harvest promises to approximate or surpass the 1966 record of 140 million metric tons of usable grain. Unlike last year, when much of the area that had been seeded in the fall was subjected to extensive winterkill and had to be resown in the spring, fall-sown grains have win- tered relatively well and promise excellent yields. As the yield per unit of land generally is much greater in the USSR for fall-sown grain than for spring-sown grain, this year's return to a higher proportion of the former brightens prospects for the over-all harvest. Crop conditions also are good in practically all spring grain areas, largely because the supply of soil moisture has been better than usual. The total grain area to be harvested is down slightly from last year, however, apparently be- cause a larger area has been left fallow to enhance yields in the future. SECRET Page 10 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET The outlook for nongrain crops is also better than a year ago. By July, the cotton crop in Central Asia was developing about a week in advance of normal and two to three weeks earlier than last year, a development favoring a higher yield. Recovery from last year's sharp decline in sugar-beet production also is in prospect. Sun- flowers, the major oilseed crop, probably were planted on a slightly smaller area than last year, but the condition of the plants is better and yields are likely to be higher. In addition, the harvest of potatoes, other vegetables, and fruits is expected to be substantially larger than a year ago. Spain: New Agreement with US Hailed The Spanish press and government officials have played up the gains for Spain in the new Agreement of Friendship and Cooperation with the US that was signed in Washington last week. The new five-year accord replaces completely the Defense Agreement of 1953 and its subsequent extensions. Nearly every Spanish newspaper referred to the accord by its new title and not as a "base agreement" and emphasized the extension of the accord to areas other than military, such as agri- culture, science, and education. The press noted that the agreement includes a new administrative system for the formerly jointly administered "Spanish-American bases on Spanish territory" and that the bases are under Spanish sovereignty. Spanish newspapers treat the executive-legis- lative discussion of the accord in the United State`s as a US internal constitutional problem and comment that under international law there is no difference between an executive agreement and a treaty. In meeting with the press on his return to Madrid after the signing, Foreign Minister Lopez Bravo lauded the agreement and stressed the value of the personal contacts made in concluding it, including his own sessions with Secretary Rogers and his meeting with President Nixon. Referring to the use in the press of various figures on the value of the aid to be provided to Spain, he glossed over Spain's failure to receive the quid pro quo originally sought by asserting that a value could not be placed on a relationship of friend- ship and cooperation. Lopez Bravo also said that the new agree- ment links Spain militarily with the North At- lantic Treaty Organization. He cited in this con- nection the tie between the air alert system for Spain and that protecting NATO members. He also sees a link for Spain with NATO in the provision that the chief of US forces in Europe, who is also the NATO commander, will have an advisory role in administering the US-Spanish ac- cord. In an interpretation that goes beyond terms of the agreement, the foreign minister claimed that in it the US declares its favorable disposition toward the Spanish objective of arriving at a total integration with the European Communities through successive stages. His remarks may create the impression in Madrid that Washington now is inclined not to oppose the preferential trade agreement signed in July between Spain and the EC. Lopez Bravo may play up his role in the successful negotiations with the United States to improve his domestic political fortunes. He can expect the favorable headlines to counter the rumors of his impending replacement because of his alleged involvement in the MATESA export SECRET Page 11 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET pw~ fraud case. This publicity will also counteract the him the go-ahead, appears to have resulted more petition of 82 Cortes members for further study from anger over his failure to allow questions of the agreement. The petition, which was sub- from committee members than from opposition mitted following Lopez Bravo's briefing on 27 to the a reement itself. 25X1 July of the Foreign Affairs Committee that gave SECRET Page 12 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA Middle East Situation In the first few days of its establishment on 7 August, the Egyptian-Israeli cease-fire was gen- erally observed-at least along the Suez Canal itself-with only a few scattered violations having been reported. There were some exchanges of small-arms fire, and Israeli planes have apparently overflown Egyptian territory. Subsequently, the Israelis alleged that the Egyptians had violated the cease-fire by moving antiaircraft missiles toward the Suez Canal. On the "eastern front" along the Lebanese and Jordanian borders, the tempo of incidents has picked up since the cease-fire. The Israelis re- sponded on 9, 11, and 12 August with air strikes at fedayeen targets in the Mount Hermon area of Lebanon, inflicting some casualties on the com- mandos. The Palestine guerrilla organizations are con- tinuing their attempts to sabotage the recent peace moves, apparently undaunted by efforts of Egypt and others to persuade them to end their opposition or by the general Arab support for a settlement. The central committee of the Pales- tine Liberation Organization, in issuing a call for a Vietnam-type war in the Middle East, urged all who have been supporting the fedayeen move- ment to continue their material and political aid. Despite these calls to action, however, the peace effort seems to have thrown the fedayeen into some confusion as to just how to handle the situation. Some groups were urging attacks on and sabotage of US interests, while others seemed to be urging caution in moving contrary to the wishes of Nasir and the fedayeen's financial backers. FA -rocket attack last weekend against the o om potash plant suggests that the fed- ayeen may be planning -to strike at other such "off-limits" targets as the Sodom plant and the port of Elat in an attempt to irritate the Israelis. In Jordan, the fedayeen were continuing to look warily over their shoulder at the govern- ment. A fedayeen newspaper warned that at- tempts by Amman to curb guerrilla activities and to crush the fedayeen movement could lead to further clashes between the government and the SECRET Page 13 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 fedayeen. SECRET sion calling for a contractual agreement with the Arabs regarding "secure, recognized, and agreed" borders prior to any Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. By the middle of the week, however, the "spirit of crisis" had reportedly faded. Nevertheless, the flap underlined the Is- raelis' high degree of suspicion and sensitivity, and reaffirmed Israeli intentions to resist any change in their long-established policies on with- drawal. Initial popular reactions in both Egypt and Israel to the cease-fire have been a blend of euphoria and caution. In Israel, left and center groups have hailed the cease-fire with unreserved satisfaction. Spokesmen for Gahal, which left the governing coalition in protest over acceptance of the cease- fire, have now given it grudging acceptance. Out- right opposition has been voiced only by groups on the extreme-right fringe. A feeling of cautious optimism has arisen that there may now be at least a small chance for peace. This feeling is tempered, however, by fears-expressed by spokesmen for all shades of Israeli opinion-that Israel will face strong pressure from the US and others for large-scale withdrawal. Earlier, the Israelis were upset with the US because a key Israeli condition was not men- tioned in the announcement of the resumption of the mission of Gunnar Jarring, the UN Middle East peace envoy. Israeli Government sources pointed out that Tel Aviv's formal acceptance, which was passed to the US, contained a provi- The cease-fire and peace effort also created euphoria in Egypt. In fact, there was popular speculation that a settlement would be reached in three months. Egyptian leaders were not so san- guine, however, and Nasir has continued to mini- mize the chances of an agreement. He held a top-level strategy session on 10 August at which Cairo's negotiators reportedly were given instruc- tions for their contacts with US and UN officials regarding the peace mission. At UN headquarters in New York, mediator Jarring continued to prod the Arab and Israeli delegates to agree on a time, place, and level for talks. Jarring fears that unless these procedural matters are settled soon, his efforts will lose mo- mentum and collapse. Jordan and Egypt have informed Jarring that they favor a New York location for the talks and will appoint their UN ambassadors as chief negotiators. As of 13 Au- gust, Israel had not made its views known to the mediator, but it reportedly favors talks in Cyprus at the foreign-minister level. TOGO: President Eyadema's military govern- ment announced this week that it had foiled an imminent coup attempt by arresting 17 conspira- tors, some of them Ghanaians and Dahomeans. Denounced as key plotters were a disaffected Togolese police official and two politicians prom- inent in the regime of Togo's first president, Sylvanus Olympio, who was assassinated in 1963. One of the accused, Noe Kutuklui, has been in exile in Dahomey since 1966 because of his par- ticipation in a previous coup against the govern- ment. He has been placed under arrest by the Dahomeans and will probably be exiled to a third country. The plot appears to have been an espe- cially hare-brained scheme, but it has given Eyadema a chance to neutralize the few opposi- tion elements that exist and to forestall any fu- ture plotting on their part. SECRET Page 14 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET WESTERN HEMISPHERE Bolivia: Political Tension Eases The conflict between President Ovando and his top military officers appears to have eased somewhat this week, although probably only temporarily. The President has capitulated to military demands on the formation of the new cabinet. The retention of the old cabinet, minus leftist Information Minister Bailey, met the mil- itary's immediate and most obvious demand, but mutual doubts and suspicions that have been aroused will make it extremely difficult for the government to function smoothly. Although the political tension has eased somewhat in La Paz as a result of the President's actions, it seems likely that the relaxation will be only temporary in view of the acrimonious words that passed between Ovando and the men with whom he now must work closely. Continued maneuvering for position by both the President and the armed forces leaders seems inevita- ble. Balaguer Begins New Term in Dominican Republic President Joaquin Balaguer will be inaugu- that any statements of intentions might raise. rated for his second four-year term as Dominican president on 16 August. Although he has prom- ised to form a government of "national unity" including representatives from major opposition parties, his plans regarding cabinet appointments are a well-kept secret. As before his inauguration in 1966, Balaguer has remained silent in order to prevent his opponents from capitalizing on issues All parties except the Dominican Revo- lutionary Party (PRD) have indicated a limited willingness to cooperate, but the President has refrained from making many concrete offers. In a press conference this week, Balaguer said that none of the opposition leaders with whom he had talked had presented platforms that coincided with his own. SECRET Page 15 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET Opposition parties appear divided on the issue of participation. The directorate of the Revolutionary Social Christian Party has decided not to participate in the new government, but has left its technicians free to accept positions on a personal basis. PRD leader Juan Bosch publicly refused President Balaguer's invitation to attend the inaugural ceremonies. Another party spokes- man, however, left the door open to PRD partici- pation some time in the future. Although the leader of a rigiht-wing party, former General Wes- sin y Wessin, has rejected participation, several of his colleagues reportedly are negotiating with the government and may decide to cooperate. Even without the active participation of op- position political groups, President Balaguer has reason for entering his new term with confidence. His strong personal victory in the relatively hon- est elections in May was buttressed by over- whelming congressional and municipal majorities for his Reformist Party. In the short run, at least, his control of the government has been rein- forced. There has been little violence in the Do- minican Republic since mid-July, although the government still has military and police forces on special alert. As inauguration day approaches, the PRD may organize some anti-Balaguer demonstra- tions, but the government appears capable of con- taining any disorders that might develop. 25X1 Central America: Reaction to Soviet - Costa Rican Trade Deal An upsurge in Costa Rica's trade contacts with Eastern European countries is providing Communist nations access to an area that hereto- fore has generally rejected their overtures for dip- lomatic relations and formal trade agreements. Neighboring governments have expressed appre- hension, however, and Costa Rican press and busi- ness interests have been especially critical. Costa Rica's traditional aloofness from Com- munist countries has faded during the past year because of the need to dispose of surplus coffee, and interest in Soviet and Eastern European mar- kets has increased markedly since President Figueres was inaugurated in May. Hungary and Bulgaria have been added to the diplomatic list, but Figueres' main concentration has been on concluding a commercial agreement with the USSR, which was signed on 26 June. Substantial amounts of coffee have been sold to the USSR for cash. In addition, the Soviet Union would like to sell road-building equipment:, for which Costa Rica has been offered a loan of about $10 mil- lion. Conservative and business circles have voiced considerable opposition to this policy, especially to the proffered loan and to the protocol SECRET Page 16 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET provisions of the commercial agreement, which would give the trade mission diplomatic status. This opposition may be reflected in the Legisla- tive Assembly when the trade agreement and the loan come before that 'body after 1 September. Approval of the commercial agreement requires only a majority, which the government may be able to manage. It would be more likely to be approved without the protocol, and President Figueres has been under pressure to abrogate that portion. The loan, however, will require approval by two thirds of the deputies, and is much less certain of passage. Opposition has also beer. expressed privately by high-level officials of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Although other Central American countries have also sold coffee to Eastern Europe, they do not wish to see a Soviet presence estab- lished in Central America.. Costa Rican Communists, in a flurry of capitalistic planning, hope to take advantage of trade channels with the. USSR by establishing several commercial outlets in Costa Rir~ for PvPrvthina from motorcycles to medicine. Uruguay (.government Cracks Down on Tupamaros The Pacheco administration is maintaining its adamant refusal to release prisoners demanded by the extreme leftist Tupamaros in exchange for a US agricultural specialist and a Brazilian diplo- mat. Al. the same time, the government is broad- ening its roundup of suspected terrorists and sympathizers. President Pacheco and other high officials expressed sorrow and indignation over the Tupa- maros' murder of US AID public safety adviser Dan Mitrione last Sunday. The killing probably has strengthened their determination not to ac- cede to the terrorists' demands for the freedom of all their jailed comrades in exchange for Brazilian diplomat Aloysio Dias Gomide and US agricul- tural specialist Claude Fly. This refusal is con- sistent with the government's position in the Tupamaros'' previous three major abductions, all involving Uruguayans--one of them a close friend of President Pacheco. All three were eventually released unharmed. On Monday, Congress granted the executive unprecedented powers to deal with the terrorist problem. The suspension of individual liberties was granted for 20 days, and an extension could be authorized if required. The strong support for the extraordinary measures by the usually frac- tious Congress was a sign of recognition of the seriousness of the terrorism problem. Armed with the special powers to search and arrest, about 10,000 soldiers and policemen fanned out through Montevideo in a block-by- block search for the Tupamaros and their hos- tages, despite terrorist warnings that the two were well but would be killed if their location was discovered. The raids have netted at least two dozen suspected Tupamaros, including one of the organization's founders and leaders, Raul Sendic. Also detained in the dragnet were a Protestant minister and a Catholic priest known to have proleftist sympathies and possibly having ties to the Tupamaros. In some cases the public SECRET Page 17 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug /0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET applauded security forces arresting suspects. The government also recovered part of a large cache of arms stolen by the Tupamaros from a naval ar- senal last May. Brazil has increased pressure on the Pacheco government to do everything possible-by impli- cation including giving in to the Tupamaros' demands-in order to secure the release of Dias Gomide. Most of the Brazilian press has sharply criticized the Uruguayan officials and asserted that they will be "morally responsible" if the diplomat is killed, Some Brazilian officials have pointed out in public statements that they have freed 60 dangerous subversives in order to ensure the safety of three foreign diplomats, and they maintain that the Uruguayans should do no less. The Brazilians reportedly have increased some- what their military forces along the Uruguayan border, ostensibly to cut off any fleeing Tupa- maros, but also presumably as another means of putting pressure on the Pacheco government. If the diplomat is killed, a marked deterioration in relations between the two neighbors appears likely. The government has reaped some gains from the unfortunate episode. The number of Tupa- maros in custody is probably nearing 175. An even greater benefit could be a recognition by the public that the struggle is not between the Tupa- maros and the police, but rather between the terrorists and the Uruguayan people. COLOMBIA: Following his peaceful inaugura- tion on 7 August amidst tight security measures, President Pastrana has selected a cabinet that underlines his intention to carry on the moderate lines of his predecessor. The key figure on do- mestic policy will be Minister of Government Joaquin Vallejo, a leading economist and capable executive who has served in many top posts. The new foreign minister, Alfredo Vasquez, is con- sidered friendly to the United States but as ambassador to the OAS during the Dominican crisis in 1965 he was quite critical of the role of the US and of the OAS in trying to resolve the problem. CUBA - TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: The eight- man Cuban agricultural delegation that traveled to Port of Spain on 10 August has received a warm welcome. A Havana University official who is heading the delegation conveyed Fidel Castro's personal greetings to Prime Minister Eric Williams, who will host a reception for the group during its twelve-day stay. The delegation chief said that he hoped that "with this type of association some link" would be established between the two coun- tries and gave a special greeting to the students and faculty of the University of the West Indies. Although the visitors will probably concern them- selves primarily with agricultural and technical talks, Havana apparently is hopeful that such con- tacts will eventually develop into more formal ties and in the long run help to overcome Cuba's isolation in the hemisphere. SECRET Page 18 WEEKLY SUMMARY 14 Aug 70 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 25X1 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Next 1 Page(s) In Document Denied Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Secret DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY Special Report Pre Election Politics in Pakistan Secret N2 44 14 August 1970 No. 0383/70A Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 25X1 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 ~l,~.lCr 1 PRE-ELECTION POLITICS IN PAKISTAN Twenty-three years after its inception, Pakistan may at last be moving toward truly representative government. Ironically, it is also in the midst of one of its most unsettling and precarious periods, with its continuation as a viable country seriously in question. Pakistan is not unfamiliar with national instability. In its initial years, the country experienced such chaos under a series of shaky coalition governments that army commander Ayub Khan's take-over in 1958 brought a nationwide sigh of relief. In the next ten years, Pakistan moved from military to civilian rule, but the latter eventually proved to be essentially autocratic in nature, designed primarily to preserve President Ayub's supremacy. Special Report _ 1 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Ayub's gradual isolation from the opinions and needs of his people precipitated his downfall and the renewal of martial law in March 1969 In contrast with Ayub and his entourage, President Yahya Khan and his senior military colleagues apparently have no desire to continue governing. With a combination of firmness and fairness, Yahya has moved deliberately toward basic reforms and toward an orderly transfer of power to civilian leaders. Despite some skepticism, most observers believe that elections for a national constituent assembly and for provincial assemblies will take place by the end of the year. Subsequent developments- the negotiations leading to a satisfactory constitution, the viability of a government run by squabbling politicians long out of power, and the long-range outlook for a stable, united Pakistan-- are far more diff cult to foresee or to regard with optimism. A cursory survey of the present situation generates a disquieting feeling of deja vu. In a great many respects, Pakistan seems to be where it was in 1958 with a military regime, surrounded by all-too-familiar political faces and parties, is- sues, and problems. A closer look, however, re- veals that the approach of the current regime toward the country's difficulties is considerably more enlightened than Ayub Khan's. Ayub was a military man, not a politician. He made no at- tempt to develop the essential tools to deal realistically with the political inexperience, regional antagonisms, and economic disparities that troubled Pakistan. The political system he dlevised was based on indirect election and, in effect, prevented the regular political parties from operating on a normal basis. When Yahya Khan assumed control of the country and declared martial law in March 1969, he probably had no clear idea of where his regime was headed. He recognized, however, that he must avoid the mistakes that had ruined his predecessor and plunged Pakistan into chaos. His immediate task of restoring peace and order was achieved quickly. He then settled down to the troublesome glob of sorting out Pakistan's myriad problems and formulating policies to solve them. The tedious process generated criticism: progres- Special Report sives believed he was moving too slowly and in- decisively, and conservatives considered that he was moving much too fast. From the beginning, Yahya insisted that his would be simply an "interim" administration, designed to prepare the proper conditions for a 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 NOTE; " Azad Koshmir Stote" L considered a province. !ong: Special Report 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 NOR E H1 WEST Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 ~)L,lAK1, 1 transfer of power to duly-elected civilian officials. His credibility as a caretaker president increased as his efforts to carry out this transfer moved steadily forward. Constituent assembly elections, now sched- uled for 5 October, will be based on a one man - one vote formula that will give more populous East Pakistan an assembly majority. Provincial elections are to follow, not later than 22 October. Prohibitions against political activity were re- moved on 1 January, and the breakup of West Pakistan into four ethnolinguistic provinces was carried out as promised on 1 July. Despite some political pressure to postpone elections until after the fall monsoon floods recede in East Pakistan, Yahya has so far stuck to his original timetable lest any change be con- strued as a weakening of his resolve to relinquish power. In mid-August, however, he visited the flood-ravaged eastern wing. His statement that flooding had surmounted elections as his fore- most concern, together with the government's failure to release the election schedule on 10 August as expected, increased speculation that Yahya might indeed postpone elections, probably until December. In the meantime, the country has remained relatively quiet. The unrest and violence among students and laborers that marked Ayub's final days in office has virtually disappeared. The stu- dents stopped protesting almost immediately after Yahya took over, and their few public demonstrations since then have occurred pri- marily in East Pakistan. For the most part, these have been incidents of infighting among rival stu- dent groups rather than antigovernment agitation. Laborers have been somewhat more active, having been encouraged by the martial law regime's initial lenient and conciliatory attitude. In recent months, however, strikes and other labor difficulties-including violent internecine clashes-have been dealt with firmly as Yahya attempted to establish a "no-nonsense" image. A Special Report few communal disturbances in both East and West Pakistan have also been handled satisfac- torily, although the tensions remain. Thus far, the electoral campaign has been relatively peaceful, despite the disruption of a number of political rallies and meetings by followers of rival poli- ticians. In outlining his election plan in November 1969, President Yahya made it clear that pre- and post-election activity would have to follow cer- tain rules and that violence would not be tol- erated. Yahya stipulated, for example, that the constituent assembly must formulate its constitu- tion within 120 days or it would be dissolved and another assembly elected to finish the job. He also stated that the constitution would not go into effect until he approved it, a provision fiercely opposed by leading politicians who re- sented this infringement of the assembly's sover- eignty. Despite discontent with some of the ground rules, most of the parties decided to continue their plans to contest the elections. Some political leaders warned, however, that if the constituent assembly were unable to resolve grievances con- stitutionally, a mass movement would be initiated to obtain satisfactory redress for the people. The issues of primary concern to Pakistanis today are problems that have troubled them since the partition of the Indian subcontinent. These stem from the artificial nature of the state itself-its geographical division into two wings separated not only by 1,000 miles of Indian ter- ritory but also by ,vast ethnic, cultural, and linguistic differences. As in 1947, Pakistanis are still united only by Islam and by the fear of Hindu India. In fact, regional antagonisms have increased since independence as a direct result of various 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 U V ) i .-.I.i inequities, including discriminatory governmental policy. The Bengalis of teeming East Pakistan have suffered most under the political and eco- nomic system, which has been dominated by West Pakistanis, chiefly by the frequently arrogant Punjabis. A regional confrontation, which has been building for some years, is now imminent because the East Pakistanis appear no longer will- ing to accept what they regard as second-class citizenship. Their stand has been buttressed by spokesmen of some of the smaller reinstated prov- inces in the western wing, who are also concerned about provincial disparities and continued Punjabi domination. The key issue of the campaign, stimulated by these regional rivalries, is the degree of pro- vincial autonomy to be granted under the new civilian government. East Pakistanis demand ex- tensive authority to run their own affairs, while the Punjabis advocate a powerful central admin- istration, which they hope to control. A resolu- tion of this basic controversy will entail the sacrifice of important regional concerns and, thus far, no spirit of compromise has emerged. Compromise will be necessary, however, if the constituent assembly is to hammer out a national constitution. An early sign of the direc- tion the constitutional deliberations may take could be indicated by the internal voting formula adopted by the assembly. A decision to vote by simple majority would put the East Pakistanis in a commanding position and represent a substantial concession-and possibly a spirit of com- promise-on the part of the Punjabis. On the other hand, insistence on a heavily weighted vote, such as a majority from each of the five provinces could lead to an immediate and serious deadlock. Other issues-all secondary to the autonomy question-are also being debated. The Islam versus socialism controversy has generated emotional outbursts and some violence, especially in the western wing of the country. Declarations of intentions to nationalize certain businesses and basic industries have raised worried eyebrows in Special Report already nervous commercial circles. Both the fourth five-year plan and the annual budget have produced heated exchanges, revolving chiefly around the relative fund allocations for East Pakistan and the western provinces. Some parties have been charged with unethical campaign practices and foreign financing, with the US coming in for the lion's share of criticism for alleged intervention. Foreign affairs issues have generally been peripheral, but most parties have jumped onto the anti-CENTO/anti-SEATO bandwagon. As the campaign moves deeper into the important phase of candidate selection, these broad national issues may slip into the back- ground. A candidate's stature in his constituency and his stand on purely local issues will become more significant. Thus far, party spokesmen have been flinging around slogans about socialism and autonomy, but have not dealt with the bread-and- butter issues that are of daily concern to the people-hunger, poverty, flood control, prices, wages. No party has put forward a detailed eco- nomic program, and the politicians seemingly have not looked beyond constitution-making to governing. This does not augur well for eventual stability or effective civilian government. Against this rather sobering backdrop, Pakistan's politicians-old-timers and fledglings alike-have taken to the hustings with vigor. With less than two months to go before the elections, there is a plethora of political parties of all imaginable ideological bents. Few have indicated any desire to form electoral alliances, however, and only one commands significant nationwide support. The recent break-up of West Pakistan has increased the provincialization of the parties. Nevertheless, many politicians have privately revealed their awareness that this may be their last opportunity to establish a democratic, civilian government. Their overriding interest in achieving this goal and of personally gaining political office 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 C) L .jni, 1. may soon stimulate serious coalition negotiations. Difficulties in finding attractive candidates to contest the country's 313 constituencies may also encourage interparty cooperation. Behind the scenes, some talks have already begun, but recent efforts among likeminded conservative parties to form an Islamic United Front have apparently ended inconclusively. Although Yahya himself has remained dis- creetly on the sidelines, recent weeks have brought increasing rumors of governmental at- tempts to influence the outcome. Some political leaders suggest that the regime is not only backing certain rightist parties but is also seeking a frag- mented constituent assembly 'in order to impose a constitution based on a strong central govern- ment. At the heart of the matter is a growing feeling that the martial law administration, dominated by Punjabis, will be unwilling finally to accept the degree of provincial autonomy demanded by East Pakistani spokesmen. Special Report Mujibur Rahman, charismatic leader of the moderate-left Awami League, dominates the political arena in East Pakistan. Extremely popular throughout the province, 50-year-old Mujib has become the acknowledged spokesman of the East Pakistani autonomy movement and a hero to "sons-of-the-soil" Bengalis for his relent- less championing of their cause. His "Six Point Program"-a Bengali plan for provincial autonomy--has broad appeal among East Pakistan's 73 million people. Their enthusi- astic response to his vigorous campaign through the eastern wing has convinced Mujib that his party will emerge from the elections with an overwhelming majority of the seats from East Pakistan-he boasts 80 percent, but most others are more willing to concede only 50-60 percent. His several forays into western Pakistan have at- tracted a good deal of attention but have prob- ably won him few votes in that alien territory. Mujib's present worry is that if elections are 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Mujibur Rahman postponed, his Awarni League campaign may peak too early and lose some of its support by election day. Mujib's ability to draw crowds and to hold them spellbound is undeniable, but his potential as a national policy maker and administrator is less evident. He has never held a governing post, and many of his critics contend that he lacks the intellect, imagination, and competence to handle executive duties. Nevertheless, if he makes his anticipated strong showing in the elections, Mujib will be courted by all mariner of West Pakistani politicians. Whether he will then be any more willing to compromise on his "Six Points" and join a coali- tion is difficult to say. It is generally believed, however, that Mujib is extremely ambitious for national office and therefore has a strong stake in Special Report preserving a united country. He is frequently mentioned as the man likeliest to be designated prime minister in a new civilian government. Maulana Abdul Hamid B'hashani, a legend in his own time, is the octogenarian leader of the pro-Peking, Communist-infiltrated National Awami Party/Left (NAP/L). Bhashani's life-long battle for the rights of the peasantry has endeared him to millions of Benqalis. Although he himself is highly revered throughout East Pakistan, his party is so seriously fragmented that its participa- tion in the elections remains in question. In any case, it would be surprising if the NAP/L could pull itself together in time to make any significant electoral showing, despite Bhashani's personal appeal. The NAP/L's calls for provincial autonomy and nationalization of basic industries appear to echo Awami League demands, but NAP/L sup- porters have traditionally been more ready than Awami Leaguers to use violence to accomplish their goals. East Pakistan has a number of small parties which, by comparison with the Awami League and NAP/L, appear insignificant. The Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) deserves mention, how- ever, because of its leader, Nurul Amin, a Bengali elder statesman who headed the so-called parlia- mentary opposition during Ayub's rule. Although colorless Nurul Amin has been popular among enga is. His party, an alliance among some long-time conser- vative and rather lackluster politicians of both East and West Pakistan advocates a strong central government and lays great emphasis on Islam as the basis for the state. A plus in the PDP column is the support it enjoys from one of East Paki- stan's most prestigious newspapers, the Pakistan Observer. Nevertheless, the PDP is expected to make only a meager showing. 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Politics in West Pakistan is far more frag- mented than in the eastern wing, and innumerable splinter groups exist. Even the significant parties have a strong base in only one of the four prov- inces-Punjab, Sind, Northwest Frontier, and Baluchistan-and no more than marginal support in the others; some have scattered support in East Pakistan. Although some politicians have been whistle-stopping outside their own strongholds, most have not succeeded in substantially expand- ing their support. Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi's orthodox Muslim party, the Jamaat-i-Islam (Jamaat), is at the extreme right of the political spectrum. The Jamaat is the only party that can legitimately claim significant strength in both wings of the country. Its members' rhetoric has stimulated some of the most emotional issues of the cam- paign and has helped polarize the political scene into Islamic and socialist camps. Although well- financed and well-organized, the Jamaat has been unable to broaden its scattered support and is not expected to do well in the elections. Nevertheless, the Jamaat has announced that it plans to contest a substantial number of seats including all of those in the Sind. It is also negotiating with several smaller right-wing, Islamic parties for pos- sible joint support of other candidates. Qaiyum Khan's Pakistan Muslim League (PML/Qaiyum) is making itself heard among the right-of-center parties. Although his home base is the Northwest Frontier, the peripatetic Qaiyum has also campaigned vigorously elsewhere, advo- cating a strong central government and charging rival politicians with willfully underminin the solidarity and integrity of Pakistan. Qaiyum attained his party leadership by engineering a large-scale defection from the ranks of former president Ayub Khan's badly shaken Pakistan Muslim League. Those who remained loyal to Ayub are continuing to struggle along under the leadership of Ayub's chosen successor, Fazlul Quader Chaudhury. Already damaged by the exodus to Qaiyum, the PML/Quader's elec- toral prospects, however small, have been prac- tically destroyed by the government's decision to freeze PML funds because of alleged misuse and misappropriation. Although floundering, the PML/Quader may still salvage something by al- lying with other parties. Mian Muntaz Daultana heads the Council Muslim League (CML), which occupies the center of the political spectrum in West Pakistan and dominates the Punjab. With about 62 percent of the western wing's population, the Punjab has traditionally controlled West Pakistan's-and the nation's-political, economic, and military life. Although East Pakistan and the other provinces of the western wing are finally rebelling against Special Report - 8 - 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 this domination, the Punjab and the CML con- tinue to wield far-reaching influence and political clout. Daultana, a wily veteran politician, is ex- pected to play an important part in any national government. Recently there have been some in- dications that he is trying to temper his rather conservative image in order to reach an accom- modation with Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League. On paper, the programs advocated by the two groups are strikingly similar, and a post- election coalition appears possible. CML forces were (liven a boost in July when Air Marshal Nur Khan, former commander of the Pakistani Air Force, announced his decision to join the party. He is among an increasing number of retired military men who have recently entered the political arena. Nur Khan played a significant role in formulating the controversial labor and education 'reforms in the early days of Yahya's regime, but'a'ne subsequently had a falling out with i:he President. He is a dynamic--although some- what unapproachable-personality who may be called upon for leadership in future Pakistani gov- ernments. The National Awami Party/Requisitionist (NAP/R), which broke with Bhashani's faction of the NAP in 1968, is to the left of center on the political spectrum. The party claims the North- west Frontier as its stronghold, and is led by Abdul Wali Khan, son of the legendary Pathan leader, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the "Frontier Gandhi." Although locked in a political struggle with Qaiyum Khan, Wali Khan's party appears to be slightly ahead in the fight for the Northwest Frontier seats. Initially also leading in sparsely populated Baluchistan, the NAP/R now is facing stiff competition for that province's five assembly seats. the NAP/R's program of extensive pro- vincial autonomy and other progressive measures makes it a potential postelection ally of Mujibur Rahman's Awami League and perhaps of Daultana's Council Muslim League. Special Report Zulficar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), a tenuous leftist group that revolves around the fiery and controversial former foreign minister, rounds out the list of important parties. Bhutto's regional strength lies in the Sind, but Sindhi politics is so factionalized that the PPP may not gain any great number of seats there. Elsewhere, Bhutto remains an extremely popular figure with students and young people, who are drawn to his program of "Islamic Socialism" with an emphasis on socialism--and close relations with Communist China. He attracts large, en- thusiastic crowds nearly everywhere he goes, but observers doubt that his personal charisma can be turned into many solid votes or can be transferred to other PPP candidates. Nevertheless, Bhutto is young, opportunistic, and ambitious and he will certainly be a familiar figure in Pakistan politics for some time to come. Interestingly enough, Bhutto continues to enjoy good personal relations with many influential members of the establish- ment of which he was once a part; these friends generally believe that Bhutto has gone off the deep end in politics, but they do not take his activities very seriously. With constituencies delimited and elections approaching, all Pakistani political parties are frantically searching their ranks for attractive candidates. Having been out of power and restricted in operation for many years, the parties lack the local talent and organization on which successful campaigns are built. Aggravating this problem is the image of corruption and in- competence associated with several of the tradi- tional parties, which may be a factor encouraging potential candidates to seek election as inde- pendents. The strength of the independents, of whom there are likely to be a substantial number, is one of the important unknowns that must be cranked into any prediction of election results. Some of them conceivably could play an important role in -9- 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 St;LKL'1 the constituent assembly. The most notable of the already-announced independent candidates is another former commander of the Pakistani Air Force, Asghar Khan, who first involved himself in politics in the waning days of the Ayub regime. Asghar is widely respected for his integrity, but indecision regarding his own political plans has marked him as a political novice. A, Polling Place in the Punjab Another unknown factor clouding the elec- tion scene is the potentially enormous peasant vote. It is widely believed that in East Pakistan, IMlujibur Rahinnan has successfully captured the local peasantry under his popular banner of pro- vincial autonomy and "Bengal first." The situa- tion is more complicated in the western wing. Most observers are predicting that ideology will have little influence on Punjabi and Sindhi peasants, who will probably follow traditional voting patterns, i.e., they will vote according to landlord instructions. In other areas of West (Pakistan, caste, tribal affiliations, and local issues are expected to be the determining factors. Should these observations be accurate, the tradi- tional, regional parties will emerge victorious, with the Council Muslim League the strongest because it represents the Punjab. Although no date has been set for the con- vening of the constituent assembly, it is unlikely to precede the provincial elections. Disposing of provincial elections before the first assembly meeting will allow the members to devote full Special Report attention to constitution-making with no worries about campaigning. Presumably, if Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League receive a strong East Pakistani majority, Mujib may be more will- ing to negotiate his "Six Points" than if he were still under political pressure to prove his creden- tials as a loyal Bengali. The newly elected members of the con- stituent assembly will probably spend the interval between the elections and their first meeting jockeying for position and bargaining to form alliances. Loose, temporary coalitions will prob- ably be formed. I n any case, it is generally recognized that success for the constituent as- sembly hinges on some compromise of East and West Pakistani interests. An Awami League - Council Muslim League axis appears to offer the best hope of a satisfactory agreement. Should this be achieved, a constitution would have one final hurdle: it must pass muster with Yahya and the army. The representatives, on the other hand, may not be able to come up with a constitution agreeable to a majority. Pakistan's first con- stituent assembly deliberated nine years before reaching an accord. Should the 120 days expire without agreement, President Yahya will have sev- eral options. He may do as he has already sug- gested-dissolve the assembly and hold new elec- tions. It seems just as likely, however, that he will propose a constitution of his own and demand acceptance. In fact, it is widely rumored that a constitution has already been drafted by Yahya and some of his closest advisers. Such a constitu- tion, while providing for substantial provincial autonomy, would certainly reserve sufficient federal powers to ensure a strong central govern- ment. In any case, any new constitution will prob- ably set up a federal republic of the parliamentary type, with the president and prime minister coming from different parts of the country, the latter probably being a Bengali and the former a Punjabi or a Pathan from the Northwest Frontier. - 10 - 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET Even if the political processes should pro- gress this far, such a marriage of hostile regional elements might fall apart within a few years if it failed effectively to solve Pakistan's overwhelming economic, political, and social problems. The similar formula that was the basis of coalition governments before Ayub Khan failed to produce stability, and the politicians do not appear to have changed much in the meantime. In the long run, then, regional interests and cultural differences may prove stronger than the ties of religion and common antipathy toward India. Conceivably, the present Pakistan could eventually dissolve into two sovereign states. If secessionist tendencies do grow stronger, the army probably would go only so far in an attempt to counter them. During the chaos of Ayub Khan's final days, the army fully recognized that it would not be able to control a province-wide uprising in East Pakistan. At this point, it would probably not even be willing to oav the tre- mendous cost of trying Special Report - 11 - SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Secret Secret Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Secret DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY Special Report Haiti: No Present , No Future Secret N2 44 14 August 1970 No. 0383/70B Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 25X1 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 HAITI: NO PRESENT, NO FUTURE For the past 13 years President t=rancois Duvalier has ruled Haiti despotic?ily. He personlally handles all major administrative matters. I he country lacks effective institutions; it is devoid of the leadership and trained personnel that could provide government services and continuity. Duvalier suffered a protracted illness last year and his health may be gradually weakening. A sudden termination of his brutal di tatorship--ether through his death or overthrow--would produce turmoil. Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 r.lA Ji 1 _ On April 24-25 1970, Coast Guard commandant Octave Cayard, who was sup- posedly loyal to Duvalier, led a futile rebellion following the arrests of several military and civilian figures for alleged coup plotting. The failure of the mutiny probably will discourage other military leaders from moving against the regime in the immediate future. Contingency planning will continue, however, and a rapid deterioration in Duvalier's mental or physical powers could inspire a palace coup. The extent of turmoil that will follow Duvalier's disappearance from the scene will depend on the ability of his would-be heirs to consolidate power. Available evidence suggests that when change does come, the succession will be controlled by the individual leaders of one or more of the security forces-the army, civil militia, and secret police. They are in the strongest position to act because they are armed and organized, and because their men in the palace will be among the first to know if something happens to Duvalier. No matter who succeeds Duvalier, Haiti's troubles are not likely to be relieved. The country lacks riot only modern government institutions, but also labor, organizations, professional associations, and a responsible press. In short, society is as lacking in effective structures as the government itself. Since Haitian independence in 1804, only five of the 33 presidents have completed their terms of office-three of these during the occupa- tion by U.S Marines (1915-1934). Violence, intimidation, and dictatorship have been con- stants of political life. With few exceptions, those who have acquired power have felt no responsi- bility as public servants but have sought to grasp power permanently while enriching themselves at public expense. Consequently the pitifully poor masses have remained illliterate, superstitious, and apathetic. The government of Francois Duvalier fits the pattern. Since his accession to power in 1957, he has crushed all sources of internal opposition, including the Communists. He has purged and divided the army, cowed the Roman Catholic church, and subjugated all government organiza- tions to his personal whim. His fanatic concern with political security and his indifference to economic problems have stifled government Special Report -2- 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET *. programs for economic development. As a result, the standard of living of the Haitian people has deteriorated steadily. Estimated per capita gross national product has dwindled to about $100.00, less than 20 percent of the Latin American average. Exports of the principal agricultural product (coffee) have declined. The government has chronic budget deficits and often does not pay its official debts. Duvalier began his rule by weakening the military leadership, which had played a dominant role in almost every change of government since independence. He systematically purged all com- petent officers who might oppose him-including the mulattoes who initially made up the majority of the officer corps-and replaced them with his own creatures. On one occasion, for example, he sacked a dynamic, well-trained commander in Cap Haitien who had gained the respect of the people in his department, in favor of a dissolute non- entity capable of neither action nor betrayal. He also undercut military authority by creating two counterforces, the National Security Volunteer Corps (VSN) popularly known as the civil militia, and a loosely structured investigative unit known as the "Service Duvalier." Until this year the 5,000-7,000-man militia was maintained in a parallel but separate status from the regular armed forces. Recently, however, Duvalier an- nounced that vacancies within the military ranks would be filled by militiamen. It is not clear whether he plans a complete reorganization or simply a token integration of these forces, but his actions probably will have little effect on national security. The militia is not organized, equipped, or trained for major military operations. It has never defeated an invading group with its own resources, but it has assisted the army in patrol and mop-up operations. Only one militia com- mander, Zacharie Delva, has demonstrated un- usual competence as the chief VSN trouble- shooter for (Duvalier. Although Haiti spends more proportionately on defense (approximately 23 percent of the Special Report budget) than other Latin American countries, its only effective military units are located in Port- au-Prince. These include the Presidential Guard of 400 men, the Dessalines Battalion with 800 men, and the Port-au-Prince police with about 800 men. The capability of these organizations, which are directly under the command and supervision of the President, contrasts sharply with that of the remainder of the army, totaling about 5,000 men, most of whom are untrained and poorly armed. The "Service Duvalier," which consists of a handful of Duvalier's favorites, is not a secret police organization in the conventional sense. During the mid-60s, when it was headed by Elois Maitre and Luc Desir, it did acquire a sinister reputation, but now its responsibilities consist of interrogating political prisoners and fulfilling -3- 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET occasional investigative tasks for the President. With Elois Maitre in disfavor at the Palace, the Service Duvalier is nominally led by Luc Desir, but it seems to have little if anything to do. Recently Duvalier created a special staff consist- ling of four cronies, including his personal phy- sician and Legislative Deputy Luckner Cam- bronne, to investigate the abortive coup attempt of 24-25 April 1970. Cambronne and Finance Minister Clovis Desinor appear to be the most powerful civilian Ton Ton Macoutes in the gov- ernment. Duvalier supporters march through Port-au-Prince follow- ing abortive Coast Guard revolt in April. The Ton Ton Macoutes (Creole for "uncle boogeymen") are a name for active Duvalier sup- porters who receive special favors from the Presi- dent and have been given carte blanche to do as they wish without fear of interference from or punishment by civil or military authorities. The most feared group in Haiti, they belong to no organization and include cabinet members as well as ordinary thugs and taxi drivers. They can best be described as a legalized Mafia whose sole mis- sion is to maintain Duvalier in power. Duvalier has erected a facade of constitu- tionality around his regime. The legislature and the judiciary, however, like all other organizations and groups, are directly subservient to the Presi- Special Report -4- 4 - dent. The Constitution of 1964, which designated dent. Duvalier "President for Life," contains no provision for succession. All political parties except Duvalier's Party of National Unity (PUN) have been suppressed, and PUN exists in name only, lacking even a paper organization. No one within the government has the strength to challenge Duvalier. Individual mem- bers of the President's family, however, have exercised some authority at various times. During the past year personal rivalries within the Presi- dent's family have resulted in the fall of in- dividuals who once wielded power in the Haitian Government. In December 1968 Duvalier's oldest and reportedly his favorite daughter, Marie Denise, returned to Haiti as private secretary to her father, displacing Madame Yvon St. Victor, a one-time presidential intimate and sister of Luc Foucard, Duvalier's ex - son-in-law. Marie was soon joined in Port-au-Prince by her husband, Max Dominique, who in 1967 had been sentenced to death for treason by a Military Tribunal and had gone into exile in Spain. Dominique, a former member of the Presidential Guard, was officially reinstated and appointed ambassador to France. Madame St. Victor, Luc Foucard, and Elois Maitre, former chief of the Secret Service (rep- ortedly an enemy of Max Dominique), have lost the influence they once had. The standard of living in Haiti, long the lowest in the Western Hemisphere, has become still worse under Duvalier. It is said that Haiti's gross national product is less now than it was at the time of independence. The economic prob- lems resulting from declining agricultural produc- tion and only a limited growth in the small manufacturing sector are too basic and severe for any quick solution. Yet Duvalier, instead of adopting constructive measures, has consistently ignored the recommendations of international financial organizations to eliminate corruption 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 SECRET and implement fiscal and administrative reform. Opposition Despite continuing pressure from the Interna- tional Monetary Fund, Duvalier has refused to After 13 years of absolute rule over a largely make a public accounting of the financial opera- illiterate society, Duvalier appears to have con- tions of the State Monopoly (Regie du Tabac). Its vinced most people in Haiti that they are bene- revenues, estimated at $10-12 million per year, fiting from his rule even thou h b all o are used to support his security apparatus and standards the are not. regime favorites. Because of his unwillingness to cooperate with international lending agencies, Duvalier has been denied the benefits of external assistance programs large enough to slow the economic and social deterioration. Since 1963, when the US suspended most forms of direct aid to Haiti, assistance has been limited to a few humanitarian projects (prin- cipally malaria eradication and food distribution programs), whose funds are channeled through multilateral or private charitable institutions. Haiti currently receives $3-4 million annually in assistance from the US and is drawing disburse- ments from the $7.2-million loan granted by the Inter- American Development Bank. Haiti has given no indication that it would utilize this Financial assiistance to alleviate its basic economic problems, however. 25X1 Ljh_emasses, who have displayed a re- markable endurance for suffering, will not easily be shaken out of their apathy. Luxurious summer home outside the capital as contrasted with slums in Port-au-Prince. Special Report 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927A008100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SECRET financial mainstay of the Haitian Coalition, which has between 200 and 300 members and is head- quartered in New York. It is the largest of the exile groups, but its activity has been declining, arid at the moment it appears moribund. It is doubtful that any of the small exile organizations could become a serious threat to Duvalier without decisive help from a foreign government. Military units from Port-au-Prince so far have defeated all exile incursions, probably because the exiles were poorly led and lacked motivation and adequate support, and because the average Haitian just is not interested in revolu- tion. The most recent exile attempts against Duvalier occurred in June 1969 when ex-Haitian Army Colonel Rene Leon led ten men in an inept bombing attack on the National Palace, doing minimal damage, and in January 1970 when two small exile forays from the Dominican Republic fizzled. Inside the country only the Communists have demonstrated a capability for sustained, though feeble, subversive activity. In December 1968 two minuscule parties, the United Haitian Democratic Party and the Party of Popular Ac- cord, merged to form the United Party of Haitian Communists (PUCH). After the merger there was a definite increase in terrorist activity, although it did not represent a threat to Duvalier. Following some bombing attempts and the seizure of a few small villages, a number of people who had been to Communist countries were arrested. The gov- ernment then picked up more than 100 persons, including several leaders of the PUCH, for sub- versive activities. The crackdown left the party in a shambles, and there has been little militant activity since mid-1969. Apparently the party is undergoing a period of retrenchment and con- sol idation. oriented have been closely associated with Duvalier throughout his tenure. The government will arrest anyone possessing Communist propa- ganda leaflets, but Communist books and magazines are sold openly in Port-au-Prince book- stores. Duvalier also continues to tolerate the Polish Commercial Mission despite the low level of trade between the two countries and reports that the mission has served as a channel for funds and communications between the PUCH and Communist parties in Cuba and the Soviet Union. These two countries provide what little out- side assistance the Haitian Communists receive. In the past, both countries have given instruction in Marxist doctrine and guerrilla warfare to selected exiles Radio Havana continues to broadcast in Creole and French 14 hours a week, but there is no evidence that the programs-which condemn Duvalier and the support he is alleged to receive from the United States--have any significant ef- fect on the Haitian people. Broadcasts from both Havana and Moscow play heavily on the theme of armed revolution as the only solution for Haiti. Duvalier probably will die in office rather than ste down voluntaril . Although Duvalier's public position has been consistently hard-line anti-Communist, his actions have been highly pragmatic. Despite the recent crackdown on Communist activities, a number of intellectuals often reputed to be Communist Special Report 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 SEC;RE'l' Octave Cazard, former commandant of the Coast Guard and leader of abortive mutiny in 1970 Since the abortive rebellion, President Duvalier has moved to prevent further dissension within the Haitian armed forces. Although none of the tactical ground units in Port-au-Prince par- ticipated in the insurrection, Duvalier has evinced his displeasure with the failure of the police to ferret out alleged conspirators. Several officers reportedly have been arrested, and last month the government created a new position of deputy chief of police for Colonel Frank Romain, who Special Report - 7 - had earned Duvalier's confidence by routing exile invasions in 1964 and 1968. In spite of this normalization of relations, Duvalier has continued to persecute foreign clergy. In September 1969 all members of the Order of the Holy Ghost, only one of whom was a native Haitian, were accused of collaborating with Communists and forced to leave the coun- try. These priests, who operated the College of St. Martial, had been collaborating with suspect ele- ments and were active in promoting discussion and study groups among young Haitians. The church continues to play an important role in education by providing instruction to between one third and one half of the children who attend school in Haiti. Educational policy guidelines, however, are established by the government; the church schools must conform or risk retribution. Although 75-80 percent of the population is ostensibly Roman Catholic, voodoo continues to exert influence in almost all spheres of Haitian life. Consequently Duvalier has capitalized on the ignorance and superstition of his subjects for his own political advantage. He regularly compares 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 'VW SECRET himself to the ancient leaders of Haiti, as well as to such noted Americans as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, often going so far as to imply that he is their reincarnation. As long as Duvalier rules, Haiti will remain a one-man dictatorship of the most extreme variety. His passing, however, probably will not affect the lives of most Haitians. Present indica- tions are that there will not be a blood bath, as the struggle for power probably will be restricted to those who exercise some authority over the command structure and have access to military hardware. The army probably will be in the fore- front of the successor movement, but none of the key personnel has demonstrated any special lead- ership capabilities, and it would be sheer specula- tion to designate anyone as a probable heir- apparent. It is conceivable that the military would be content with an administrative role and turn to someone outside their ranks to serve as Presi- dent. Special Report -8- 14 August 1970 SECRET Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Secret Secret Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 25X1 Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0 Next 20 Page(s) In Document Denied Approved For Release 2008/11/14: CIA-RDP79-00927AO08100040001-0