THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST 21 AUGUST 1961

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005959008
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: August 21, 1961

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/05/04 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000200070001-7 50)(1
21 AUGUST 1961 CHECKLIST (COPY)
1. BERLIN. AS OF THIS MORNING, TRAFFIC ON THE AUTOBAHN
INTO BERLIN REMAINED NORMAL, DESPITE THE WIDE CURRENCY YESTERDAY
OF RUMORS THAT CLOSURE BY THE EAST GERMANS WAS IMMINENT. WE
BELIEVE THE RUMORS CAN BE TRACED TO A REMARK CREDITED TO AN
EAST GERMAN POLICEMAN THAT THE "BORDER CROSSING IS TO BE CLOSED
IN THE NEAR FUTURE." IF SUCH A STEP WERE, IN FACT, TAKEN THE
EAST GERMANS WOULD MOST LIKELY ALLEGE THE NEED FOR REPAIRS
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BOTH MAYOR BRANDT AND THE WEST BERLIN PRESS HAVE REGISTERED
THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE US. AMBASSADOR
DOWLING DESCRIBES THE VICE PRESIDENT'S VISIT AS AN OVERWHELMING '
SUCCESS--THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN BERLIN HISTORY SINCE
LIFTING OF THE BLOCKADE. MOSCOW HAS REACTED WITH PREDICTABLE INDIG-
NATION, BUT THE EAST GERMANS HAVE ASSUMED A STUDIED DISDAIN.
THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE CHANGE IN THE SITUATION IN EAST
BERLIN. US MISSION OFFICERS ON 18 AUGUST NOTED TWO LARGE TANK
PARIS IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY, BUT OBSERVED FEWER UNIFORMED
PERSONNEL THAN EARLIER LAST WEEK. THERE HAVE BEEN INDICATIONS, HOW-
EVER, THAT THE REGIME IS PLANNING AN EARLY CURRENCY REFORM.
ON THE MILITARY SIDE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME INCREASE IN SOVIET
TRANSPORT ACTIVITY, AND THE GRADUAL AUGMENTATION OF EAST GERMAN FIGHTER
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STRENGTH, UNDERWAY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, CONTINUES.
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THERE
.ARE ALSO NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE MOVEMENT OF SMALL UNITS OF
SOVIET AND EAST GERMAN GROUND FORCES. AT PRESENT, HOWEVER, BEST
INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS ACTIVITY IS CONNECTED WITH IMPENDING
FIELD EXERCISES, REGULARLY STAGED AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. 50X1
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2. MOSCOW'S DISPLAY OF "CENTO DOCUMENTS': OUR EMBASSY SEES
THE PROPAGANDA SHOW STAGED LAST FRIDAY AROUND THE PURPORTED
EVIDENCE OF CENTO AGGRESSIVENESS AS SERVING SEVERAL PURPOSES:
(A) EXTENSION OF THE DRAMATIC THREATS OF NUCLEAR ATTACK MADE
EARLIER AGAINST ITALY AND GREECE TO US MIDDLE EASTERN ALLIES;
(B) BOOSTING OF THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST FOREIGN BASES FOR THE BENEFIT
OF THE UPCOMING NEUTRALIST CONFERENCE, AND, ?(C) DISTRACTION FOR
THE SOVIET PUBLIC FROM THE BERLIN BORDER CLOSING.
NOTES
A. FRONDIZI, STILL UNDER FIRE FOR HIS MEETING WITH GUEVARA
LAST FRIDAY, IS NOW PLANNING A RADIO REPORT TO THE NATION TONIGHT
?TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF. QUADROS, WHO AWARDED THE CUBAN A HIGH DECORATION
ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, IS ALSO GETTING SOME STATIC, ESPECIALLY
FROM THE BRAZILIAN MILITARY.
B. OUR MILITARY MISSION IN SOUTH VIETNAM MARKS UP THE 13-16
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AUGUST OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE VIET CONG AS A WELL-MANAGED SUCCESS.
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C. THE NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER'S NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER TOLD OUR EMBASSY LAST FRIDAY THAT KHRUSHCHEV IS SEEKING
SOME ACCEPTANCE OF A DIVIDED GERMANY AND THAT SOME SORT OF DE
FACTO RECOGNITION IS UNAVOIDABLE. NORWEGIANS, HE SAID, DO NOT
WANT TO BE BLOWN UP FOR "THE ADENAUER LINE."
D. LAST MINUTE OPINION STILL GIVES CHEDDI JAGAN THE EDGE
IN TODAY'S BRITISH GUIANA ELECTIONS.
E. THE CHINESE COMMUNISTS ARE DOING CONSIDERABLE DIPLOMATIC
LOBBYING AMONG THE NEUTRALISTS HOPING TO BLUNT ANTICIPATED
INDIAN AND YUGOSLAV CRITICISM AT THE BELGRADE CONFERENCE.
F. , A LONDON OBSERVER CORRESPONDENT HAS REPORTED THAT BOMB
FRAGMENTS FOUND IN AN ANGOLAN VILLAGE BOMBED BY THE PORTUGUESE
ON 29 JULY ARE STAMPED "PROPERTY OF THE US AIR FORCE."
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