THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST 19 MAY 1962

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992343
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: May 19, 1962

(FOR COMM CENTER USE) I
- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24: CIA-RDP79T00936A000800070001-1
THE WHITE HOUSE
OUTGOING MESSAGE
OPERATION IMMEDIATE
PRECEDENCE
CLASSIFICRTSQV
WHASA
19 MAY 62 50X1
DATE
FROM:
TO:
INFO:
GEN MCHUGH EYES ONLY FOR THE PRESIDENT
CITE.
ZREMIZILINICKTISXNEZEKEVEr
THE PRESIDENT' S INTELLIGENCE CHECKL I ST- -19 MAY 62
PAGF OF
WHASA FORM 12
1 JAN 61
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THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST--19 MAY 1962
. LAOS:
A. PHOUMI TOLD AMBASSADOR BROWN YESTERDAY THAT HE WAS WILLING
TO ATTEND A THREE PRINCES MEETING AT KHANG KHAY IN THE PLAINE DES
JARRES, PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE THE TRANSFER OF THE DEFENSE AND INTERIOR
MINISTRIES, AND PROMISED TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH MAAG ON MILITARY
MATTERS. IN A SUBSEQUENT MEETING WITH GENERAL TUCKER, HOWEVER, PHOUMI
WAS ANYTHING BUT COOPERATIVE ABOUT CONDUCTING RECONNAISSANCE OPERATIONS
OUT OF BAN HOUEI SAI BACK TOWARD NAM THA. HE TOLD TUCKER THAT POLITICAL
MATTERS WERE UPPERMOST IN HIS MIND NOW, AND HE WOULD ATTEND TO THE
MILITARY SITUATION LATER. ON THE BASIS OF OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
WITH PHOUMI, WE FEEL THAT SOME SKEPTICISM ABOUT HIS ASSURANCES IS
DESERVED. BOTH THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR AND BROWN, HOWEVER, FEEL THAT
PHOUMI IS NOW POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
B. PHOUI SANANIKONE TELLS US THAT HE STANDS READY TO TAKE THE
LEADING ROLE IN NEGOTIATING A SETTLEMENT WITH SOUVANNA, BUT DOES NOT
SEE HOW HE CAN TAKE OVER WITHOUT PHOUMI'S CONSENT.
C. THE MILITARY SITUATION REMAINS QUIESCENT. ROYAL ARMY PATROLS,
LED BY AMERICAN PERSONNEL, HAVE PROBED 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF BAN HOUEI
SAI WITHOUT SEEING ANY SIGNS OF THE ENEMY,
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D. FOLLOWING THE DEPARTURE OF THE LAO "GOOD?WILL" TRAVELLING
TROUPE FROM TAIPEI, THE CHINESE NATIONALISTS HAVE ASSURED US THAT
THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATIONS THEY RESTRAINED THEMSELVES LARGELY TO
EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY AND VAGUE ASSURANCES ABOUT PROVIDING "SOME
RELIEF GOODS." IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE LAO ROAD SHOW
PLANS TO PLAY IN MANILA ON 21 MAY.
E. IN BANGKOK, THAI OFFICIALS ARE BECOMING SOMEWHAT LESS NEGATIVE
TOWARD RECEIVING MILITARY FORCES FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE US.
MEANWHILE,
PAKISTAN WILL PROBABLY RESPOND FAVORABLY,
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ALBEIT WITHOUT MUCH RELISH TOA THAI REQUEST FOR TROOPS IF IT IS
CAST WITHIN THE SEATO FRAMEWORK. THE FRENCH REMAIN AS RETICENT AS
EVER.
F. BLOC PROPAGANDA IN LAOS IS STILL BEING PLAYED IN A RELATIVELY
LOW KEY, STRUMMING MAINLY ON THE THEME THAT BY MOVING MILITARY FORCES
INTO THAILAND THE US HAS GOT ITSELF CAUGHT IN A NET FROM WHICH IT
WILL NOT BE EASY TO GET DISENTANGLED,
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2. SOUTH VIETNAM:
WE STILL? CANNOT DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YESTERDAY'S GRENADE?
THROWING INCIDENT IN DOWNTOWN SAIGON HERALDS A CONCERTED TERROR
CAMPAIGN SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED AGAINST AMERICANS. OUR EMBASSY,
NEVERTHELESS, HAS AGAIN CAUTIONED AMERICANS TO BE PARTICULARLY
CAREFUL ON COMMUNIST ANNIVERSARIES; TODAY, HO CHI MINH'S BIRTHDAY,
BEING A NOTABLE EXAMPLE.
3. INDONESIA ? WEST NEW GUINEA:
A.
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THE INDO? 50X1
NESIANS ARE DETERMINED TO GIVE THE DUTCH A BLOODY NOSE IN THE VERY
NEAR FUTURE. THEY NOTE, IN THIS CONNECTION, THAT THREE SUBMARINES
(CARRYING LIVE TORPEDOES), WHICH DEPARTEDSURABAYA TEN DAYS AGO,
COULD NOW BE IN POSITION TO INTERCEPT DUTCH TROOP TRANSPORTS APPROACH?
ING WEST NEW GUINEA. THEY ALSO SUGGEST THAT COMBINED MANEUVERS
SCHEDULED IN THE BORNEO AREA NEXT MONTH MIGHT BE A BLIND FOR MORE
GENUINELY WARLIKE OPERATIONS.
B. THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR MAY HAVE HAD SIMILAR THOUGHTS IN THE
BACK OF HIS MIND WHEN HE TOLD JONES YESTERDAY THAT HE CONSIDERED THE
CUARENT SITUATION TO BE "VERY DANGEROUS," AND POINTED OUT THAT
SUKARNO MUST "DO SOMETHING" TO REDEEM HIS PLEDGE TO GAIN CONTROL OVER
WEST NEW GUINEA THIS YEAR. HE WAS CAREFUL TO SAY, HOWEVER, THAT HIS
GOVERNMENT DID NOT WANT TO SEE A FULL?FLEDGED WAR BREAK OUT.
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4. MEXICAN COMMUNISTS PLANNING ANTI?KENNEDY DEMONSTRATIONS:
SEVERAL COMMUNIST GROUPS ARE TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN "UNHEALTHY
ATMOSPHERE" DURING THE PRESIDENT'S FORTHCOMING VISIT BY SPONSORING
ANTI?US RALLIES AND MAKING A GENERAL NUISANCE OF THEMSELVES. THE
MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF THESE SHENANIGANS, AND WE BELIEVE
IT HAS BOTH THE WILL AND THE MEANS TO KEEP MATTERS UNDER CONTROL.
5. NOTES:
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B. LISBON IS DEVELOPINGA BAD CASE OF NERVES AS A RESULT OF IN-
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SISTENT RUMORS THAT BIG CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT ARE IN THE OFFING. .
C. THE SITUATION IN ECUADOR REMAINS VOLATILE, AND MORE CABINET
OFFICERS ARE SAID TO BE PLANNING TO SUBMIT THEIR RESIGNATIONS IF
,AROSEMENA WILL NOT AGREE TO REMOVE LEFTISTS FROM GOVERNMENT POSITIONS.
AROSEMENA'S REACTION IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT 50X1
BUT WE THINK THE ODDS FAVOR HIS ATTEMPTING TO POST?
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PONE'A SHOWDOWN UNTIL AFTER THE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS TWO. WEEKS FROM
TOMORROW.
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TOP SECRET DINAR
D. MOSCOW EARLIER THIS WEEK AGREED TO INCREASE ITS ECONOMIC AID
TO CUBA BY ROUGHLY $50 MILLION, MOST OF IT APPARENTLY TO GO ON THE
CUFF. AMONG THE COMMODITIES TO BE PROVIDED ARE 5,000 TRUCKS, 850
TRACTORS, AN OIL TANKER, AND A WIDE VARIETY OF FOODSTUFFS. 50X1
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E. THE FRENCH, ENCOURAGED BY BRITISH SALES OF VISCOUNT AIRCRAFT
TO COMMUNIST CHINA, ARE TRYING TO INTEREST PEIPING IN CARAVELLES,
WE HEAR THAT THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN GETTING A NIBBLE, IF NOT A STRIKE. .
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