THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 19 JULY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976259
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: July 19, 1968

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006300010001-6
The President's Daily Brief
---rop-Se.6.ga_ 19 July 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
19 JULY 1968
Czechoslovakia -
Soviet Union
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LATE ITEM
Podgorny this morning added his
voice to the Soviet chorus which has
been warning about the "threat to
socialism" in Czechoslovakia. Refer-
ring to the "notorious events in
Czechoslovakia," he reiterated ear-
lier Soviet declarations that the
parties which met in Warsaw "will
never put up with a split in the his-
torical gains of socialism."
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
19
JULY 1968
1.
Czechoslovakia -
Soviet Union
Prague
The Czechs,
terday and
is
in
in
2. Chile
sticking to its guns.
Dubcek's TV address yes-
a statement earlier in
the day from the party presidium, made
it clear in calm, measured tones that
they do not plan to yield on any of the
important points at issue. This stand
presumably will get the endorsement of
the party's central committee at its
meeting today. The regime has already
received a flood of protestations of
support from around the country.
.Tito, Rumanian party chief Ceausescu,
and representatives of the French and
Italian Communistparties will-be arriv-
ing:in Prague today, according to the
Czech press agency.
Moscow has not yet had time to re-
act to the latest statements from Prague,
and we do not expect a considered reply
until after the Czech central committee
makes known its position today.
Meanwhile, Soviet media are
keeping up the flow of critical propa-
ganda.
There still has been no. substantial
change in the Soviet military posture
in and around Czechoslovakia.
Frei has ?asked his congress for per-
mission to visit Brazil in early Septem-
ber. According to press reports, Chil-
ean diplomats in Washington are speculat-
ing that he may want to visit the US on
the same trip. We have no other word on
this.
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3. Turkey
4, Egypt
Leftists are planning a mass anti
US demonstration for Saturday afternoon.
The demonstration will also be protest-
ing alleged police brutality in yester-
day's disturbances. US sailors will
again be ashore, but this time the Turk-
ish security forces will be committed
to protecting them.
Some Turks are drawing a disturb-
ing analogy, between yesterday's riots
and the student unrest which eventually
led to the army coup of .1960. We do
not think too much should be Made of
this analogy. In 1960 the army. sided
with the students; this time we think
it would be more inclined to'help in
their repression.
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5. Brazil
6. Panama
Four thousand workers joined a
wildcat strike in Sao Paulo on Wednes-
day and took possession of six metal-
Working plants. The City had a simi7
lar strike last month
There are indications that the
city's student organizations, long at
odds with the government, helped or-
ganize the strike. The students are
also continuing to demonstrate sporad-
ically on their own.
? .It appears to us that this unrest_
As caused by a mixture of economic trou-
bles-and the generation gap problem
familiar elsewhere The Costa e Silva
government, however; attributes the
strikes and demonstrations to a Commu-
nist plot. ?It believes, in fact that
Brazil is now in the early stages of
Communist-directed revolutionary war-
fare.
Accordingly, it has warned that if
new disorders occur, the armed forces
will be used and a state of siege de-
clared.'
Measures such as these will not
keep things under control for long.
Robles says he is so disgusted with
the machinations of defeated candidate
Samudio that he has decided to resign
and leave the country., If he does so,
his constitutional successor would be the
first .vice president, an Arias man.
Such A move would probably end Samudio's
efforts to get himself declared presi-
dent-.elect and would also smooth the
transition to the new regime in October.
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7. Philippines-
Malaysia
Marcos has gotten himself out on
a limb in his relations with Malaysia
and now is trying to wiggle back. It
was his 'emissary:who caused the. Malay-
sians to walk out of the talks the two
countries have been holding on Manila's
claim to Sabah.
Now he is trying to find a way to
avoid breaking relations. A break would
carry the risk of isolation from his
other neighbors, who generally support
Malaysia. Domestic pressures may make
a rupture unavoidable, however.
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Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
s
19 July 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
19 July 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi Turns Over American Fliers: Hanoi's newly
created Committee for Solidarity with Progressive
Americans presided over the release of the three Ameri-
can pilots to their pacifist escorts yesterday. The
solidarity committee spokesman described the release
as "a very significant action at the moment when the
US Government is intensifying its criminal war of ag-
gression against the Vietnamese people." A report
of the release ceremony was carried in English in a
Hanoi Radio broadcast to Southeast Asia.
The three American peace activists who received
the three prisoners have made special pleas to US of-
ficials for having them return by commercial, not mili-
tary, aircraft. Hanoi has made no effort to insist
on this point, however, and probably does not care.
* * *
Liberation Front Meeting: The Communists' Lib-
eration Radio recently announced that the Liberation
Front's central committee presidium held an enlarged
conference on 11-13 July to "review" the situation
and to set forth "immediate tasks" and policies. Such
meetings take place periodically for these purposes.
They are used primarily to transmit basic policies
and orders formulated and passed on by the Communist
leadership in Hanoi.
This Front session comes at a time when reports
indicate that many Communist military units and com-
mands are engaged in meetings to discuss new offensive
operations and to conduct political indoctrinations.
The meetings almost certainly are focused primarily
on preparations for future military and political op-
erations. The Front's communiqu?ontains the usual
statement about mobilizing Communist resources to
"surge forward" and to "launch relentless attacks."
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Such rhetoric is not an accurate guide to immediate
Communist intentions, ?however.
* * *
North Vietnam and the Issue of Restraint: North
Vietnam's chief negotiator in Paris, Xuan Thuy, in
a recent interview with David Schoenbrun came very
close to arguing that the lack of Communist attacks
on Saigon is intended by the Communists to be a form
of military restraint. A North Vietnamese spokesman
in Paris later parried newsmen's questions about the
interview, and he made the usual argument that Commu-
nist military actions are part of a fight against "US
aggression."
It is increasingly apparent that Hanoi does want
the current Communist military posture in South Viet-
nam to be interpreted as a response to US demands for
de-escalation. Selected Communist combat activities
probably have been tailored to give an impression of
military restraint. The time, scope, and duration
of the current lull are consistent with an attempt to
facilitate further Communist probes of US intentions
while preparations for new offensive actions are under
way.
* * *
Celebration of Geneva Agreements Anniversary:
In an international service broadcast on 15 July Radio
Hanoi announced that the anniversary of the signing
of the 1954 Geneva Agreements on 20 July will be marked
by sympathetic "solidarity" demonstrations abroad.
These Will include rallies planned by the French peace
movement and a "Week of Solidarity" scheduled by the
North Koreans.
* * *
Soviet Economic Aid: the
USSR has granted North Vietnam additional economic
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aid for 1968 and 1969, not for reconstruction but to
satisfy Hanoi's current economic needs. During the
recent visit to Moscow of North Vietnam's economic
delegation, long-range Soviet assistance for recon-
struction was discussed but no decisions were made
* * *
:II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report today.
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Top Secret
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