THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 6 SEPTEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976343
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: September 6, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
----rorS-rr-stzt?.6 September 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
6 SEPTEMBER 1968
1, Soviet Union
2. Czechoslovakia
The Soviet military had a key
role in the decision to invade Czecho-
slovakia
By this account--and much of it
matches up with other reporting--Kosygin,
Suslov, and Shelepin were opposed to
intervention; Brezhnev could not make
up his mind. The final decision was
made after General Yakubovsky, Warsaw
Pact forces commander, told the Polit-
buro the Czechoslovak Army was preparing
to back a "rightist" coup. Yakubovsky
was supported by other military leaders,
but not by the defense minister, Marshal
Grechko. Grechko urged considerably more
restraint.
Czechoslovak leaders have taken
to the hustings trying to hold popular
support and yet establish conditions
for Soviet troop withdrawal. Yesterday
Dubcek, Cernik, and Svoboda visited
factories where they urged workers not
to provoke Russian soldiers and called
for "unity, consideration, and reason."
These themes also are being stressed by
Prague press media.
The Moscow press, however, contin-
ues to hold that the "counterrevolution-
ary" threat has not ended. This is the
rationale for what probably will become
a lengthy presence on Czechoslovak soil.
There also are some indications
that the Warsaw Five are tolerating
Dubcek only temporarily.
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3, Rumania
4. Hungary
5, Iran
The nine-day truce in Soviet press
attacks on Rumania was broken Wednesday
when Pravda let it be known Moscow is
still displeased with Bucharest's criti-
cism. There are no new military develop-
ments relating to Rumania, however. The
Bulgarians continue a military exercise;
Yugoslav and Rumanian troops remain on
alert.
Party boss Janos Kadar is reported
to be a bitter
man indeed. He is angry with the So-
viets for making the Hungarians join
the invasion, thus shattering his pains-
takingly rebuilt image of a reformed
Hungary. He is equally angry with Dub-
cek for rejecting a last-minute appeal
to "reason."
Kadar believes that as the crisis
developed he stuck his neck out in sup-
port of Dubcek's reforms and in opposi-
tion to the hardliners. On 18 August,
the Soviets sent Kadar to make one more
try at getting the Czechoslovaks to
mend their ways. Dubcek, who by this
time was highly nervous and excited,
flatly rejected Kadar's appeal, appar-
ently in rather undiplomatic language.
Some aspects of the 18 August meet-
ing have been leaked to the press by
the Hungarians--a move which Kadar hopes
might salvage some prestige.
An earthquake at home and the in?
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vasion of Czechoslovakia notwithstand-
ing, the Shah is going ahead with plans
to visit the Soviet Union later this
month. He is aware that the timing is
awkward, but he is seemingly determined
to push ahead in his quest for better
relations with Moscow. We do not expect
any major new economic or military equip-
ment contracts to emerge from this visit.
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6. North Korea
7. Soviet Union
Next Monday the regime will put on
a major show for its 20th anniversary.
The occasion has sparked a number of
rumors about the Pueblo crew.
The Secretary-General of the Japan-
ese Communist Party returned from North
Korea Tuesday and remarked cryptically
to newsmen that "it appears there will
be some progress with regard to the
Pueblo on 9 September." We are trying
now to get this clarified, but, in pres-
ent form, it could mean anything from
release to a trial of the crew./
The North Koreans have invited
guests from about 90 countries to the
celebration. One way or the other, the
Pueblo case is likely to be a feature
attraction.
Satellite photography shows that
the Soviets are slowly closing down
some of their vulnerable surface launch
pads for the SS-4, an early strategic
missile with a 1,000-mile range. The
SS-4 was sent to Cuba in 1962 and has
been deployed extensively in European
Russia,
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8. Soviet Union -
Egypt
9. Guatemala
The US Embassy feels the Guate-
malan Government is making every effort
to apprehend Ambassador Mein's killers
but reports no new leads on their
whereabouts. The terrorists continue
to threaten further assassinations
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The government is ready to meet 50X1
violence with violence.
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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
16
6 September 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
6 September 1968
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I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION 50X1
More on Western Trade: There are more signs that
Hanoi is moving ahead with postwar economic planning.
Hanoi will be sending a group of officials
to France next month to negotiate purchase agreements
with various French industrial firms.
North Vietnam is said to be interested primarily
in the fields of steel production, chemistry, electron-
ics, and light industry.
Indeed, the prospects for any significant North Viet-
namese trade with non-Communist countries are clouded
by Hanoi's extremely limited ability to generate foreign
exchange through exports. It seems likely that the mis-
sion to.France will be mainly another attempt to explore
Western sources of support for postwar economic recon-
struction.
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report today.
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