THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 OCTOBER 1968

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0005976427
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
11
Document Creation Date: 
September 16, 2015
Document Release Date: 
September 16, 2015
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
October 25, 1968
File: 
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PDF icon DOC_0005976427.pdf165.14 KB
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 ? The President's Daily Brief --Top?Sei.zet 25 October 1968 23 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A00650011000123 (1 THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 OCTOBER'1968 1. 2. Czechoslovakia The withdrawal of non-Soviet occu- pation forces from Czechoslovakia prob- ably will be completed early next month. / I Polish, Hungarian, and Bulgarian units beganJeaving:the-cOun- try earlier this week. Some of the Soviet units in west- ern Czechoslovakia seem to be preparing to return to their home garrisons in East Germany as part of the reduction of the Soviet force level. 50X1(1 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 0X1 3. Rumania 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-oxi 4. Saudi Arabia 5. Ghana - -Soviet Union The Ghanaians are going to hold on for some time to the two Soviet trawlers they seized in Ghanaian waters earlier this month. They are convinced that the Soviet vessels were en.a.ed in hanky-panky .The Soviets are resigned to a good deal of bad publicity.as a result of this incident and are not yet making an issue of the seizure, but they will probably. begin to.yell if the ships are not released fairly soon. 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 6. Peru Preliminary talks on a Soviet loan to Peru have begun at the Soviet Embassy in Chile. The military gov- ernment is expecting economic missions from the Soviet Union and other East European countries and has also approved a Soviet request to conduct "maritime biological exploration" off the Peruvian coast. Peru is indeed seeking new markets and other sources of foreign aid, but it is probably publicizing these overtures to the Soviets as a means of pressuring the US to maintain normal diplomatic and economic ties. 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 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 50X1 16 25 October 1968 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001:3 (1 Special Daily Report on North Vietnam for the President's Eyes Only 25 October 1968 I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION 50X1 K1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Soviets Protest "Near Bombing" of Their Hydro- graphic Ship: Moscow evidently intends to treat an alleged incident in the Tonkin Gulf in low key. A Soviet Foreign Ministry official called in the US charg?n the evening of 23 October to register a mild protest against the "near bombing" of the Soviet vessel. He referred to the action as a "new provoca- tion" and demanded that the guilty parties be punished and steps be taken to prevent a recurrence. When queried, he added that he knew of no plans to publi- cize the incident or the protest at this time. The Soviets protested and publicized two other "near misses" in Haiphong harbor in the summer of 1966. Preliminary field reports indicate that two US Navy A.-4s jettisoned eight bombs, the nearest some three and a half nautical miles from the Soviet hydro- graphic vessel Peleng in international waters in the Tonkin Gulf on the morning of 23 October. -2- 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 ouX1 50X1 50X1 II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL ATTITUDES ON THE WAR There is nothing of significance to report today. -3- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006500110001-3