THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 8 APRIL 1966

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968248
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: April 8, 1966

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24: CIA-RDP79T00936A004400220001-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
8 APRIL 1966
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-DAILY-BRIEF
8 APRIL 1966
1. South Vietnam
the ruling directorate today voted unani-
mously "to develop plans for the neces-
ary action" against antigovernment ele-
ments in the northern provinces. The
timing was left open, but the move could
come tomorrow.
The directorate also decided on
command changes in the area. The inef-
fective General Chuan was removed and
command of I Corps given to General Ton
That Dinh, a forceful officer of some-
what uncertain loyalties. He is to pro-
ceed to Da Nang tomorrow.
Some members of the directorate ap-
parently still hope that a "real show of
force" will cause the struggle groups in
Hue and Da Nang to collapse. The strug-
gle groups in these cities show every
sign that they will fight to prevent pro-
government troops from entering either
city. The likelihood of clashes at Da
Nang in particular has prompted the em-
bassy to order all civilian Americans
evacuated.
The chances for a peaceful politi-
cal compromise receded further today when
Buddhist leaders in Hue and Da Nang de-
nounced Tam Chauts plea yesterday for a
pause in agitation. An antigovernment
struggle committee, under a follower of
Tri Quang, was set up today in Saigon.
Tonight in Saigon there has been
further rioting, largely by bands of
young hoodlums. The police fear bigger
antigovernment demonstrations tomorrow
with an increased anti-American flavor.
A sector of the city has been cordoned
off and Americans advised to keep out.
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The new frigates under construction in the USSR may be larger than this
470-foot KASHIN?Class--the last type of guided missile ship to be built
by the Soviets
The new Soviet helicopter carriers reportedly being built in the Black
Sea apparently resemble this 590-foot French helicopter carrier
JEANNE d'ARC
1195
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2. Vietnam
3. Communist China
4. Soviet Union
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The Viet Cong are beginning to feel
the pinch on their food supplies. Their
radio this week acknowledged that current
allied operations had created "difficul-
ties" in food procurement. The admis-
sion was coupled with an exhortation for
?a "patriotic" upsurge in food production.
Hanoi today marked the first anni-
versary of the promulgation of its so-
called "four points" for solving the
Vietnam problem by insisting, once again,
that they are the one and only basis for
settling the war.
Weather reporting in northwestern
China has not yet been stepped up and
we have not detected the usual prepara-
tory flights by debris-collecting air-
craft.
The Soviets are apparently plan-
ning to introduce two new classes of
major warships.
one or two units of a new
class of frigate--probably to be equipped
with guided missiles and the latest anti-
submarine weapons--are currently under
production as are two probable helicopter
carriers. Such ships are needed to ex-
tend the Soviets' antisubmarine and am-
phibious warfare capabilities beyond the
range of ground-based air support.
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5. Soviet Union
6. Africa
The 23rd Soviet Party Congress--
an exercise in dull oratory--finally
ended today. The general party line and
the political balance at the top were
not significantly affected. The widely
heralded move to rehabilitate Stalin
failed to get off the ground.
The turnover in membership of the
party's governing bodies was kept to a
minimum. The few changes that were made
point to a slight improvement in the po-
sition of the orthodox wing of the party,
and this is in keeping with the stress
at the congress on the need for greater
discipline and ideological firmness.
As expected, Brezhnev received the
title of General Secretary and has emerged
from the congress with somewhat 'enhanced
prestige.
The summit conference of eleven east
and central African leaders in Nairobi
last week was considerably more produc-
tive than most African meetings of this
kind. Although each participant came to
the meeting with a dispute going with
at least one of the others, the group
still managed to take realistic steps to
patch up its differences.
Progress was particularly good on
refugee problems. Tanzania's Nyerere
agreed to limit the activities of Malawi
exiles in his country; Kenyatta ordered
the ouster of two Congolese rebel leaders
and a roundup of southern Sudanese dis-
sidents.
Congolese President Mobutu reached
preliminary agreement with all partici-
pating neighbors to resolve their refu-
gee problems. Both Nyerere and Uganda's
Obote in turn promised Mobutu that they
would stop all aid to the Congolese rebels.
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7. Ethiopia
8. Eastern Europe
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Haile Selassie's decision to take
off on a three-week trip to West Africa
and the Caribbean, beginning on Monday,
evidently indicates that he is not par-
ticularly worried about the long-simmer-
ing discontent at home. Last month the
Emperor made a few political reforms to
cool down his critics, but a number of
military and civilian elements are still
dissatisfied with his heavy-handed rule,
In this situation, the possibility of a
move against the regime during his ab-
sence cannot be ruled out.
The Chinese Communists may be try-
ing to encourage the formation of splinter
groups within the Soviet-oriented parties
of Eastern Europe.
Peking's leading European client,
Albania,has publicly hailed the "clan-
destine reappearance of the Polish Com-
munist Party." Tirana may have been re-
ferring to a group of Polish Stalinists,
one of whom fled Poland with Albanian
help in February and has since been beam-
ing anti-Gomulka, pro-Chinese broadcasts
from Tirana.
We doubt that Peking's efforts have
had much effect as yet.
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