THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 4 DECEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976495
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 4, 1968

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006600130001-0
The President's Daily Brief
ol----r-3"Se6geLl December 1968
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.THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
A, DECEMBER 1968
1. Israel
2. Soviet Union
3, Soviet Union
The Israelis have ended a pe-
riod of relative restraint toward Jor-
dan
King Husayn's mid-November compact
with the terrorist organizations, by
which he sought to limit their trouble-
making to the Israeli frontier area,
clearly had something to do with Is-
rael's reversion to heavy strikes
against the Palestinians and their hosts.
Yesterday's incidents also show that
Iraqi forces in Jordan have lost their
relative immunity to Israeli attacks,
probably in consequence of their known
contributions to terrorist arsenals.
The annual Supreme Soviet examina-
tion of the economic budget and plan
on 10 December may also be the occasion
for high-level discussions of other
topics. A central committee meeting?
normally precedes the parliament ses-
sion, and the recent recall of senior
ambassadors to Moscow suggests that a
foreign policy review is under way.
The Russians have harvested a
grain crop nearly as good as the record
140-million-ton crop of 1966. ?They can
therefore meet all their domestic needs
and foreign commitments and still have
some left over to sell for additional
hard currency if they, so desire.
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4. Communist China
5. Pakistan
6. Venezuela
As long as he has the firm backing
of the armed forces and the civil serv-
ice, Ayub can ride out the current wave
of ant iregime demonstrations and poli-
ticking. But reports persist that these
traditionally solid pillars of support
are being shaken by disaffection over
internal corruption and by disenchant-
ment with Ayub personally. If such is
the case, then the recent blooming of
former Air Force chief Asghar Khan as
a political personality could provide
a popular focus for an eventual move
against Ayub.
The electoral count is still too
close and too incomplete to call. Of-
ficial tallies continue to give Chris-
tian Democratic candidate Caldera a
slight lead over the government party's
man, Gonzalo Barrios. The long count
is giving rise to recriminations and
charges of fraud, but so far only scat-
tered acts of violence have been re-
ported. Security forces remain on full
alert.
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7. South Vietnam
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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 US
Political Attitudes
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16
4 December 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only.
4 December 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi Protest: Hanoi has again issued .a .pro
forma official protest over US air attacks in?TEe
southern part of North Vietnam. A foreign minis-
try statement issued on 3 December claimed that
US aircraft attacked populated areas of Quang Binh
Province on 2 December, killing and wounding many
civilians and destroying their property. In lan-
guage similar to that of earlier protests, the
communiqu?alled the air strikes serious provoca-
tions and demanded that the US stop "all encroach-
ments upon the sovereignty and security" of North
Vietnam. There was no threat of specific counter-
actions, however.
the North Vietnamese are pre-
paring for a possible resumption of US bombing
Hanoi was expanding air
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raid shelters and children were being moved even
farther from their homes. The North Vietnamese
hope to forestall US bombing
by stirring up antiwar sentiments in South
ietnam, the US, and around the world.
Hanoi was looking
to Japanfortrade and technical assistance.
Chinese agricultural experts had been
withdrawn from North Vietnam and both this and
Hanoi's refusal to send representatives to the re-
cent Communist conference in Budapest demonstrate
North Vietnam's increasing independence from both
major Communist powers.
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
..Montreal Conference: The "Hemispheric Confer-
ence to End the War in Vietnam" ended in Montreal
on 1 December with an expected declaration of sup-
port for the Liberation Front and an unexpected
vote of support for the Quebec separatist movement.
The conference earlier became badly split when
"left wing" elements tried unsuccessfully, to expand
the agenda to include anti-imperialism in general
and not just the Vietnam war.
The closing session was highlighted by the
burning of 25 US draft cards by Hanoi's minister
of culture, and by a speech from Black Panther
chairman Bobby Seale who pledged solidarity with
the Vietnamese against the US.
Five North Vietnamese delegates and the two
Liberation Front representatives to Cuba attended
the meetings.
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006600130001-0