THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 7 OCTOBER 1966

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968564
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: October 7, 1966

4- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24: CIA-RDP79T00936A004700370001-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
7 OCTOBER 1966
23
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DAILY BRIEF
7 OCTOBER 1966
1. South Vietnam
2. South Vietnam
The Buddhist-led antigovernment
"struggle movement" in the northern
provinces of South Vietnam is not yet
laid to rest. Tri Quang has called on
remaining strugglers to reorganize for
a new phase to begin 1 November.
Local officials say they are pre-
paring lists of strugglers still at
large and a roundup will begin soon.
These officials appear uncertain, how-
ever, as to how far Saigon is prepared
to go in eradicating the movement.
They are confused, for instance, by re-
ports that the regime is planning to
release some of the struggle leaders in
Saigon.
When the chips are down, Ky may
well be reluctant to run a risk of re-
igniting the unrest that caused him so
much trouble last spring.
The cabinet crisis that Ky thought
he had settled by firing his health
minister last Wednesday has revived.
Six ministers with southern sympa-
thies submitted their resignations in
protest over an article published yes-
terday in a Saigon newspaper backed by
Ky. The article defended the ousted
health minister and criticized his dep-
uty whose detention by the police started
the fracas. Ky suspended the newspaper
effective today, but the dissidents are
not likely to be permanently placated.
Ambassador Lodge points out that
some of the participants in this rhu-
barb are undoubtedly aware that now is
a good time to strike because the Manila
conference puts Ky under pressure to
keep his house in order.
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3. Rhodesia
4. Gibraltar
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assessment of. 50X1
the Rhodesian situation. It adds up to
saying that Smith's position is as solid
as the Rock of Gibraltar--or, as the
next item shows, probably more solid.
Smith still has the confidence of
the white Rhodesians, and is firmly in
control of their political party, the
Rhodesian Front, Neither Smith, the
cabinet, nor the Front has any intention
of taking steps toward majority rule,
and no attempt is being made to educate
Africans for responsible positions.
To top things off, the assessment
points out that there is no sign of a
fall in Rhodesia's exports to her major
trading partners despite British sanc-
tions.
The Spanish, determined to make
Britain acknowledge at least a degree
of Spanish sovereignty over Gibraltar,
are stepping up their harassment of the
Rock.
Madrid has protested alleged incur-
sions of its airspace by military planes
using Gibraltar's airport, and has an-
nounced it will soon cut off vehicular
traffic along the neck of land which
connects with Spain./
The two sides may scuttle further
talks--a session was scheduled for Mon-
day--and take the case to the Inter-
national Court. This could put the prob-
lem on ice for years--and suit the Brit-
ish just fine.
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5. Guatemala
6. Congo
7. Communist China
The rightist coup plotters are
planning to give President Mendez
Montenegro a chance to mend his ways.
If he does not accept an ultimatum to
sack some of his recent appointees,
whom the plotters consider leftists or
Communists, out he goes. Four of the
men on the list are cabinet members.
the
ultimatum will be presented by Sunday.
The plotters may have to wait longer
than that, however, for the necessary
military support for a coup.
Most of the Katangan mutineers at
large southeast of Kisangani (Stanley-
ville) have agreed to lay down their
arms. Mobutu backed down considerably
from his demand for "unconditional sur-
render," and has agreed--although not
yet in writing--to the Katangans' de-
mand that they be returned home without
reprisals.
Even the French are not immune to
the diplomatic cold shoulder Peking
turns on countries represented there.
The French foreign ministry's di-
rector of Asian affairs, recently re-
turned from ten days in Peking, admits
he did not "see any Chinese." Although
he did not request appointments, the
Chinese were informed of his arrival and
failed to seek him out. De Gaulle's per-
sonal representative, Sainteny, got the
same treatment when he passed through
Peking en route to Hanoi in June.
This lends credence to rumors that
the French ambassador has for some
months had trouble seeing top Chinese
officials.
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8. Indonesia
9. Iran
The marathon two-day celebration
of Armed Forces Day this week, in which
Sukarno was on frequent display, showed
how much his image has faded.
Our embassy in Djakarta comments that
a garden party at the palace showed him
as still the great leader--of singing
and dancing. Everyone not in this anach-
ronistic circle of forced gaiety and
childish behavior was bored stiff. Also,
the once magnetic orator gave two major
speeches, but his audience for the most
part stared stiffly ahead or gazed at
their thumbs.
Suharto remained, whenever possible,
in the background. But he did have to
step forward to read the official procla-
mation for the celebration--and attracted
enthusiastic attention.
The embassy adds, however, that al-
though Sukarno looks bloated and has
lost much of his spring, he got through
the arduous schedule and is obviously
not a sick man.
Negotiations for the purchase of
Soviet arms are still going on, both in
Tehran and Moscow. The Shah claims to
have resisted "pressing offers" of MIG
aircraft and missiles, but is determined
to buy antiaircraft guns and armored
personnel carriers.
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