THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 AUGUST 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976333
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: August 31, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
31 August 1968
23
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
31 AUGUST 1968
1. Rumania
(As of 5:00 AM
EDT)
2. Czechoslovakia
3. Soviet Union -
Czechoslovakia
the movement of some Soviet
forces toward the Rumanian border. It
is too early to say whether this is
meant as a pressure tactic or in fact
indicates an intent to move into the
country.
The Soviets appear on the verge of
making new arrests. Pravda today called
for the liquidation of 40,000 "counter-
revolutionaries" in Czechoslovakia,
warning that the struggle is far from
over. This follows reports that Prime
Minister Cernik advised the nation's
intellectuals yesterday to "get out
while they can," as he could guarantee
the safety of no one, including himself.
Soviet security forces continue
their takeover of key posts in impor-
tant ministries.
The Czech Government has established
an office to control press, radio and
television media while formal legisla-
tion on information control is being
drawn up. The press is already exer-
cising restraint.
As yet we have noted no cracks in
the public show of unity among the So-
viet leaders. Neither is there any sign
of lessening resolve to bring the Czechs
to heel. Political infighting may well
occur, however, if Soviet aims are not
quickly and cleanly achieved.
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4. Warsaw Pact - The Soviet ground force buildup 50X1
NATO resulting from intervention in Czecho-
slovakia has not weakened the over-all
strength of Warsaw Pact ground forces
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5. South Vietnam
6. Dominican Republic
By contrast, the Warsaw Pact's
offensive air capabilities have been
reduced. The Czech Air Force of some
600 aircraft, now probably eliminated
from Pact planning, has been the most
effective of the East European air arms.
captured prisoners,
and
increasingly refer to 2 September as
the date for launching attacks. The
present Communist deployment suggests
that they hope to hit allied bases and
urban centers throughout the country.
The major target still appears to
be Saigon, although almost every pro-
vincial capital and major urban center
in the country could be hit with artil-
lery fire and with at least small unit
ground attacks.
The Communists' timetable, however,
may be upset in some areas of the coun-
try by allied pre-emptive attacks.
Communist
terrorists are planning attacks on US
personnel. These extremists have been
told to observe the habits and homes
of Americans (also of local police and
military officers) in preparation for
shootings and bombings.
Earlier plans did not come to
much, but the Communists are capable
of assassination attempts and other?
violence.
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7. Guatemala
8. Mexico
9. Arab States
The intensive search for Ambassa-
dor Mein's killers continues. There
have been threats by the Communist ter-
rorists against other foreign diplomats.
Sunday--when Diaz Ordaz gives his
state of the union address--may be a
day of disorder. Students are planning
demonstrations. They are also pre-
paring to "defend" the university cam-
pus with arms and molotov cocktails.
The government, however, seems deter-
mined to deal firmly with the protest-
ers.
One small bomb exploded at Ambas-
sador Freeman's residence yesterday,
with no damage.
Recent satellite photography shows
that the Arabs are continuing to im-
prove their air defense capabilities.
In Egypt, two new surface-to-air mis-
sile sites near Cairo have been seen,
and new runways are being built at
two fighter bases. Egypt, Iraq, and
Syria are building more protective
shelters for their aircraft.
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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 U S
Political Attitudes
_Top Secret
16
31 August 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
31 August 1968
. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
"Liberation Committees" Established: On 28 August
Liberation Radio proclaimed the establishment of a
"temporary people's liberation committee" in Ca Mau
Province--the Communist equivalent of the government's
An Xuyen Province. The committee was set up at a
five-day meeting in mid-August. Although this com-
mittee is made to appear a genuine creation of the
Ca Mau "people," the broadcast gives the first open
admission of Communist direction and participation in
such activities. The five-day meeting included "all
representatives from the National Liberation Front
provincial committee," along with representatives from
already established district and Village administra-
tions and from "mass organizations" in the province.
Except for the bogus Thua-Thien-Hue "revolutionary
administration," which was a paper government set up
by the National Alliance shortly after Tet and almost
unheard of since that time, the new Ca Mau liberation
committee is the first pretense of a government pres-
ence above the district level. Its creation may set
the pattern for the establishment of additional prov-
ince administrations throughout the country, with the
Communists first claiming extensive programs at the
hamlet and village levels before capping it with a
provincial organization.
The claims for Ca Mau were followed up on 29 Au-
gust by a Hanoi broadcast which claimed that similar
local "self-governing regimes" were gradually being
set up on a country-wide basis. The broadcast made it
clear that these organizations were all democratically
elected, anti-US, and anti-Saigon, and were carrying
out the Liberation Front's political program.
It is possible that at some time in the near fu-
ture these "revolutionary administrations" might be
used to form a national administration. The Commu-
nists' hopes for a national administration have always
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foundered on an inability to produce any personalities
of national stature, and they may be trying to get
around this difficulty by emphasizing their political
control over large parts of the countryside. The new
rural governments are clearly intended to give the im-
pression to both domestic and foreign audiences that
Communist political control is widespread and demo-
cratically based.
Liberation Front on "Uprisings": Liberation
Radio on 27 August broadcast a commentary which claimed
that "uprisings" have been occurring throughout South
.Vietnam since 18 August, Tay Ninh, "all the provinces"
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in the delta and around Saigon, and towns and provinces
throughout I Corps were Cited as areas in which the
people had risen up against the "puppet administration."
Some passages of the commentary suggeet,that.not-
withstanding their bravado, the Communists are dissatis-
fied with the political side of their current operations-
or in Viet Cong jargon, with the "uprising" aspect of
the "general offensive and uprising" campaign. Several
references are made to the Saigon government's efforts
to "cover Up the facts" and "impair the influence of-
the.uprisings." 11.e commentary then warned "The enemy
can by no means gauge the strength of our compatriots'
Uprising movement in the days ahead.' .This could be
an effort .by Hanoi to prod its party officials in the
South to show more results in the political field.
Logistics: US pilots reported a high level of
waterborne logistics craft activity in southern North
Vietnam during the week of 19-25 August, continuing
.a trend which has been noted since late July.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
.North Vietnamese on the Candidates: In an inter-
view with a Japanese journalist on 16 August trans-
mitted by Hanoi's news agency, Paris negotiator Xuan
Thuy prefaced comments on the US campaign by saying
he did not wish to "interfere" in US domestic affairs,
but could not remain silent on the Vietnam policies be-
ing espoused by "various circles." While characteriz-
ing the Johnson-Humphrey approach to the conflict as
"completely" discredited, Thuy.appeared--by the greater
length of his criticism--to find Nixon's position even
less palatable.
According .to a wire service report, however, Vice .
'President Humphrey was severely handled in an English
language broadcast by a Radio Hanoi broadcast beamed
at US servicemen in Vietnam. Commenting on his nomina-
tion, the broadcast reportedly described Humphrey as a
greedy opportunist unconcerned with the war's cost in
human lives so long as he gets "the big money the
presidency would give him."
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Hanoi on Demonstrations: The antiwar demonstra-
tions in Chicago continue to provide Radio Hanoi with
abundant propaganda material. In broadcasts on'28
and 30 August, its international service in English de-
scribed in particular detail the activities of one
-group of demonstrators who allegedly carried flags of
the Liberation Front and chanted "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi-Minh:"
The broadcasts attempted to-show widespread opposition
to the war within the Democratic Party and from many
sectors of US society, .citing the "demands" of lawyers,
'businessmen, women, and war veterans that the US end
its involvement in Vietnam.
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