CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1961/03/30

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03007387
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2020
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2020
• Publication Date: March 30, 1961

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30 March 1961
Copy No. C 7 7
CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
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30 March 1961
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
CONTENTS
1. Situation in Laos. (Page t)
2. Congo: Tshombe's forces move against Manono.
(Page it)
3. Angola: Lisbon believes "incidents" likely in
southern Angola on 30 March.
) (Page it)
4. Somali Republic: Mogadiscio apparently prepared
to accept economic aid from Soviet good-will mis-
sion arriving 30 March. (Page it)
5, North Vietnam: Morocco becomes fourth African
nation to recognize Hanoi. (Page iii)
6. Watch Committee Conclusions. (Page tit)
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01�114
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LUANG' PRABANG 7 m
SA NEUA
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SAYABOURY r'''''XIENG KHOUANG \
Muon9 Soul an an
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Plaine
,I-)rres esXieng Khouang
VIENTIANE
Vientiane
NORTHERN LAOS
410 GOVERNMENT Forces in
ONO KONG LE - PATHET LAO Contact
KONG LE - PATHET LAO AREAS
__TRAIL P
0 ROUTE NUMBER
10330 2
� Ka Keut
KHAMM UANE
Thakhek
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
30 March 1961
DAILY BRIEF
*Laos: rihrushehev
with Chinese forces. Asked what would be the result if SEATO
� Foreign Minister Chen Yi carefully skirted a question on
in a couple of dayg
will open the way for a cease-fire and a settlement in Laos,
but again insisted that Souvanna Phouma should head any gov iP
-
ernment of Laos. He said the USSR's reply would be delivered 7 et-
portunity for making an explicit threat to counter such a move
openly invaded Laos, Chen Yi limited his written reply to a
of the Laotian people will be inereased3
SEATO intervention in Laos which would have provided an op-
statement that "the civil war will be prolo ed, the suffering eal)yring a recent interview in Burma, Communist China's -
thinks the recent British proposals ./4-14-
The Soviet airlift into Laos goes on, however, and evi-
dence continues to accumulate on the extent to which Viet
Minh cadres have been used to stiffen Pathet Lao units. A
conference of most Pathet Lao commanders, which presum-
ably would precede a change in Pathet Lao operations or pol-
icy, was apparently in progress in Xieng Khouang on 29
March. (Backup, Page 1) (Map)
ahe Watch Committee at its meeting on 29 March reached
he following conclusion concerning Laos-i3
CRecent Communist military activity in Laos has been
limited to very small-scale actions, suggesting that the Com-
munists are restricting their operations for immediate polit-
ical reasons. The Communist forces, however, are capable
of stepped-up operations at any time, which, in view of the
low morale of the FAL, could achieve rapid successes. There
are indications of logistic support operations in the area north
of Luang Prabang which could presage new combat operationaj
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Pik
Banana
INDIA
1711
SUDAN
400
TUNISIA
3,200
MALAYA
210
INDONESIA
850
Leopold vi
ysvi Ile
NDONESIA
300
wit.]MALAYA
150
Gemena
Scattered Cal
..Goquilhatville
.dtm.
Scattered Forces
� Boende
GHANA
1600
-go Luanda Approximate area controlled by:
= Kasavubu�Mobutu
= Gizenga
Kalonji
ishombe ;
A flonfir
CE United Nations Forces
0, pan 1 ----Selected road
Selected railroad
Selected airfield
p�Katangan moves against Manono
10330
STATUTE MILES
4040
MALAYA
400
_Kind
KALOND
1,500
LIBERIA
230
Kamina,
_
ETHIOPIA
1,800
G1720E NG A
o0
Bukavu
NIGERIA
500
on go
Albertville _
NIGERIA
1,300
Iv�tno
Piana Mwanga
Mitwaba_
Usurnbura
SWEDEN.--
650
TSHOMBE
4,000
Francqui
Luputa
MOROCCO'
IRELAN9
Elisa
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'against the royal capital. Otherwise, Bloc logistic support
continues undiminished and may be increased if the Bloc antic-
ipates any agreement on mutual suspension of arms deliveries.
Bloc propaganda suggests that the USSR will not agree uncon-
ditionally to the UK proposal and that the Bloc will seek to
avoid a commitment on a cessation of hostilities prior to an
international conference; Pathet Lao opposition to a cease-fire
has been particularly apparent. We know of no military moves
by North Vietnam or Communist China for an expansion of the
Laotian conflict, but some preparatory measures could have
been or could be taken without detectioig
(Backup, Page 1) (Map)
Congo: According to the UN representative in Elisabeth-
ville, the movement of Tshombd's forces against Manono has
begun. The Katanga forces, which number about 1,000, ap-
parently plan to make a gradual advance on the town from the
three centers of Mitwaba, Kongolo, and Piana Mwanga; ac-
cording to reports of Swedish UN patrols, the troops advanc-
ing from Mitwaba may already have progressed halfway to
Manono without encountering serious opposition. The UN of-
ficial said that the size of the advancing force would make it
impossible for the small Nigerian unit at Manono to interpose
itself effectively. ) (Backup, Page 4) (Map)
*Anonla Lisbon advised the governor 7eneral of Angola
it had information
"incidents" would take place on 30 March, particularly in
southern Angola. governor general
to take specific precautions at airports and in areas where there
are large numbers of African workers.
Eliossible action by an extremist group, the Union of Negro
Laborers and Artisans. This group is not known to have been
Involved in the previous outbreaks, which have been concen-
trated in northern Angola. (Backup,
Page 5)
Somali Republic - USSR: Epie Somali Government is ap-
parently prepared to accept economic aid which it expects willj
30 Mar 61
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Page ii
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e offered by the five-man Soviet good-will mission scheduled
to arrive in Mogadiscio on 30 March-3 Although moderate gov-
ernment leaders have often stated a preference for Western
aid, they feel pressed by a small but vocal Communist-influ-
enced opposition party which would exploit the issue in a con-
stitutional referendum 'set for 20 June.
(Backup, Page 6)
North Vietnam - Morocco: North Vietnam's campaign to
gain wider international acceptance moved another step for-
ward with the announcement on 27 March that Morocco had
agreed to establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambas-
sadors. The agreement caps a five-day visit to Rabat by
North Vietnam's foreign minister, who has been touring Af-
rica for the past month. Morocco is the fourth African nation
to recognize the Vietnamese Communist regime in the past
year, following Guinea, Mali, and Senegal.
(Backup, Page 7)
WATCH COMMITTEE CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of findings by its Watch Committee the United
States Intelligence Board concludes that:
. and B. No change from last week.
C. LAOS--Carried on page i of the Daily Brief.
SOUTH VIETNAM
There are continuing indications that Viet Cong (Commu-
nist) guerrilla groups in South Vietnam will probably en-
gage in a vigorous extensive campaign of sabotage and
political terrorism in connection with and prior to the
30 Mar 61
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Page iii
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South Vietnamese presidential elections scheduled for
9 ApriL
D. CONGO
Although conditions in the Congo remain unsettled, there
are no new developments affording increased pPoi-
ties for e loita ion t
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The Situation in Laos
Khrushchev expressed some of the same views that Gromyko
voiced during his meeting with President Kennedy the same day.
The Soviet premier termed the British proposals of 23 March
on Laos "constructive" and said they would make it possible to
bring about a cease-fire and a settlement He indicated that
the Soviet reply would be forthcoming in a couple of days. As
in earlier talks with Ambassador Thompson on 21 January and
9 March, Khrushchev minimized the importance of Laos, say-
ing it would not change the East-West balance of power and that
the Laotians would choose neutrality if left to themselves. Khru-
shchev also repeated earlier charges that Boun Oum is a drunk-
ard and urged again that agreement be reached on a new govern-
ent headed by Souvanna Phouma-p
cm remarks clearly calculated to impress the Indian Govern-
e with the urgency of getting negotiations started, Khrushchev
arned that movements by American military and naval forces
ere not helpful and said the USSR never gave way in the face
f threats. He added that if the US wanted another Korea, it
ould have it, but this would be a "really bloody one]
Ellie favorable references to the British proposals made by
rushchev and Gromyko, together with the generally moderate
nd positive tone of the Pravda article of 27 March, appear to
eflect the Soviet leaders' awareness that recent military and
iplomatic moves by the US and Britain have brought the con-
test over Laos to a new and more critical phase. Their cau-
tious and generally positive response probably was intended
primarily, to forestall any decision by the SEATO conference
which might raise the possibility of expanded military action
in Laos. Moscow's response also suggests that the Soviet
leaders are concerned that Western moves have deprived the
bloc of the diplomatic initiative and put the bloc governments
on the defensive. This concern was evident in the Pravda ar-
ticle's effort to demonstrate that the USSR was the earliest and
most consistent proponent of negotiations and to portray the
British proposals as acceptance of Moscow's position on conven-
ing an international conference and reactivating the ICCT3
I Describing the Laotian crisis as a real test for the bloc,
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the Pathet Lao must be
included in any negotiations on tne iuture of Laos. "If we com-
promise now," the official said, "we are accepting the strength
of imperialism. We will be doing injustice to the progressive
forces in Southeast Asia." j
Cabinet discussions on the Laotian crisis were resumed
on 29 March with the return of King Savang and General Phoumi
to Vientiane after a visit of several days to southern Laos.
Country team speculation is that broadening of the government
may be a primary topic under discussion. Former Premier
Phoui Sananikone, meanwhile, is working behind the scenes
for a replacement of the present government, which he feels
is "dictatorial" and only antagonizing the majority of the popu-
lation. Phoui proposes that the King should persuade Boun
Oum and Phoumi to step down, and then take personal charge
of a transitional government pending a general election. There
is considerable support for this proposal among other conserva-
tive Laotian politicians, and Savana reportedly has taken it un-
der serious advisemenq
With the possible exception of two flights, all scheduled
airlift activity into Laos for 27 March was canceled, probably
because of adverse weather conditions. On 28 March at least
14 flights into Laos were detected, some of which were to the
Nam Bac area north of Luang Prabang. Periodic flights of
AN-12 turboprop heavy transports from North, Vietnam in sup-
port of these operations continue.
r LA prisoner who was recently captured near yang Vieng
claims to be an artilleryman from the 925th Frontier Security
Battalion of the North Vietnamese Army. He alleges that his
unit entered Laos near Nong Het in mid-January and that later
in February he and about 45 other artillery specialists and in-
fantrymen were assigned to the Pathet Lao 6th Battalion. An-
other prisoner captured on 23 March claims that a group of
infantry specialists arrived at the Plaine des Jarres from
Hanoi on 5 February. The prisoner alleges that he and some
of the others were from the North Vietnamese 246th Independ-
ent Regiment, which has its headquarters in north-central"'?
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LNorth Vietnam, and that they were assigned to the Pathet Lao
3rd Battalion.
North Vietnamese combat advisers, technicians, and var-
ious specialists are known to be in Laos, but evidence that units,
as such, of the North Vietnamese Army are in Laos continues
to be inconclusive.
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Situation in the Congo
The UN is taking no military action to meet the threat to
Marlow, according to a 28 March report from the American
army attache in Leopoldville. GeneralMcKeown, the UN mil-
itary commander, has been in Elisabethville attempting to per-
suade Tshombe to call off the offensive, but the Katanga gov-
ernment has given no indication that it will yield to UN pressure.
[Me Belgian consul general in Elisabethville told the Amer=
ican consul on 28 March that between 85 and 90 Belgians now
serving with Tshombe's forces would leave by mid-April. This
total includes both military technicians under contract to the
Katanga government and volunteers recruited for the white
legion. About 240 Belgians were serving with the Katanga
military in January, and the number may have increased since
then. The consul general feared that small numbers of white
volunteers might still be coming into Katanga. He hinted that
Brussels might have to withdraw more Belgians as a result of
international pressure, but he implied that the Belgian Foreign
Ministry has little control over, the Ministry of African Affairs,
which apparently is continuing its assistance to Tshombeii
[According to a Western journalist, 21 South Africans ar-
rived in Elisabethville on 19 March. They claimed that they
were being paid $420 per month plus danger pay and stated
they did not mind working for "that Kaffir Tshombe" as long
as they received their pay. The South Africans have insisted
that they serve as a unit, apparently because whites serving
with African troops are a prime target of opposing shots.
Normally, each white serves as a leader of five or six Africans,
who apparently keep fighting only so long as the European is
not immobilized.3
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Situation in Angola
4ie whites
in southern Angola as tense because there had been numerous
purchases of crude weapons by natives.
the governor general had received threatening letters from
Angolan negro refugees in the frontier area of South-West
Africa.
Lisbon's request for South African cooperation in controlling
er area received a favorable response.
rth_e_harl,
The organization which probably instigated the initial up-
risings in northern Angola, the Union of the Angolan People
(UPA), led by Holden Roberto, reportedly now has agitators
working in southern Angola. A small number of Angolan de-
serters- -whose homes are in southern Angola--from the Portu-
guese Army are preparing to go to southern Angola under UPA
auspices to foment further outbreaks. UPA headquarters has
issued instructions to continue the uprising in Angola as long
as possibleD
[The UPA is considering setting up an advanced headquarters
in an area of northern Angola, where refugees report that a
zone some 30 miles wide along the Congo frontier has been
almost entirely evacuated by Portuguese troops and civilians.
Refugees claim that Portuguese troops remain in the main
towns and merely launch raids into the countryside3
[Leopoldville's Minister of the Interior Adoula reportedly
has promised the UPA--whose headquarters is in Leopoldville
--that the Congo Government will establish a refugee camp in
the Lower Congo area for the large number of Angolan refugees
there. Roberto also plans to contact other. African nationalist
movements for political and material support]
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Soviet Mission Visits Somali Republic
Wea. ��� Pair �
bassador in Mogadiscio received the invitation from Premier
Abdirascid during a casual conversation at a recent reception
for a visiting UAR delegationj
Soviet delegationn--headed by Lesechko, the first deputy
chairman of the State Planning Commission (Gosplan)�includes
A. A. Shvedov, chief of the First African Division of the Minis-
try of Foreign Affairs, the deputy minister of health, and high=
level trade and cultural officials. The composition of the mis-
sion suggests that Moscow is prepared to offer aid to the Somali
Republic in several nonmilitary fieldq
[Since the Somali Republic became independent last July,
the Soviet Union has established a large embassy in Mogadis-
cio, and advance parties have arrived from Prague and Pei-
ping to establish embassies. Albania, Bulgaria, and Hungary
arranged last year to set up diplomatic missions, but these
have not yet arrivecg
Abdirascid's government, which has been in power since
the territory became independent, believes it must demonstrate
substantial progress in economic development in order to win
a clear-cut victory in the June referendum. The referendum
is being held to approve or reject the draft constitution, which
provides for national elections every five years. If approved,
the referendum will in effect prolong the tenure of the present
government for that period. The leftist Great Somali League
(GSL), which has received financial support from Communist
countries, almost certainly would seize on the government's
refusal to accept Soviet aid as an important issue in its expected
vigorous campaign to defeat the referenduri3
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CONFIDENTIAL
North Vietnam and Morocco Establish Diplomatic Relations
North Vietnam and the four African nations with which it
has succeeded in establishing relations have French as a com-
mon language, and each had experienced French political dom-
ination. In the joint communiqu�ssued in Rabat, as in similar
communiqu�throughout the foreign minister's tour, this kin-
ship was stressed.
In his audience with King Hassan II on 24 March, Foreign
Minister Ung Van Kliiem extended an invitation from Ho Chi
Minh to visit North Vietnam. He also assured the Moroccans
of support for their claim to Mauritania and in turn received
assurances of Moroccan support for North Vietnam's efforts to
reunify Vietnam "peacefully."
Morocco established diplomatic relations with South Viet-
nam last year, and Ambassador Buu Hoi took up residence in
Rabat in mid-December. While the North Vietnamese are less
sensitive than the Chinese Communists about the diplomatic
complexities of such a situ tion, they probably hope that Sai-
gon's ambassador can be removed. Replying to a reporters
question during his Rab t visit, Khiem pointed out that in the
case of Mali, the South Vietnamese representative had been
ousted soon after the arrival of Hanoi's envoy. Actually,
Mali's action at that time resulted primarily from the prior
presentation by Saigon's charg�f a formal note explaining
South Vietnam's likely reaction in the event Mali recognized
Hanoi. This was interpreted by Mali as an ultimatum and an
inadmissible interference in its "internal affairs."
North Vietnam already has resident ambassadors in
Guinea and Mali. Foreign Minister Ung Van Khiem's dele-
gation has recently concluded an economic and cultural agree-
rnpnt in Conakry And a mill-urn' nart in Rarnakn
CONFIDENTIAL
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CUNHDLN 11AL
THE PRESIDENT
The Vice President
Executive Offices of the White House
The Special Assistant for National Security Affairs
The Scientific Adviser to the President
The Director of the Budget
The Director, Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization
The Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Chairman, Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities
The Department of State
The Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State
The Director, International Cooperation Administration
The Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
The Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration
The Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council
The Director of Intelligence and Research
The Treasury Department
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Department of Defense
The Secretary of Defense
The Deputy Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Air Force
The Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs)
The Assistant to Secretary of Defense (Special Operations)
The Chairman, The Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy
Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
Chief of Staff, United States Army
Commandant, United States Marine Corps
U.S. Rep., Military Committee and Standing Group, NATO
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander in Chief, Pacific
The Director, The Joint Staff
The Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff
The Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of Army
The Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of Navy
The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force
The Department of Justice
The Attorney General
The Federal Bureau of Investi'gation
The Director
The Atomic Energy Commission
The Chairman
The National Security Agency
The Director
The United States Information Agency
The Director
The National Indications Center
The Director
CONFIDE
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