CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A012000020001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 28, 1968
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Central Intelligence Bulletin
DIA and DOS review(s) completed.
Secret
50
28 August 1968
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No. 0246/68
28 August 1968
Central Intelligence Bulletin
CONTENTS
Czechoslovakia-U'S'SR: Situation report. (Page 1)
Rumania: Bucharest seems less concerned over possible
Soviet intervention. (Page 3)
South Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 5)
South Korea: Security authorities have rounded up
a major North Korean subversive group. (Page 6)
Bolivia: Student violence and labor agitation have
abated but tensions remain high. (Page 7)
Malaysia - Soviet Union: No change in relations
Page 8)
Middle East - Africa: Locust threat (Page 8)
Guyana: End of sugar strike (Page 8)
Guatemala: Guerrilla capture (Page 9)
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E Czechoslovakia-USSR: (Information as of 2300 EDT)
The Czechoslovak leadership, moving quickly to
put the country on an even keel again, faces the im-
posing task of convincing the people that the agree-
ment with the Soviets is the best that could be hoped
for under the circumstances.
The text of the settlement published yesterday
after four days of talks in Moscow provides, in gen-
eral, for a return to the status quo of before the
intervention, but with renewed pledges by the Czech-
oslovak leadership to observe the Cierna and Bratis-
lava constraints. The Czechoslovak leadership, pre-
sumably including the conservatives, will remain in
power, and the Soviets have pledged not to interfere
in domestic affairs. The occupation troops, however,
are to remain until the situation returns to normal,
but reportedly will be withdrawn from the centers of
cities and towns, as the first of a three-step with-
drawal plan. Some Soviet troops may be permanently
stationed on the West German border. Press and radio
censorship will also be reimposed.
The Czechoslovak leaders, sensing that the
agreement is felt to be a betrayal of their nation's
week-long resistance to the occupation, pleaded pub-
licly yesterday for unity, understanding and disci-
pline. Both party leader Dubcek and President
Svoboda re-endorsed the January and April party cen-
tral committee plenums, which set in course the re-
formist Action Program, and vowed not to retreat
"as much as one step."
Certain provisions of the settlement, as well
as the ambiguities on several important issues, seem
indeed to have split the Czechoslovak people, at
least temporarily. Several clandestine radios urged
28 Aug 68
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the people to reject the settlement and Western
press correspondents reported heated debates being
waged on the streets of Prague.
Last evening, a crowd estimated at between 1,500
and 5,000 marched to Wenceslaus Square shouting "We
want the truth," and reportedly ripped down posters
of Dubcek and Svoboda. Many bystanders jeered the
marchers. The demonstration broke up after a par-
liamentary deputy reportedly assured them that the
National Assembly would not ratify an agreement that
infringes the country's freedom of speech or its sov-
ereignty.
Later in the evening, however, emotions evi-
dently cooled. The embassy reported that the radios
were saying that many organizations had begun modi-
fying vehement resolutions they had passed earlier
in the day. The new party central committee, whose
status is unclear under the settlement, joined with
Dubcek in appealing for order, as have several other
important party and military organizations.
There are no indications that any of the Soviet
occupation forces have left Czechoslovakia. In fact,
the Soviets appear to have reinforced, rather than
rotated, their forces in Czechoslovakia. Since 25-
26 August, a Soviet heavy tank division from south-
ern East Germany and unidentified elements from the
western USSR have entered western Czechoslovakia.
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Rumania: Bucharest's concern over the possi-
bility of Soviet armed intervention continues but
seems to be lessening.
The US military attache reported that as of
24 and 25 August the Rumanian armed forces appeared
to be in an early state of alert. His impression
was that by the 26th, however, the atmosphere was
slightly relaxed. There are no known military build-
ups on either the Hungarian or Bulgarian borders.
Rumanian Foreign Minister Manescu, who is also
President of the UN General Assembly, returned to
New York on Monday. He seems engaged in delicate
diplomatic activity aimed at supporting the Czecho-
slovaks and in probing for US and other non-Communist
support for Rumania's independent foreign policy.
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I South Vietnam: The heaviest fighting on 26-27
August resulte from allied spoiling operations
against major Communist units in I Corps.
Significant casualties were inflicted against
enemy main force units deployed near Hue, Tam Ky,
and Quang Ngai, all of which are likely to be pri-
mary targets in any forthcoming enemy offensive.
US forces killed 92 enemy troops belonging to
the North Vietnamese 5th Regiment some 12 miles south
of Hue. Random small-arms fire and almost daily
sightings of enemy units near the city have caused
tension among Hue residents, who apparently expect
new enemy action against the city soon.
Fighting between US forces and elements of the
North Vietnamese 2nd Division deployed near Tam Ky,
capital of Quang Tin Province, cost the Communists
75 additional dead. This raises the total of enemy
killed near Tam Ky since 24 August to more than 500.
In adjacent Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam-
ese troops inflicted losses of 86 killed on units
probably belonging to the North Vietnamese 3rd Divi-
sion, which has been massing near Quang Ngai city.
a t he aforementioned enemy units in I
Corps have been preparing assaults against nearby
cities as another phase in the current series of at-
tacks, which up to now has been targeted mainly
against secondary objectives. Communist plans for
attacks against such primary targets, however, may
be delayed by the punishment being inflicted by al-
lied spoiling operations.
Enemy forces in the other three corps areas
again avoided costly heavy contact on 26-27 August,
mainly conducting harassing actions on the ground
and mortar and rocket tacks against allied posi-
tions. 7_ -1 (Map)]
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South Korea: Security authorities have scored
a substantial success in rounding up a major North
Korean subversive group.
According to an official announcement, the pri-
mary mission of the 158-man ring was to organize the
nucleus for a liberation front similar to that of
the Viet Cong. The network appears to have been
particularly active within academic and religious
circles.
This is the second large-scale espionage ring
with roots in the intellectual community that has
been apprehended by the South Koreans in the last
two years. The mission of the 14-man agent team
captured with its boat off Cheju Island last week
was to exfiltrate a leader of the ring.
The Pak government is giving heavy play to the
roundup, probably in part to compensate for a recent
court decision ordering new trials for certain mem-
bers of the ring apprehended last year, some of whom
were spirited out of West Germany by South Korean
security agents. This decision was part of the
price Seoul had to pay to end its dispute with Bonn
over the affair. The authorities no doubt hope that
the publicity given to the capture of the second
ring will dispel any impression that the regime is
h
i
s
ow
n any tolerance toward Communists.
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Bolivia: Student violence and labor agitation
have abated but tensions remain highs
The government's release of arrested student and
labor leaders has enabled it to secure agreements
with the two groups to cease their disruptive activ-
ities. Many students, however, are dissatisfied with
the agreement, and demonstrations will probably re-
sume soon. Urban teachers are continuing to agitate
for wage increases, and it is likely that the students
and teachers will be joined by some labor groups de-
spite the agreement with the government. The low
morale of some police units and a shortage of riot-
control equipment could cause problems in dealing
with new disorders.
General Marcos Vasquez, who has evaded arrest
since failing in a coup attempt on 21 August, re-
portedly is seeking support from military units near
La Paz for a plot being organized by members of the
political opposition. Leaders of the three major
opposition parties, many of whom are in exile, re-
portedly have agreed to work together to oust
Barrientos and form a new government.
Without military support, efforts to overthrow
the government have little chance of success. At
least for now, armed forces commander General Ovando
and the majority of top military leaders support
Barrientos. The President? however, is reported to
have said that he is more concerned with the possi-
bility of a military coup than with the threat from
Vasquez. 25X1
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NOTES
Malaysia - Soviet Union: Malaysia's relations
with the USSR will not be affected by the Soviet
move against Czechoslovakia, according to a Malay-
sian Foreign Ministry official. Kuala Lumpur, which
established relations with the Soviet Union early
this year, feels that strong censure of Soviet action
would represent a reversal of policy. The Malaysian
Government probably is also influenced by the Soviets'
large annual rubber purchases. The Soviet Union is
Malaysia's best customer.
Middle East - Africa: The growing locust threat
has prompted a new call for collective efforts by
East African control officials. Observers from the
Sudan and the Arabian Peninsula, where particularly
fertile breeding grounds are located, will be in-
vited to a meeting of the East African locust con-
trol group in Asmara to consider new steps to combat
the problem. The control group is seriously con-
cerned over the threat to its member countries and
is trying to enlist the cooperation of neighboring
governments before the situation gets totally out
of hand.
Guyana: Sugar workers have ended their week-
long strike on the basis of concessions arranged by
Prime Minister Burnham to avert serious economic
and political problems. He also feared that if the
strike was allowed to continue it would degenerate
into violence. A union led by pro-Communist opposi-
tion leader Cheddi Jagan had kicked off the strike,
and Jagan now will attempt to make political capital
of the settlement.
(continued)
28 Aug 68 Centrx' in e1'igence Bulletin 8
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Guatemala: Police captured Carlos Francisco
Ordonez, a high-ranking leader of the Communist Rebel
Armed Forces, in Guatemala City on 24 August. Four
other leaders were killed last May by army units in
northeastern Guatemala. The group has been relatively
quiet since 2 August when an attempt was made to as-
sassinate three rightist political leaders. 25X1
28 Aug 68 Central Intelligence Bulletin 9
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