CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A013600020001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 25, 1969
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Central Intelligence Bulletin
Secret
.51:
25 April 1969
State Dept. review completed
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No. 0099/69
25 April 1969
Central Intelligence Bulletin
CONTENTS
South Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 1)
North Korea: EC-121 incident has been used to justify
increases in the defense budget. (Page 2)
Cambodia-Thailand: Phnom Penh is moving ahead with
plans for renewed diplomatic relations. (Page 3)
Lebanon: Continuing disturbances deepen political
crisis. (Page 5)
Argentina: A wave of commando-type raids is causing
serious concern in the government. (Page 6)
Algeria-Spain-Morocco: Coincidental visits to Algiers
by Spanish and Moroccan delegations may lead to fu-
ture three-way collaboration. (Page 7)
Communist China: Ninth party congress (Page 8)
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Cyprus: Enosis issue revived (Page 9)
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NORThM
nVIETNAM
AVERAGE STRENGTH
OF ENEMY UNITS
200- 400
300- 500
NVA
Demilitarized Zone
Regiment: VC
Can Thai
rid
A
,i '
Yung Tau
1,000-1,500
1,200-2,000
SOUTH VIETNAM
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C South Vietnam: Communist gunners again
shelled the US airbase at Da Nang on 23 April.
Six heavy rockets struck the base, resulting
in light damages and no casualties. Enemy-initiated
activity remains at a low level elsewhere in the
country. The heaviest ground action took place
just south of the Demilitarized Zone where 12 US
Marines and 29 North Vietnamese were killed in
three clashes.
Additional evidence of impending Communist at-
tacks has been noted in the I and III Corps areas,
the regions where significant enemy initiatives ap-
pear most likely in the next few weeks. Informants
predict increases in shellings, sapper attacks, and
assassinations in Da Nang and southern I Corps as
early as the first of May. Northwest of Saigon in
Tay Ninh Province indications of attack preparations
have again appeared from the North Vietnamese 1st
Division.
In the central part of the country the North
Vietnamese appear to be reinforcing the provinces
along the coast. Two infiltration groups have been
detected moving eastward across the central high-
lands toward Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces in re-
cent days. The Communists severely thinned out
their forces in this area last year when they shifted
troops southward into the provinces around Saigon.
25 Apr 69 Central Intelligence Bulletin
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North Korea: The North Korean regime is ex-
ploiting the EC-121 incident to justify increases
in the defense budget.
The third session of the Supreme People's Assem-
bly convened on schedule in Pyongyang on 24 April in
an atmosphere described by the North Korean press as
tense, "where all the people are increasing their
.revolutionary vigilance more than at any other
time." In his opening remarks on the 1969 state
budget, the finance minister announced that due to
the "US provocations," greater resources than orig-
inally scheduled had to be devoted to defense ex-
penditures. He also implicitly warned against dis-
agreement with the leadership's latest challenge of
the US, by emphasizing that the pronouncement of
23 April on the shootdown was "drawing the unan-
imous, warm support of all the Korean people."
The 15 April incident apparently is being used
domestically by Kim Il-song to silence opponents of
his policy of parallel development in industry and
defense. Dissatisfaction with the policy had become
widespread enough earlier this year for Kim to pub-
lish an extensive defense of his program.
The regime probably also intended the incident
.to bring into question the wisdom and legitimacy of
US reconnaissance flights in the area and also ex-
acerbate US security relations with South Korea and
Japan. A Pyongyang news service release on 24 April
focused directly on Japanese fears of being dragged
into a Korean war because of the Japan-US security
treaty. The statement criticized the Japanese Gov-
ernment's support: of the US reaction to the incident
as "openly taking a hand in moves for the rovoca-
tion of a new war 'n Korea."
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Cambodia-Thailand: Phnom Penh is moving ahead
with plans to re-establish diplomatic relations
with Bangkok.
An Indonesian diplomat conveyed a Cambodian
message to Thai Foreign Minister Thanat on 22 April
asking if the Thai were willing to open negotiations
leading to re-establishment of relations. Thanat
welcomed the Cambodian initiative and accepted
Phnom Penh's proposal to send Prime Minister Penn
Nouth to Bangkok.
Thanat told the Indonesians that Thailand was
willing to recognize Cambodia's borders and would
not press its claim to the Preah Vihear border
temple. The temple issue has been the major stum-
bling block between the two countries since 1962,
when Phnom Penh severed relations.
Cambodian initiative appears to be part of
Sihanouk's current effort to widen his diplomatic
options by adopting a more balanced neutrality. Al-
though substantive hurdles between the two countries
are minimal, a number of minor issues, including
personal animosities between Sihanouk and Thai De-
puty Prime Minister Praphat, will have to be kept
in check before a rapprochement can take place.
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LEBANON: Pro-Fedayeen Demonstrations Continue
Site of serious civil disturbance
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C Lebanon: The political crisis is deepening in
the wake of continued disturbances on the question
of controlling the`fedayeen.
Prime Minister Karami has announced his resig-
nation during a parliamentary debate in which he
was criticized for authorizing government suppres-
sion of pro-fedayeen demonstrations. He declared
that the country would be divided whether the gov-
ernment allowed the fedayeen freedom to operate
from Lebanon or prevented them from doing so.
Earlier, fighting broke out for the second
straight day between Lebanese security forces and
pro-fedayeen demonstrators. The latest clash in
Tyre raised the total of people killed to 12 and
the number injured to almost 80. There was also
another small clash in Sidon. Curfews have been
imposed on Beirut, Tyre, Sidon, Tripoli, Baalbek,
and Nabatiyyah. The Christian village of Zhorta
in the north has been sealed off to prevent any
fighting with Muslims.
If Karami's resignation is accepted, it is un-
likely that anyone will be eager to attempt the
formation of a new cabinet and the crisis may con-
tinue for some time. Should this be for an extended
period, it is possible that the army may move in
to fill the void. F77 I
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Argentina: A wave of commando-type raids on
military and other installations is causing seri-
ous concern in the government.
A raid on the federal firing range in the in-
terior city of Cordoba on 1 April has been followed
by at least ten other terrorist attacks or attempts
by unknown persons to steal arms at widely scattered
locations, including military bases throughout the
country. One person has been killed and another
wounded.
Military and police officials have increased
security precautions at armed forces installations
and public buildings, but they have not succeeded
in halting the incidents. After first attempting
to downgrade the seriousness of the attacks, the
interior minister told the press on 21 April that
the government had come to believe they were polit-
ically inspired to create unrest.
If members of the Uruguayan groups are in-
volved, possibly in collaboration with local left-
ists and extremist Peronists, this might explain in
part the degree of organization and daring that has
characterized some of the recent attacks.
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Algeria-Spain-Morocco: Coincidental visits to
Algiers by Spanish and Moroccan delegations may lead
to future three-way collaboration.
At the end of Spanish Foreign Minister Cas-
tiella's visit on 23 April, the Algerian press an-
nounced the conclusion of an economic agreement
providing for the Spanish purchase of substantial
quantities of crude oil and chemical products and
for a study of the long-dreamed-of underseas gas
pipeline. Spain also agreed to cooperate with the
development of the Algerian fishing industry, mer-
chant marine, and various agricultural projects.-
The joint communique issued at the conclusion
of Moroccan Prime Minister Benhima's visit, also on
23 April, was generally noncommittal. It did, how-
ever, specify that experts should provide by next
August "practical and tangible proposals for a
joint program of action." King Hassan indicated to
the American ambassador that one of Benhima's ob-
jectives in Algiers was to probe Algerian intentions
regarding the construction of a gas pipeline to
Tangier and ultimately to Spain, thus lending some
weight to the possibility that tripartite discus-
sions may have already occurred.
Another subject for discussions might have
been the Spanish province of Spanish Sahara which
has long been coveted by Morocco; the Algerian Gov-
ernment has also indicated a lively interest in the
province in recent years. F_ I
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NOTES
Communist China: Initial Chinese press ac-
counts of the nin ptharty congress, which adjourned
on 24 April in Peking, are bland and uninformative.
The new central committee has 279 full and alter-
nate members, compared with 170 in the last one
formed in 1956. There were no surprises in the
list of the top 24 people named in the official com-
munique on the congress; the same people have been
heading leadership turnouts in Peking for months.
Chairman Mao, his designated successor Lin Piao,
and Premier Chou En--lai were present at the final
session in their usual ranking order.
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(continued)
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Cyprus: Underground groups apparently are
seeking to rekindle enthusiasm for enosis--union
with Greece--an issue generally dormant since the
removal of most of the Greek mainland troops in
early 1968. Their activity is causing concern
among Greek Cypriot authorities, who believe it may
be aimed against Makarios.
Threats have been made against Greek Cypriot
officials who have "abused" the authority of their
offices and whom the terrorists regard traitors
to the cause of Hellenism. One group,
is believed to have
bombed the offices of a Communist-dominated labor
federation. Another group may be responsible for
the attempted assassination of the Greek Cypriot
police chief and for an explosion outside the home
of the minister of justice.
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Secret