THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 22 DECEMBER 1965

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968062
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 22, 1965

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
22 DECEMBER 1965
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DAILY BRIEF
22 DECEMBER 1965
1, Rhodesia The British are still trying to
hold back President Kaunda from prema-
ture economic sanctions against Rhodesia
that would threaten further to escalate
the situation beyond British control.
. Kaunda says he must react against
the Rhodesian surcharge on coal exported
to Zambia: The British have dissuaded
him from imposing a total trade boycott
on Rhodesia but he now says he will stop
all Zambian copper shipments through Rho-
desia.
2. Dahomey
Zambia is not ready, the British
argue, to withstand the likely Rhodesian
countermeasures. Prime Minister Wilson
has written Kaunda expressing the hope
that by late next month "or not long
thereafter" further Zambian .action could
make .a decisive contribution to bring-
ing down the Smith regime. By that time,
he said, the sanctions against Rhodesia
will be having an effect and Zambia will
be better prepared to hold out.
Whether or not the British are able
to restrain Kaunda, other forces may well
push them toward the ultimate military
action in Rhodesia which Wilson hopes to
avoid. Even some of the most objective
and responsible African leaders are ex-
pressing the view that since Wilson claims
that British force can be used only when
law and order are threatened, then the
Africans must create such conditions.
Today's bloodless coup in this small
West African country has brought army
chief Soglo to full power. He was im-
pelled to this move by exasperation over
the maneuvering of the civilian politi-
cians. It remains to be seen whether
Soglo can do better. The army is badly
divided along tribal and regional lines.
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. Dominican Republic
4. Guatemala
The capital city was relatively
quiet today after another night of spo-
radic gunfire. Most workers returned
to their jobs after the unions suspended,
if temporarily, their call for a general
strike to demand the ouster Of the Mili-
tary leaders
This may Change quickly. Tomorrow,
the special committee investigating last
Sunday's outbreak in Santiago is to re-
port back to Garcia Godoy. He expects
to take action against the guilty. Though
he says he is not prejudging the case,
he clearly anticipates that action will
be called for against certain military
officers as well as elements in the former
rebel faction.
?Garcia Godoy thus faces the pros-
pect of new pressures from resentful '
military officers as well as from rebel
sympathizers.
The coup plotters are poised for
? action. A leading member of the cabal
tells us that the timing is one'of.the
few details yet to be worked out and
that the coup may take place on or
fore Christmas Eve.
The officers involved speak confi-
dently of wide backing for their plans
in the barracks and among conservative
businessmen. They expect A relatively
simple operation, involving the deporta-
tion of Chief of State Peralta and his
replacement by another colonel who would
pave the way for Colonel Ponciano's -elec-
tion as president next March.
The immediate danger is that they
may have overestimated their backing
and that the attempt may spark a violent
reaction.
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5, Soviet Union
6. Iran-Iraq
7. France
8. North Vietnam
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The recent missile firings from a
Soviet operational launch site,referred
to in yesterday's Brief, do not appear
to have been realistic combat readiness
tests.
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The firings, which seem to have in-
volved fairly rigid advance planning,
may have involved crew training.
The border clashes noted in the 13
December Brief have taken another turn
for the worse. An intercepted Iranian
military message indicated that two
Iraqi aircraft were strafing two Iranian
villages and a gendarmerie outpost yes-
terday.
The Uong Bi power plant was hit hard
today
A first reading of post-strike pho-
tography shows complete destruction of
the coal-handling building and extensive
damage to the coal conveyer and the boiler
house.
Three US aircraft were lost in con-
nection with the raid.
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t.))(1
. Indonesia
Panic is mounting in the centers of
ethnic Chinese population in many parts
, of Indonesia as the depredations and
killings continue.
Peking is being. put increasingly
on the spot by its inability to. help.
The US Embassy in Djakarta l has nOted
a recent heavy influx of Chinese into
the capital in an effort to escape perse-
cution. Many have come from North Suma-
tra.
Old racial antipathies are undoubtedly
responsible for much of the persecution,
but in some places known Communists in
the Chinese community have borne the brunt
of the attacks.
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