THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 12 APRIL 1966

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968254
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: April 12, 1966

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A004400250001-1
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
12 APRIL 1966
23
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DAILY BRIEF
12 APRIL 1966
1. South Vietnam
2. Pakistan
The Buddhists are evidently prepar-
ing a new wave of demonstrations to pro-
test the National Political Congress,
which they boycotted today. A meeting
of some 2,000 people at the Buddhist In-
stitute in Saigon last night was probably
called to organize this activity. The
embassy has reports that large-scale
demonstrations may start in Saigon on
Thursday, and that monks are again ready
to set fire to themselves.
Antigovernment activities were re-
sumed in the provinces today. Nearly
5,000 demonstrators--some armed--marched
in Da Nang; Hue was largely closed down
as approximately 8,000 people assembled
to denounce the government.
The replacement of Colonel Lieu as
Director of the National Police appears
? to be imminent; Lieu has long been as-
sociated with former I Corps Commander
Thi.
Several cabinet members close to
Lieu and Thi are threatening to resign
if the replacement is formalized. They
believe that Lieu's removal would mean
the end of whatever support still remains
for Ky among the moderate Buddhists.
They say that if this happens, Ky would
have little or no chance of staying in
power.
The government, aided by extremist
groups, is working hard to stage an im-
pressive welcome for Liu Shao-chi during
his two-day visit to East Pakistan begin-
ning on Friday. Most of the people, how-
ever, seem apathetic or even hostile to
the visit,and Liu is unlikely to encoun-
ter the almost hysterical,adulation he
received on his tour of West Pakistan
late last month.
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3. Soviet Union
4. Greece
Today is Cosmonauts' Day in the So-
viet Union. Some of the cosmonauts have
seized the occasion to make unusually
open statements on the Soviet program to
put a man on the moon. These statements
imply that Soviet plans are highly com-
petitive with the US program, although
this has usually been disclaimed by So-
viet spokesmen.
It has been more than a year since
the last Soviet manned space flight.
Western newspapermen in Moscow now say
"informed sources" there are predicting
a major manned flight within the next
few weeks.
The survival of the Stephanopoulos
government hinges on the outcome of a
cabinet meeting under way tonight. For-
eign Minister Tsirimokos resigned yester-
day. Stephanopoulos said he would give
up his mandate if the other cabinet mem-
bers fail to back him against Tsirimokos.
Nonetheless, a second cabinet minister
is reported to have resigned today.
The movement of Tsirimokos and his
friends into the opposition has wiped out
Stephanopoulos' lead in parliament. How-
ever, enough members could defect from
Papandreou's opposition to give the gov-
ernment a reprieve.
The extent of Greek Government con-
trol over the Cyprus armed forces was
the issue that led to Tsirimokos' resig-
nation. He had made common cause with
Makarios against Athens' policy of allow-
ing General Grivas a firm hand in all
Cyprus' military affairs.
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5. Kenya
6. Ecuador
7. Dominican Republic
The government has decided to with-
draw its ambassador from Peking and to
open a new embassy in Tokyo. This is a
reflection of the importance Kenya has
been giving to its growing commercial ties
with Japan and of Kenya's desire to en-
courage a withering away of its relations
with Communist China.
Provisional president Yerovi, after
two weeks in office, has yet to show the
strength and resolution needed to tackle
Ecuador's internal security and economic
problems. Communists are making the most
of the unrestricted freedom they have en-
joyed since Yerovi, under student pres-
sure, amnestied all jailed and exiled
subversives.
On the economic front, the president
shows no inclination to risk antagoniz-
ing the business elite by taking needed
austerity measures.
The military still has the power to
change all this. But last month's chaotic
events weakened military prestige and the
leading officers are now probably most
reluctant to resume major responsibility
for running the government.
Encouraged by a relatively long
period free of violence, Dominicans seem
to be increasingly abandoning their ear-
lier skepticism about the possibility of
holding elections on 1 June.
By the end of this coming weekend,
if all goes well, all significant politi-
cal parties will have held their conven-
tions. Balaguer has been the most ener-
getic campaigner thus far. His enthusi-
astic reception in some places seems to
have surprised even his campaign workers.
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