THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 FEBRUARY 1967

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968801
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: February 23, 1967

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005000220001-7
The President's Daily Brief
Top Secret 23 February 1967
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005000220001-7
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DAILY BRIEF
23 FEBRUARY 1967
1. South Vietnam
2. East Europe
Generals Thieu and Ky will try to reach
private agreement on which is to throw
his hat in the presidential ring. Fail-
ing this, they will leave it up to their
fellow officers to choose between them;
in any event, the military will put up
only one candidate.
Thieu meanwhile is hedging his
bets. While quietly lining up civilian
support for his presidential ambitions,
he is also trying to have written into
the new constitution an "armed forces
council" with clearly spelled-out powers.
Thus if Ky gets the nod, ?Thieu
could still keep his hand in through
leadership of the military.
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3. West Germany
4. Soviet Union
5. Communist China
23 Feb 67
Yesterday Kiesinger asked in Ambas-
sador McGhee to assure him that there
was no truth to press reports that his
government was dissatisfied with the am-
bassador or with its relations with the
US in general. The Chancellor also said
that he was trying to tone down his coun-
try's emotional reaction to the nonpro-
liferation treaty, but added that many
eminent Germans had "sincere and objec-
tive" fears about the present draft.
A Soviet diplomat in London says
that Kosygin made clear to the British
that Moscow is not now interested in ne-
gotiating an East-West agreement to re-
duce forces in Europe. He did this by
saying that the question of Germany's
frontiers must first be settled--a pre-
condition he knows is unacceptable to
the West.
The source says Kosygin was respond-
ing to pressures from within the USSR
and from Hanoi against any step that
might help the US transfer troops from
Europe to Vietnam. Also, Moscow may be-
lieve the West will soon reduce its
forces in Germany anyway, and hence can
see no need to be forthcoming.
Southeast China appears to be in
the grip of a rapidly spreading epidemic
of meningitis. The mass movement of
the Red Guards and their interference
with doctors and health facilities is
probably a prime cause.
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6. Iraq
7. India
23 Feb 67
Syria's shutting down of the oil
pipeline from Iraq to the Mediterranean
continues to cost Iraq some $500,000 a
day. The mere mention of this madness
to President Arif is said to be like
"rubbing salt into his raw wound."/
This week Arif's mood is probably
worse. Damascus has curtly rebuffed his
proposal that government-owned Iraqi oil
be allowed through the pipeline, insist-
ing that he first nationalize his portion
of the pipeline.
The general elections--although re-
turns are by no means complete--are
shaping up as a traumatic experience for
the once monolithic Congress Party.
The party will apparently retain
control of the national government, but
with a greatly reduced majority. Mrs.
Gandhi won handily, but several prominent
party-leaders--including the Congress'
president--have been defeated, along with
some cabinet members. The party lost
Kerala State by, a landslide to a Communist-
led front, and was crushingly defeated in
one other state: Several more are still
in the doubtful column.
The right-wing -opposition parties
will be the chief beneficiaries of all
this, although for the time being they
will not be able to?go beyond making
louder and more disagreeable noises.
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8. Indonesia
9. Central African
Republic
23 Feb 67
In a speech today Suharto grace-
fully accepted all the powers of govern-
ment. Sukarno retains the now meaning-
less title of "President" but Suharto
hinted that he may be deprived of that
by congress next month.
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005000220001-7