THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 DECEMBER 1967

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974190
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 26, 1967

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The President's Daily Brief
Top Sec rct 26 December 1967
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DAILY BRIEF
26 DECEMBER 1967
1. Laos
2. Philippines
3. Communist China
4. Yemen
Communist forces are keeping up
the military pressure. Yesterday they
pulled off a hit-and-run raid on .a
government-held town in the central
panhandle, destroying USAID and Air
America facilities there. Government
forces in the north were also under
Communist pressure over the weekend.
President Marcos
on the progress of the continuing drive
against the Huks. He got another en-
couraging report from the constabulary
commander who told him of several new
victories. The commander, incidentally,
feels the morale of his forces has
greatly improved in recent weeks be-
cause of Marcos' strong support.
The Russians may be wondering why
they ever let themselves get involved
in the Yemeni civil war. Their repub-
lican clients continue doing poorly
despite all the oviet hel the have
been getting.
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5, Egypt
6. Czechoslovakia
7. Panama
An affable, self-confident Nasir
really extended himself when the new
British ambassador presented creden-
tials last week. He even agreed "in
principle" to the British proposal
that the southern end of the canal be
unplugged to release the trapped ships.
Nasir said he had already ordered his
experts "urgently" to find out how to
go about the job.
The Czech party central committee
was unable to resolve its business
last week and is to reconvene on 3 Janu-
ary
The general feeling
in the Czech capital is that an inten-
sive struggle continues on the leader-
ship question and that the outcome is
still anyone's guess.
Arnulfo Arias has been formally
nominated for president by the most
formidable coalition ever assembled in
Panama's history. He looks like a sure
bet in next May's election--if the
voting is relatively free and honest.
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Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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26 December 1967
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
26 December 1967
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi Rejects President Johnson's "Five-Point
Plan": The party Daily Nhan Dan charged yesterday
that the President's proposal= a "worn-out trick"
intended only to prolong the war, The paper went on
to reiterate Hanoi's old terms for settlement of the
war.
* * *:1
Hanoi Says Ho is "Strong and Healthy": The North
Vietnamese news agency went out of its way yesterday
to try to refute rumors that Ho Chi Minh is seriously
ill. It reported that Ho had appeared at a recent
mass meeting and that "everyone felt extremely happy
to see that their beloved leader is strong and
healthy."
Ho himself is quoted telling the crowd that he
feels "twenty years younger" than his 77 years. "Our
line and policies are correct," he went on, "our en-
tire people are united, and we are enjoying the firm
support of friends in the five continents,,, this is
why we will surely win and the US aggressors will
surely be defeated." He used Secretary McNamara's
resignation as evidence that "the US is being de-
feated." In concluding what Hanoi called a lengthy
address, Ho expressed thanks to the Communist nations
for their aid and to "the world people, including the
progressive American people who are opposing the US
imperialist aggressors and supporting the just fight
of the Vietnamese people."
* * *
Birthday Greetings to Mao Tse-tung: Hanoi radio
reports that today's issue of Nhan Dan carries a front
page photo of Ho and Mao shakiiiR?HaTiag. Also front-
paged is Ho's standard congratulatory message to Mao.
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* * *
Draft Dodging in North Vietnam:
most young people in North Vietnam
yearn for peace. The greatest fear of the young men
is being drafted and sent South. They often try to
avoid the draft by faking illness when they appear
for their pre-induction physicals.
the desertion of draftees from the training camps is
becoming a real problem for the regime. The deserters
usually do not get very far, however, because they
are unable to produce their identity cards when ac-
costed by the authorities.
the North Vietnamese people have lost
confidence in the party cadres because of their many
unfulfilled promises.
Service in North Vietnam:
mail
service has been undependable since the first of
this year and has gotten even worse in the past six
months. Letters are often lost and the people, who
now have no faith in the postal system, seldom write
letters any more, ordinary
citizens have received no mail from overseas since
the first of 1967 and do not know whether the letters
they have sent abroad have reached their destinations.
* * *
North Vietnam Continues to Send Students Abroad:
A group of some 35 North Vietnamese students was ob-
served earlier this month on a train traveling across
Siberia toward Europe. They averaged about 20 years
old and were about equally divided between men and
women. They were destined for Budapest to study
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engineering and medicine
This is one of a number of signs that Hanoi con-
tinues, even in the midst of war, to put a high premium
on educating the next generation of leaders.
* * *
* * *
,II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
day.
There is nothing of significance to ileport to-
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Top Secret
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