THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 FEBRUARY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974293
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: February 23, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
_Top?S-er'rer 23 February 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
23 FEBRUARY 1968
1. Vietnam
Several Viet Cong and North Viet-
namese Army units have moved closer to
Saigon, possibly in preparation for new
attacks on the city.
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2. Laos The anticipated Communist attack on 50X1
(as of 5:30 AM Saravane appears to have begun this morn-
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3. North Korea
4. Soviet Union
5. Canada
Washington analysis of the BLACK ,
SHIELD mission flown earlier this week
bears out the preliminary field find-
ings that there have been no major
changes in Korean military dispositions.
Rail and road traffic along major lines
of communication was at routine levels.
The southern two-fifths of North Korea
was covered with fair to good photog-
raphy.
The Pueblo was not seen, but the
area in which it had been anchored at
the time of the last photography on
26 January was cloud-covered.
Pearson is faced with the formid-
able tasks today of maneuvering another
confidence vote and then winning it.
Even if he succeeds on both counts, how-
ever, the prospects for his minority gov-
ernment are bleak. The four opposition
parties have shown a growing determina-
tion to force elections and a caretaker
Liberal government under someone such f
as Foreign Minister Martin would have
serious difficulty continuing with this
parliament.
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6. Czechoslovakia
7. Panama
8. Guatemala
The Dubcek regime'has announced a
wide-ranging political "action program"
which, if carried out, could drastically
reduce the influence of the Communist
party. The program gives expanded powers
to the parliament and provides for an
end to the party's interference in the
management of state, economic, and social
institutions.
Conservative forces entrenched in
the party and government can be expected
to fight full implementation of the pro-
gram although they have been on the de-
fensive since the ouster of Novotny from
the top party post. Moscow, too, is
showing signs of concern over both the
effect of the program on Czech stability
and the prospect that the liberal germ
will infect more of Eastern Europe.
Arias' threats to impeach Robles
and stage a massive march on Panama
City have thus far kept the Supreme
Court from suspending two pro-Arias
electoral judges. Both sides are show-
ing some signs of trying to get off the
collision course, but tensions remain
high and the National Guard continues
on full alert.
New terrorist attacks in Guatemala
City on 21 February took the life of an
official of the US-owned International
Railways of Central America and serious-
ly injured a second. Neither man is a g
US citizen. In a separate incident the
same day, a police agent was killed when
bombs exploded under police cars guard-
ing the homes of the chief of the judi-
cial police and the chief justice of the
Supreme Court.
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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16
23 February 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
23 February 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
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Observations of Conditions in Hanoi:
who lived in Hanoi during last year thinks
that US bombing of targets in the Hanoi area was rela-
tively ineffective. He said this was partly because
of successful camouflage and deception techniques em-
ployed by the North Vietnamese. He also says that
textile mills and a training school for party and gov-
ernment cadres are "strategic" targets which have not
been touched by the bombing.
This observer said that by late November there
was a chronic shortage of food in Hanoi caused by
transportation problems. Food was plentiful in the
countryside but city markets were often bare. Other
observers have reported the same thing. This is
partly true, but depleted markets seem also to be
the result of governmental dispersal of marketing
facilities and the abandonment of some markets be-
cause of the evacuation of residential areas.
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...A-I,' I
Like other reporters, also
noted that the regime's control apparatus remains
strong, and apparently is effective in overcoming
many of the problems caused by the war. He said
the people are still well disciplined and their
morale seems high, partly because of the all-perva-
sive government organization and control of daily
life. He noted there were rumors of resistance
and undefined "political activity" among Catholics,
but his knowledge was based on hearsay
Unrest, discontent, and war
weariness doubtless is widespread in North Vietnam,
but there is no sign of any situation developing
into a serious threat to the regime's control appa-
ratus.
* * *
More on Hanoi's Diplomatic Drive: The North
Vietnamese diplomatic initiative in Sweden appar-
ently did not amount to much. It probably was
simply another attempt to spread the word that Hanoi
is ready to talk any time the US is Willing to stop
the bombing unconditionally. A Swedish broadcast
on 21 February says the talks between the North Viet-
namese ambassador to Moscow and the Swedes have pro-
duced much speculation, but no indications of move-
ment in the Communist position. Swedish Foreign
Minister Nilsson publicly denied that North Vietnam
had asked for any help in arranging contact with the
US or that he had anything new to relay to Washington.
Nonetheless, the Swedish ambassador to Peking
is headed for Hanoi soon, and, according to the
press, he will be accompanied by the personal secre-
tary to Foreign Minister Nilsson.
* * *
French Communist to Hanoi: The secretary gen-
eral of the French Communist party may be headed for
Hanoi soon. His visit has been expected for some
time, and a French Press Agency report on 22 Febru-
ary states that it may occur soon. Hanoi doubtless
will use it as one more opportunity to push its case
for a bombing halt.
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Hanoi's Wheat Flour Imports; This month the So-
viets completed the 1967 contract for delivery of
150.000 tons of wheat flour to North Vietnam.
In the past, Hanoi had generally
imported a little over 100,000 tons of food annually;
wheat flour was generally not included and is not
customarily part of the North Vietnamese diet. Domes-
tic food production in North Vietnam was poor last
year, however, and in some areas as much as 40 per-
cent of the monthly grain ration for individuals now
consists of wheat flour.
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* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Hanoi on Antiwar Movement in US: A Hanoi broad-
cast of 22 February takes note of a message sent by
the four Intrepid sailors denouncing the Vietnam war
and appealing to Americans for backing of the antiwar
movement. The broadcast also reports that an organi-
zation has been set up in Sweden to help US soldiers
who refuse to participate in the war and have deserted
to Sweden. It says that more than 20 Americans have
chosen this course so far. The broadcast also cites
an Associated Press item reporting antiwar sentiments
at Harvard University, where a poll of graduate stu-
dents is said to have shown overwhelming sentiment
against the war.
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