THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST 2 JANUARY 1962

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0005992119
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
6
Document Creation Date: 
September 16, 2015
Document Release Date: 
September 16, 2015
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 2, 1962
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon DOC_0005992119.pdf208.95 KB
Body: 
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST--2 JANUARY 1962 1. LAOS: A. BOUN OUM AND PHOUMI ARE EXPECTED TO INDICATE SOON, PROBABLY TODAY WHETHER THEY ARE READY TO KEEP THE DOOR TO NEGOTIATIONS OPEN BY MAKING A CONCILIATORY RESPONSE TO SOUVANNA'S LAST OFFER, THEIR CHOICE IS BETWEEN NO REPLY AND ONE INDICATING WILLINGNESS TO CONCEDE THE DEFENSE AND INTERIOR MINISTRIES TO THE CENTER. AMBASSADOR BROWN, WHO HAS BEEN PRESSING HARD FOR A FAVORABLE REPLY, FEELS THAT THE US POSITION IS NOW FULLY UNDERSTOOD BY PHOUMI AND BUN OUM, BUT NEVER? THELESS, EXPECTS THEM TO REFUSE SOUVANNA, AND THINKS OUR NEXT STEP WILL HAVE TO BE A VISIBLE INDICATION OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF US SUPPORT, B. ON THE OTHER END, EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO PERSUADE SOUVANNA TO POSTPONE HIS DEPARTURE FOR PARIS SO THAT VIENTIANE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLACE THE BURDEN FOR A FINAL RUPTURE ON HIM. 2. NEW GUINEA ISSUE: A. PARLIAMENTARY AIRING OF THE ISSUE IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN THE HAGUE TODAY, THERE MAY BE A MOVE TO UNSEAT FOREIGN MINISTER LUNS BECAUSE OF HIS IDENTIFICATION WITH A RELATIVELY INFLEXIBLE POLICY, BUT THE GOVERNMEgT MAY PLACATE THE OPPOSITION BY EXPRESSING ITS READINESS FOR NEGOTIATIONS. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 B. DJAKARTA, MEANWHILE, IS CONCENTRATING ITS EtkORTS-ON W114NING DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT, FOCUSSING PARTICULARLY ON THE NON-ALIGNEDS. C. THE USSR HAS PLEDGED ITS PROPAGANDA BACKING TO THE INDONESIANS, BUT SEEMS, NEVERTHELESS TO BE COUNSELLING CAUTION. 50X1 3. PORTUGAL PUTS DOWN REBEL ATTEMPT: A. THE SALAZAR REGIME QUICKLY SQUELCHED THE NEW YEARS DAY ATTEMPT BY A SMALL OPPOSITION BAND TO SEIZE AN ARMY BARRACKS IN SOUTHERN PORTUGAL AND IS NOW MOVING AGAINST OTHER OPPOSITION ELEMENTS, OUR EVIDENCE DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THE ATTEMPT WAS COMMUNIST-LED. B. DESPITE THE REGIMES EARLY SUCCESS IN THIS INSTANCE, WE SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE SERIOUS OUTBREAKS AHEAD. WITH THE INITIAL IMPACT OF THE GOA SHOCK BEGINNING TO DISSIPATE, REFORM- MINDED PORTUGUESE ARE NOW AWAITING SOME SIGN FROM SALAZAR, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO MAKE A MAJOR SPEECH ON WEDNESDAY, THAT HE IS READY TO MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES IN ORDER TO SOLVE HIS COLONIAL PROBLEM. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 50X1 cnX1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 4. CONGO: A. TSHOMBg HAS REJECTED PRESIDENT KASAVUBU'S CALL FOR THE CONVENING OF THE KATANGA ASSEMBLY AT UN?CONTROLLED KAMINA. HE SAYS, HOWEVER, THAT HE STILL PLANS TO HOLD AN ASSEMBLY MEETING, TO PASS ON HIS KITONA AGREEMENT WITH ADOULA, IN ELIZABETHVILLE ON WEDNESDAY. MEANWHILE, HE HAS PUBLICLY CONCEDED THAT HIS FORCES HAVE HAD TO GIVE GROUND IN NORTHERN KATANGA UNDER PRESSURE FROM CONGO ARMY FORCES. B. IN STANLE7VILLE, GIZENGA'S POSITION SEEMS TO BE WANING SOMEWHAT. CAIRO HAS AGAIN URGED HIM TO RETURN TO LEOPOLDVILLE, CONTENDING THAT, OTHERWISE, HE WILL BE READ OUT OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SOON. 5. MOSCOW INTIMATES CONCERN OVER US POSITION ON BERLIN: A. THE SOVIET 50X1 50X1 LEADERSHIP IS CONCERNED THAT RECENT US PUBLIC STATEMENTS AS WELL AS MILITARY MOVES RELATING TO BERLIN MEAN THAT OUR POSITION HAS, HARDENED UNDER FRENCH AND GERMAN PRESSURE SINCE THE RUSK?GROMYKO CONVERSATIONS 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010661:6 ? B. AMBASSADOR THOMPSON HAS HAD HIS FIRST SESSION WITH GROMYKO. WE DO NOT YET HAVE HIS ACCOUNT. 6. LEBANESE TROUBLE SUBSIDES: BEIRUT HAS RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE GOVERNMENT HAS CAPTURED MOST OF THE RINGLEADERS OF THE ABORTIVE PUTSCH. IT IS NOW CARRYING OUT A ROUND?UP CT MEMBERS OF THE RIGHT?WING SOCIAL NATIONAL PARTY WHICH TOUCHED OFF THE UPRISING 50X1 LATE ITEM -- ? VIENTIANE HAS DECIDED THAT IT WILL NOT REPLY TO SOUVANNA ON CONDITIONS FOR .FORMING .A COALITION, BRINGING THE SITUATION TO A TOTAL IMPASSE. AMBASSADOR BROWN HAS ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE AUDIENCE WITH THE KING TO REGISTER OUR DISAPPROVAL. A PEIPING BROADCAST STATES THAT SOUVANNA HAS LEFT FOR ABROAD. 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 1.1 501 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 7. NOTES: A. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL INDICATIONS THAT DEEP TROUBLESPOTS IN SOVIET?GUINEAN RELATIONS HAVE NECESSITATED MIKOYAN'S HASTILY SCHEDULED VISIT TO CONAKRY. B. PAKISTAN SEEMS DETERMINED TO BRING THE KASHMIR ISSUE BEFORE THE SECURITY COUNCIL THIS MONTH, A STEP ALMOST BOUND TO HARDEN POSITIONS IN BOTH KARA HI A 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 D. EGYPT, GHANA, GUINEA AND MOROCCO HAVE DECIDED TO ESTABLISH THE HEADQUARTERS OF THEIR JOINT DEFENSE ORGANIZATION, THE SO? CALLED AFRICAN HIGH COMMAND, IN ACCRA, UNDER AN EGYPTIAN CHIEF OF STAFF. THEY ARE AIMING AT A COMBINED FORCE OF SOME 20,000 MEN. ?E. MOSCOW HAS SIGNIFIED HEIGHTENED INTEREST IN CAMBODIA BY APPOINTING A SEPARATE AMBASSADOR. PREVIOUSLY, IT HAD ONE AMBASSADOR ACCREDITED TO BOTH LAOS AND CAMBODIA. PHNOM PENH YESTERDAY MADE NEW CHARGES OF SOUTH VIETNAMESE BORDER INCURSIONS. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A000500010001-0 50X1