THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST 26 NOVEMBER 1963

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005996687
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: November 26, 1963

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THE PRESIDENT'S
INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST
ISSUED BY THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
26 NOVEMBER 1963
MECALL
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1. Iraq-Syria
a. The shaky new accommodation
between the two countries following
the recent coup in Iraq has been
threatened by Syria's action inPgrant-
ing asylum to Ali Saleh Saadi, the
exiled leader of the extremist wing
of the Iraqi Baath.
b. Saadi had arrived in Syria
unannounced following a brief stay
in Madrid.
c. Both regimes continue to be
troubled with internal dissension
with affairs in one deeply tangled
with those in the other.
d. In Syria
the Baathist regime is
split between moderates who desire
a broadening of the government's
Power base,and a doctrinaire faction
which wants to keep all control of
the government in Baathist hands.
e. In Iraq, the pull is more
away from the Baathists. Two minis-
ters have threatened to resign unless
the government adopts an openly pro-
Egyptian policy. Nevertheless the
government feels secure enough to
ease up on curfew and transport re-
strictions imposed since the coup.
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(Cont d)
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Laos
f. Iraq has announced that? the
military union with Syria remains in
force, and that a new commander of
the joint armies will be announced
soon.
govern-
ment forces had finally secured yang
Vieng and its airfield, long held
by the Pathet Lao also
the capture of Ban Namone farther
south on Route 13.
b. The neutralist, rightist Lao
Army, and Meo tribal guerrilla forces
hope to sustain their coordinated
clearing action until remaining Pathet
Lao pockets in this area north of
Vientiane are cleared.
c. Such operations in Laos
have often been followed by a Com-
munist riposte.
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(Cont'd)
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3. South Vietnam
a. According to press reports,
Viet Cong attacks on Sunday wiped
out two of the government's strategic
hamlets in the central highlands about
250 miles north of Saigon.
b. More than 1,000 inhabitants
in the hamlets--who are minority
tribesmen--are missing and possibly
have fled into the mountains. They
abandoned a significant quantity of
weapons to the Viet Cong.
c. These attacks not only sug-
gest continued erosion of the govern-
ment's programs to win over tribal
support, but also signal that stepped-
up Viet Cong pressure against the new
regime is spreading to the north.
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(Cont'd)
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4.- USSR
d. This Communist effort is
aimed at discrediting the post-Diem
regime before the new leadership is
able to get its feet on the ground
and capture the loyalty and respect
of people in the provinces.
e. Although the Viet Cong still
continues to draw its main strength
from local recruiting, a steady stream
of cadre and training personnel con-
tinues to make its way to the south
from North Vietnam along the Laotian
border.
f. We are now reasonably sure
that at least 784 persons infiltrated
from the north during 1963 and the
actual total may be much higher.
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,(Cont'd)
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5. USSR-Berlin
a. Embassy Bonn feels that
the Soviet Union may be seeking at
least a temporary modus vivendi on
the autobahn without prejudicing
its juridical position, which can
be used to cause difficulties there
in the future.
b. The embassy bases this on
the Soviet replies to the Western
notification to the USSR on 29
October regarding harmonized convoy
procedures--two oral statements on
16 November and a note of 21 Novem-
ber.
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6. Brazil
c. The Soviet note was designed
to make a record, showing that the
USSR exercises "control" of the auto-
bahn and that the recent incidents
resulted from US refusal to comply
with "existing procedures."
d. On the other hand, the Soviet
procedures described in the oral re-
plies seem to reflect actual Allied
practices, though there is enough
ambiguity to afford the USSR flexi-
bility in any future actions.
a. The danger of an immediate
coup against the Goulart regime has
receded with the reported decision
of Second Army Commander General
Bevilaqua not to join the coup plot-
ters.
b. Bevilaqua,
may have
been asked to hand over his command
as part of a series of reassign- 50X1
ments made by President Goulart to
keep the military off balance.
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? c. On the other side of the
coin, there is widespread belief
that Goulart himself will at some
time resort to a coup to establish
?an authoritarian regime.
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Goulart
seems either out
of touch with reality or very poorly
informed. Public opinion is not
with him and the tradition that po-
litical power should only be trans-
ferred constitutionally is very
strong in the army, coup reports
notwithstanding.
f. The biggest danger from
this quarter is that the opposition
may resort to some illegal act,giv-
ing Goulart the excuse to take over.
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NOTES
A. Ethiopia-Congo Haile Selassie has acceded to our
ambassadm"s request and is rescinding his earlier
decision to withdraw the 1,743-man Ethiopian con-
tingent from the UN force in the Congo.
B. Communist China - Africa
/Premier Chou En-
Lai will leave in mia-pecember tor a tour of some
Afro-Asian countries, He is to stop first in Egypt
and then visit several other African countries includ-
ing Guinea, Ghana, and Mali. Chou would be the high-
est ranking Chinese leader ever to visit Africa.
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C. Indonesia-Philippines 50X1
Tiesident Sukarno plans to go to Manila this 50X1
Thursday to confer with Philippine President Macapagal.
No reasons have been advanced for the visit. Our
chargg guesses that it is an Indonesian move to head
off Philippine recognition of Malaysia.
D. Venezuela The terrorists have struck again, this
time firing six US-owned oil and gas pipelines near
?
the northeastern city of Puerto la Cruz. The elec-
tions are still on for Sunday,and we look for a maxi-
mum effort from the pro-Castro terrorist organization.,
E. Congo We now have word that 49 members of the Soviet
Embassy, including dependents, left Leopoldville on
Saturday aboard a Sabena flight for Brussels. They
are expected to book onward passage for Moscow. It is
reported that the Congolese will allow one Russian
without diplomatic status to stay to look after Soviet
property.
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