CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1961/03/30

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03007387
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RIPPUB
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U
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18
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August 14, 2020
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August 27, 2020
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March 30, 1961
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Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 �111011"0-L�U�WZ 3.3(h)(2) view No' 3.5(c) 30 March 1961 Copy No. C 7 7 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN TOP SECRET 7/ Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 I Ur SECRET pi* TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 4Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 TOP SECRET 30 March 1961 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN CONTENTS 1. Situation in Laos. (Page t) 2. Congo: Tshombe's forces move against Manono. (Page it) 3. Angola: Lisbon believes "incidents" likely in southern Angola on 30 March. ) (Page it) 4. Somali Republic: Mogadiscio apparently prepared to accept economic aid from Soviet good-will mis- sion arriving 30 March. (Page it) 5, North Vietnam: Morocco becomes fourth African nation to recognize Hanoi. (Page iii) 6. Watch Committee Conclusions. (Page tit) TOP SECRET / Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 0Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 01�114 -..._/-_ 1..,,,/� ,/ \--,-..�!...--' i NAM1I;THA ./.4 \I.'''. i I\'' uong Sal _ � Nam Bac � V \ ../ ' 1 / I . / Sam Nua z I t 'c LUANG' PRABANG 7 m SA NEUA Luang Prabang 1.?'� S --*"*...---7..?/. -".......\rt SAYABOURY r'''''XIENG KHOUANG \ Muon9 Soul an an "N. Plaine ,I-)rres esXieng Khouang VIENTIANE Vientiane NORTHERN LAOS 410 GOVERNMENT Forces in ONO KONG LE - PATHET LAO Contact KONG LE - PATHET LAO AREAS __TRAIL P 0 ROUTE NUMBER 10330 2 � Ka Keut KHAMM UANE Thakhek 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Map Page Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 003007387 'Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 CO3007387 , %,sto CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN 30 March 1961 DAILY BRIEF *Laos: rihrushehev with Chinese forces. Asked what would be the result if SEATO � Foreign Minister Chen Yi carefully skirted a question on in a couple of dayg will open the way for a cease-fire and a settlement in Laos, but again insisted that Souvanna Phouma should head any gov iP - ernment of Laos. He said the USSR's reply would be delivered 7 et- portunity for making an explicit threat to counter such a move openly invaded Laos, Chen Yi limited his written reply to a of the Laotian people will be inereased3 SEATO intervention in Laos which would have provided an op- statement that "the civil war will be prolo ed, the suffering eal)yring a recent interview in Burma, Communist China's - thinks the recent British proposals ./4-14- The Soviet airlift into Laos goes on, however, and evi- dence continues to accumulate on the extent to which Viet Minh cadres have been used to stiffen Pathet Lao units. A conference of most Pathet Lao commanders, which presum- ably would precede a change in Pathet Lao operations or pol- icy, was apparently in progress in Xieng Khouang on 29 March. (Backup, Page 1) (Map) ahe Watch Committee at its meeting on 29 March reached he following conclusion concerning Laos-i3 CRecent Communist military activity in Laos has been limited to very small-scale actions, suggesting that the Com- munists are restricting their operations for immediate polit- ical reasons. The Communist forces, however, are capable of stepped-up operations at any time, which, in view of the low morale of the FAL, could achieve rapid successes. There are indications of logistic support operations in the area north of Luang Prabang which could presage new combat operationaj TOP SECRET % Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Pik Banana INDIA 1711 SUDAN 400 TUNISIA 3,200 MALAYA 210 INDONESIA 850 Leopold vi ysvi Ile NDONESIA 300 wit.]MALAYA 150 Gemena Scattered Cal ..Goquilhatville .dtm. Scattered Forces � Boende GHANA 1600 -go Luanda Approximate area controlled by: = Kasavubu�Mobutu = Gizenga Kalonji ishombe ; A flonfir CE United Nations Forces 0, pan 1 ----Selected road Selected railroad Selected airfield p�Katangan moves against Manono 10330 STATUTE MILES 4040 MALAYA 400 _Kind KALOND 1,500 LIBERIA 230 Kamina, _ ETHIOPIA 1,800 G1720E NG A o0 Bukavu NIGERIA 500 on go Albertville _ NIGERIA 1,300 Iv�tno Piana Mwanga Mitwaba_ Usurnbura SWEDEN.-- 650 TSHOMBE 4,000 Francqui Luputa MOROCCO' IRELAN9 Elisa 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Map Page Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 'Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 / �4 TOP SECRET 'against the royal capital. Otherwise, Bloc logistic support continues undiminished and may be increased if the Bloc antic- ipates any agreement on mutual suspension of arms deliveries. Bloc propaganda suggests that the USSR will not agree uncon- ditionally to the UK proposal and that the Bloc will seek to avoid a commitment on a cessation of hostilities prior to an international conference; Pathet Lao opposition to a cease-fire has been particularly apparent. We know of no military moves by North Vietnam or Communist China for an expansion of the Laotian conflict, but some preparatory measures could have been or could be taken without detectioig (Backup, Page 1) (Map) Congo: According to the UN representative in Elisabeth- ville, the movement of Tshombd's forces against Manono has begun. The Katanga forces, which number about 1,000, ap- parently plan to make a gradual advance on the town from the three centers of Mitwaba, Kongolo, and Piana Mwanga; ac- cording to reports of Swedish UN patrols, the troops advanc- ing from Mitwaba may already have progressed halfway to Manono without encountering serious opposition. The UN of- ficial said that the size of the advancing force would make it impossible for the small Nigerian unit at Manono to interpose itself effectively. ) (Backup, Page 4) (Map) *Anonla Lisbon advised the governor 7eneral of Angola it had information "incidents" would take place on 30 March, particularly in southern Angola. governor general to take specific precautions at airports and in areas where there are large numbers of African workers. Eliossible action by an extremist group, the Union of Negro Laborers and Artisans. This group is not known to have been Involved in the previous outbreaks, which have been concen- trated in northern Angola. (Backup, Page 5) Somali Republic - USSR: Epie Somali Government is ap- parently prepared to accept economic aid which it expects willj 30 Mar 61 DAILY BRIEF Page ii ri Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 W/Ze- , / /7 A/Approved for Release: 2E0708/11 CO3007387' , AI' %..4 TOP SECRET e offered by the five-man Soviet good-will mission scheduled to arrive in Mogadiscio on 30 March-3 Although moderate gov- ernment leaders have often stated a preference for Western aid, they feel pressed by a small but vocal Communist-influ- enced opposition party which would exploit the issue in a con- stitutional referendum 'set for 20 June. (Backup, Page 6) North Vietnam - Morocco: North Vietnam's campaign to gain wider international acceptance moved another step for- ward with the announcement on 27 March that Morocco had agreed to establish diplomatic relations and exchange ambas- sadors. The agreement caps a five-day visit to Rabat by North Vietnam's foreign minister, who has been touring Af- rica for the past month. Morocco is the fourth African nation to recognize the Vietnamese Communist regime in the past year, following Guinea, Mali, and Senegal. (Backup, Page 7) WATCH COMMITTEE CONCLUSIONS On the basis of findings by its Watch Committee the United States Intelligence Board concludes that: . and B. No change from last week. C. LAOS--Carried on page i of the Daily Brief. SOUTH VIETNAM There are continuing indications that Viet Cong (Commu- nist) guerrilla groups in South Vietnam will probably en- gage in a vigorous extensive campaign of sabotage and political terrorism in connection with and prior to the 30 Mar 61 DAILY BRIEF Page iii 49 le-- 0/ Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 CO3007387 TOP SECRET South Vietnamese presidential elections scheduled for 9 ApriL D. CONGO Although conditions in the Congo remain unsettled, there are no new developments affording increased pPoi- ties for e loita ion t 30 Mar 61 DAILY BRIEF Page iv Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 SECRET Ni.of The Situation in Laos Khrushchev expressed some of the same views that Gromyko voiced during his meeting with President Kennedy the same day. The Soviet premier termed the British proposals of 23 March on Laos "constructive" and said they would make it possible to bring about a cease-fire and a settlement He indicated that the Soviet reply would be forthcoming in a couple of days. As in earlier talks with Ambassador Thompson on 21 January and 9 March, Khrushchev minimized the importance of Laos, say- ing it would not change the East-West balance of power and that the Laotians would choose neutrality if left to themselves. Khru- shchev also repeated earlier charges that Boun Oum is a drunk- ard and urged again that agreement be reached on a new govern- ent headed by Souvanna Phouma-p cm remarks clearly calculated to impress the Indian Govern- e with the urgency of getting negotiations started, Khrushchev arned that movements by American military and naval forces ere not helpful and said the USSR never gave way in the face f threats. He added that if the US wanted another Korea, it ould have it, but this would be a "really bloody one] Ellie favorable references to the British proposals made by rushchev and Gromyko, together with the generally moderate nd positive tone of the Pravda article of 27 March, appear to eflect the Soviet leaders' awareness that recent military and iplomatic moves by the US and Britain have brought the con- test over Laos to a new and more critical phase. Their cau- tious and generally positive response probably was intended primarily, to forestall any decision by the SEATO conference which might raise the possibility of expanded military action in Laos. Moscow's response also suggests that the Soviet leaders are concerned that Western moves have deprived the bloc of the diplomatic initiative and put the bloc governments on the defensive. This concern was evident in the Pravda ar- ticle's effort to demonstrate that the USSR was the earliest and most consistent proponent of negotiations and to portray the British proposals as acceptance of Moscow's position on conven- ing an international conference and reactivating the ICCT3 I Describing the Laotian crisis as a real test for the bloc, SECRET 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 1 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 SECRET the Pathet Lao must be included in any negotiations on tne iuture of Laos. "If we com- promise now," the official said, "we are accepting the strength of imperialism. We will be doing injustice to the progressive forces in Southeast Asia." j Cabinet discussions on the Laotian crisis were resumed on 29 March with the return of King Savang and General Phoumi to Vientiane after a visit of several days to southern Laos. Country team speculation is that broadening of the government may be a primary topic under discussion. Former Premier Phoui Sananikone, meanwhile, is working behind the scenes for a replacement of the present government, which he feels is "dictatorial" and only antagonizing the majority of the popu- lation. Phoui proposes that the King should persuade Boun Oum and Phoumi to step down, and then take personal charge of a transitional government pending a general election. There is considerable support for this proposal among other conserva- tive Laotian politicians, and Savana reportedly has taken it un- der serious advisemenq With the possible exception of two flights, all scheduled airlift activity into Laos for 27 March was canceled, probably because of adverse weather conditions. On 28 March at least 14 flights into Laos were detected, some of which were to the Nam Bac area north of Luang Prabang. Periodic flights of AN-12 turboprop heavy transports from North, Vietnam in sup- port of these operations continue. r LA prisoner who was recently captured near yang Vieng claims to be an artilleryman from the 925th Frontier Security Battalion of the North Vietnamese Army. He alleges that his unit entered Laos near Nong Het in mid-January and that later in February he and about 45 other artillery specialists and in- fantrymen were assigned to the Pathet Lao 6th Battalion. An- other prisoner captured on 23 March claims that a group of infantry specialists arrived at the Plaine des Jarres from Hanoi on 5 February. The prisoner alleges that he and some of the others were from the North Vietnamese 246th Independ- ent Regiment, which has its headquarters in north-central"'? 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 SECRET LNorth Vietnam, and that they were assigned to the Pathet Lao 3rd Battalion. North Vietnamese combat advisers, technicians, and var- ious specialists are known to be in Laos, but evidence that units, as such, of the North Vietnamese Army are in Laos continues to be inconclusive. 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 SECRET v,upoi Situation in the Congo The UN is taking no military action to meet the threat to Marlow, according to a 28 March report from the American army attache in Leopoldville. GeneralMcKeown, the UN mil- itary commander, has been in Elisabethville attempting to per- suade Tshombe to call off the offensive, but the Katanga gov- ernment has given no indication that it will yield to UN pressure. [Me Belgian consul general in Elisabethville told the Amer= ican consul on 28 March that between 85 and 90 Belgians now serving with Tshombe's forces would leave by mid-April. This total includes both military technicians under contract to the Katanga government and volunteers recruited for the white legion. About 240 Belgians were serving with the Katanga military in January, and the number may have increased since then. The consul general feared that small numbers of white volunteers might still be coming into Katanga. He hinted that Brussels might have to withdraw more Belgians as a result of international pressure, but he implied that the Belgian Foreign Ministry has little control over, the Ministry of African Affairs, which apparently is continuing its assistance to Tshombeii [According to a Western journalist, 21 South Africans ar- rived in Elisabethville on 19 March. They claimed that they were being paid $420 per month plus danger pay and stated they did not mind working for "that Kaffir Tshombe" as long as they received their pay. The South Africans have insisted that they serve as a unit, apparently because whites serving with African troops are a prime target of opposing shots. Normally, each white serves as a leader of five or six Africans, who apparently keep fighting only so long as the European is not immobilized.3 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 TOP SECRET Situation in Angola 4ie whites in southern Angola as tense because there had been numerous purchases of crude weapons by natives. the governor general had received threatening letters from Angolan negro refugees in the frontier area of South-West Africa. Lisbon's request for South African cooperation in controlling er area received a favorable response. rth_e_harl, The organization which probably instigated the initial up- risings in northern Angola, the Union of the Angolan People (UPA), led by Holden Roberto, reportedly now has agitators working in southern Angola. A small number of Angolan de- serters- -whose homes are in southern Angola--from the Portu- guese Army are preparing to go to southern Angola under UPA auspices to foment further outbreaks. UPA headquarters has issued instructions to continue the uprising in Angola as long as possibleD [The UPA is considering setting up an advanced headquarters in an area of northern Angola, where refugees report that a zone some 30 miles wide along the Congo frontier has been almost entirely evacuated by Portuguese troops and civilians. Refugees claim that Portuguese troops remain in the main towns and merely launch raids into the countryside3 [Leopoldville's Minister of the Interior Adoula reportedly has promised the UPA--whose headquarters is in Leopoldville --that the Congo Government will establish a refugee camp in the Lower Congo area for the large number of Angolan refugees there. Roberto also plans to contact other. African nationalist movements for political and material support] TOP SECRET 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 aioe SECRET Soviet Mission Visits Somali Republic Wea. ��� Pair � bassador in Mogadiscio received the invitation from Premier Abdirascid during a casual conversation at a recent reception for a visiting UAR delegationj Soviet delegationn--headed by Lesechko, the first deputy chairman of the State Planning Commission (Gosplan)�includes A. A. Shvedov, chief of the First African Division of the Minis- try of Foreign Affairs, the deputy minister of health, and high= level trade and cultural officials. The composition of the mis- sion suggests that Moscow is prepared to offer aid to the Somali Republic in several nonmilitary fieldq [Since the Somali Republic became independent last July, the Soviet Union has established a large embassy in Mogadis- cio, and advance parties have arrived from Prague and Pei- ping to establish embassies. Albania, Bulgaria, and Hungary arranged last year to set up diplomatic missions, but these have not yet arrivecg Abdirascid's government, which has been in power since the territory became independent, believes it must demonstrate substantial progress in economic development in order to win a clear-cut victory in the June referendum. The referendum is being held to approve or reject the draft constitution, which provides for national elections every five years. If approved, the referendum will in effect prolong the tenure of the present government for that period. The leftist Great Somali League (GSL), which has received financial support from Communist countries, almost certainly would seize on the government's refusal to accept Soviet aid as an important issue in its expected vigorous campaign to defeat the referenduri3 SECRET 30 Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 6 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 CONFIDENTIAL North Vietnam and Morocco Establish Diplomatic Relations North Vietnam and the four African nations with which it has succeeded in establishing relations have French as a com- mon language, and each had experienced French political dom- ination. In the joint communiqu�ssued in Rabat, as in similar communiqu�throughout the foreign minister's tour, this kin- ship was stressed. In his audience with King Hassan II on 24 March, Foreign Minister Ung Van Kliiem extended an invitation from Ho Chi Minh to visit North Vietnam. He also assured the Moroccans of support for their claim to Mauritania and in turn received assurances of Moroccan support for North Vietnam's efforts to reunify Vietnam "peacefully." Morocco established diplomatic relations with South Viet- nam last year, and Ambassador Buu Hoi took up residence in Rabat in mid-December. While the North Vietnamese are less sensitive than the Chinese Communists about the diplomatic complexities of such a situ tion, they probably hope that Sai- gon's ambassador can be removed. Replying to a reporters question during his Rab t visit, Khiem pointed out that in the case of Mali, the South Vietnamese representative had been ousted soon after the arrival of Hanoi's envoy. Actually, Mali's action at that time resulted primarily from the prior presentation by Saigon's charg�f a formal note explaining South Vietnam's likely reaction in the event Mali recognized Hanoi. This was interpreted by Mali as an ultimatum and an inadmissible interference in its "internal affairs." North Vietnam already has resident ambassadors in Guinea and Mali. Foreign Minister Ung Van Khiem's dele- gation has recently concluded an economic and cultural agree- rnpnt in Conakry And a mill-urn' nart in Rarnakn CONFIDENTIAL 30,Mar 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 7 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 CUNHDLN 11AL THE PRESIDENT The Vice President Executive Offices of the White House The Special Assistant for National Security Affairs The Scientific Adviser to the President The Director of the Budget The Director, Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization The Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Chairman, Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities The Department of State The Secretary of State The Under Secretary of State The Director, International Cooperation Administration The Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs The Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration The Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council The Director of Intelligence and Research The Treasury Department The Secretary of the Treasury The Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense The Deputy Secretary of Defense The Secretary of the Army The Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Air Force The Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs) The Assistant to Secretary of Defense (Special Operations) The Chairman, The Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy Chief of Staff, United States Air Force Chief of Staff, United States Army Commandant, United States Marine Corps U.S. Rep., Military Committee and Standing Group, NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe Commander in Chief, Pacific The Director, The Joint Staff The Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff The Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of Army The Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of Navy The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force The Department of Justice The Attorney General The Federal Bureau of Investi'gation The Director The Atomic Energy Commission The Chairman The National Security Agency The Director The United States Information Agency The Director The National Indications Center The Director CONFIDE Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C03007387