FREE WORLD REACTION TO EVENTS IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA (AS OF 1630 HOURS)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00887A000500010022-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2003
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: August 21, 1968
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved Forease 2/ Q,? ,CIA-RDP79B008800500010022-7
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No. d615/G8
CENTRAI, INTEL,LIGENCE: AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
21 August 196B
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SUBJECT: Free World Reaction to Events in Czecho-
slovakia (as of 1630 hours)
yet from areas other than Western Europe. A number of
key officials in Europe were on vacation at the time
of the event. The tone of comment has ranged from
Belgium's expr_ess.i.on of "consternation" and condemna-
tion of "methods of coercion which nothing can jus--
ti.fy" to Ann L1:.i.a' ( r.. , l nor. f :i,on of its neutrality and
its annoancemerit or a Ifl .li.taLy alert. 't'here have
been demon,-,`:rations before c,oviet and other Communist
d;l,i,]_oln~ll:::i c en LG.7h]_.i,~ }unolll:s; in :seeve.r.aa I count r..i.es; .
Free World reaction to the military interven-
tion in Czechoslovakia has been almost universally
critical although little reporting is available as
Iuro ~r
1. The United Kindd.onl and Wont Germany reacted
promptly and strongly. Prime Minister Wilson called
the invasion "a tragedy not only for Czechoslovakia
but for Europe and the whole world."
The Britls Parlia-
ment as n e C gency session on 26
August. Britain's attitude was echoed by Prime Min-
istry Itolyoake of New Zealand who stated that the in-
vasion turned the clock back to the darkest days of
the cold war.
2. German Chancellor Kies.nger called a cab-
inet meeting and then issued a statement branding the
invasion "a clear violation of Czech sovereignty and
interference in its internal affairs." A West Ger-
man Defense Ministry spokesman indicated that the
Federal Republic would assume the same attitude as
other members of the NATO alliance. In Bavaria,
Note: -This memorandum was prepared b9 t7ai' Of jh ee of
Current intelligence.
State Dept. review
completed
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 Approved Forease 2003/07/30: CIA-RDP79B008800500010022-7
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goes . In both Britain and Corm.anv demonstrators ap-
steps wore taken to provide for poteri.:.i.al Czech ref_u
rece ived.
Leone was not in Rome when news of the invasion was
and progress toward poli_t::.cal integration Of had now become more urgent-.. Italian Prime Miniritcr
fore C~.mp David" and that revita].Lzation o*f. NATO
their own affairs. Italian Foreign Minister. Mead.:Lci
felt that the world had returned to "the peri.od
which interfered with the: rights of people to manage
3. French President de' Gaulle's main concern
was with the effect on the European detente which
L`rnnce had been trying to foster.. Deploring the
events in Czechoslovakia, which he felt constituted
an attack on thc33~ r.i ghts and destiny of a 1:riend.ly
nation, h aie indicated that Moscow apparently
still could not free itself from "bloc politics"
4. um and the Nc the r1~rnds I. t.'or~''.i i.y
with the 1.956 invasion of Ilungary. . In the Hactue,
both the government and the oppos i_tion I,ahor Party
tion, and the Belgian radio drew obvious parallels
e i.gn Min i-s ter. expressed his government ' s eery:; terrr