CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
12
Document Creation Date: 
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
April 8, 2003
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
April 26, 1968
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3.pdf363.45 KB
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Approved For Release 2003/05/19: CIA-RDP79T00975A011S1-3 25X1 DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE Central Intelligence Bulletin STATE review(s) completed. Secret 26 April 1968 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/Wt1 1 RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 This is a new Secret daily publication, the Central Intelligence Bulletin. It replaces the Current Intelligence Digit, which no longer is being published. The new publication is prepared in consultation with the Departments of State and Defense. It should provide the readership with more timely treatment of relevant intelli- gence than its predecessor. Any comments on the new daily will be welcomed at the Office of Current Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency. Approved For Release 2003/0Jf fI6,DP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/& " RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 No. 0140/68 26 April 1968 South Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 1) Czechoslovakia-USSR: Governmental relations are deteriorating. (Page 2) Poland: Possible new student demonstrations may result in violence and benefit extremist factions of the party. (Page 3) West German : Government leaders are concerned over t He impact of East German moves on West Berlin but have not decided how to respond. (Page 4) CONTENTS 25X6 25X6 Central Intelligence Bulletin UK: Peking has made minor conces- to conciliatory gestures by London. (Page 6) USSR: Crude-oil exchange (Page 7) Algeria: Assassination attempt (Page 7) Jordan-Israel: Agriculture damaged (Page 8) Sierra Leone: Civilian rule (Page 8) Dominican Republic: Possible disorders (Page 8) Venezuela: Cabinet reorganization (Page 9) Approved For Release 2003/a$BO RTA' DP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2005 TN':T; A-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 [[ South Vietnam: The Communists are unfolding the organizational apparatus and program of their new puppet "National Alliance." A communique of 24 April broadcast by the Commu- nist radio named a full slate of central committee members for the alliance. Included were a number of semiprominent personalities in Saigon intellectual circles. Several of the members apparently defected to the enemy following the Tet offensive, and it is possible that they had been in contact with the Com- munists beforehand. The program of the alliance announced in the broadcast tries to make the alliance appear distinct from and independent of the National Liberation Front, which has long been clearly tagged as a Communist in- strument. The goals of the alliance, however, closely parallel those of the front. According to the broad- cast, the alliance was founded to "overthrow the Thieu- Ky regime," to set up a national coalition government, and to struggle against "foreign" aggression. Various sources continue to report that the Com- munists will soon resume the offensive. A high-rank- ing. Viet Cong defector recently stated, for example, that the enemy will launch another nationwide attack no later than 1 May. He said that the main thrust of the offensive will be directed against Saigon. Although the precise timing of major new Commu- nist military initiatives is unclear, they may come soon in an effort to offset the image of allied mo- mentum built up during the past few weeks. A wave of mortar and rocket assaults might be the feature of such actions, perhaps combined with a few selective ground attacks. 26 Apr 68 1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003SECREIA, RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 SECRET Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 25X1 Poland: Student demonstrations may resume early next week, resulting in violence and benefiting the extremist factions of the party. A youth claiming to be a Warsaw University stu- dent leader has informed the US Embassy that coordi- nated demonstrations are planned in all major univer- sity cities on 29 April. The students say they ex- pect severe police repression, and hope that the pub- lic reaction will be one of strong support. Demon- strations apparently are to continue during the re- gime's May Day celebrations, which will include a major speech by party leader Gomulka. The students hope to gain broadened support among the workers by shifting the focus of their de- mands from academic to economic issues. If they carry out their plans, the students will encounter strong regime countermeasures. Many of last month's demonstrators have been drafted, others have been expelled from their schools, and most of the lead- ers have been arrested. The regime may be aware of the students' inten- tions, as it was during previous demonstrations. The hard-line faction of the party, which controls the po- lice, is likely to seize on any new unrest as an op- portunity to strike against moderate elements in the party. The latter have been attempting to restore a measure of stability by deliberately paced changes at the top. F77 I 26 Apr 68 3 Approved For Release 2003/g RJ RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/'9-9"&rk-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 West Germany: Government leaders are studying possible countermeasures to the East German ban on. the travel of West German officials to and from West Berlin. West German officials are seriously concerned over the impact of the East German moves on West Ber- lin, but are uncertain as to the appropriate response. Foreign Ministry officials warn that nothing should. be done that might "escalate" the situation. This re-.. flects their caution about actions that might under- mine efforts to improve relations with Eastern Europe and the USSR. These officials have concluded that some of the measures considered during the 1958-63 crisis are no longer feasible. For example, they tend to rule out any action against interzonal West-East German trade, because this trade is already declining. They favor, however, tightening Allied controls over the travel of East Germans to NATO countries. They also have specifically urged a demarche in Moscow emphasizing the USSR's responsibility to assure access. US officials in West Germany believe that fail- ure to respond would encourage the East Germans to undertake further moves curtailing Berlin access. 26 Apr 68 4 Approved For Release 2003/051 RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 'SE 25X6 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CIA-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/0? Ji DP79T00975A011000230001-3 Communist China - UK: Peking has made some minor concessions in response to conciliatory ges- tures by London. On 22 April, the Chinese allowed the British charge in Peking to visit Anthony Grey, a British Reuters correspondent who has been held under house arrest since July 1967. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official also in- formed the charge on 21 April that the Chinese hence- forth "would do their best" to expedite visas. He granted six visas for new UK personnel due to ar- rive in Peking. These developments follow British attempts to ease an impasse caused mainly by Peking's insistence on including Hong Kong issues in any discussion of "normalization" of relations. Colonial authorities in Hong Kong have allowed representatives of the local NCNA office to visit Communist newspaper employees detained in prison. The British Foreign Office also has relaxed all re- strictions on travel and exit visas for members of the Chinese diplomatic mission in London. Peking's latest moves also underscore Commu- nist China's concern over the situation in Hong Kong. Protracted strikes, which have resulted in the dismissal of many Communist workers, have dam- aged the morale of the local Communist trade organi- zations there. Peking may feel that its shift will induce the colonial authorities to be more forth- comin in working for reinstatement of the strikers. 26 Apr 68 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 SE RE'T RDP79TOO975AO1 Approved For Release 200v6II-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 USSR: Moscow, in its first crude oil exchange with a Western oil company, will exhort to Japan Mid- dle East crude supplied by British Petroleum and will deliver Black Sea crude to the Western firm's customers in Europe. The deliveries to Japan, which will total one-half to one-million tons.over an 8- to 12- month period, are scheduled to start in July. Additional swaps under discussion would bolster the USSR's lag- ging petroleum sales east of Suez. Algeria: Premier Boumediene escaped an assas- sination attempt yesterday afternoon virtually un- scathed. Early reports have not linked the would-be assassins with any of the opposition leaders. Last January, the Algerian security service arrested sev- eral persons allegedly involved in a plot instigated by opposition leader Belkacem Krim to assassinate top Algerian officials. (continued) 26 Apr 68 7 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/05/19 : CI~DP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/0?I7C9'":A-RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Jordan-Israel: Recent Israeli artillery attacks could have serious consequences for Jordanian agricul- ture. The shelling in one of Jordan's most important agricultural areas has damaged a key segment of the East Ghor irrigation canal and has discouraged farmers from working their fields. If water from the canal is withheld for more than three weeks, crops in the area could be lost and the banana and citrus groves perma- nently destroyed. This would place an additional strain on Jordan's already depressed economy, F Sierra Leone: Under a procedural compromise hammered out between the country's two tribally based political factions and the new military junta, the parliamentarians elected last year will convene in Freetown today to begin consultations aimed at re- storing civilian rule. Efforts are apparently being made to form a coalition government, but tribal ten- sions remain high and neither power group now appears willing to accept second place. If a workable solu- tion is not found fairly quickly, the prospect of intertribal violence will increase, especially as the army is itself deeply divided along lines of tribe and rank. Dominican Republic: The third anniversary of the "constitutionalist" uprising on 24 April passed with only minor clashes between leftist demonstrators and the heavily reinforced security forces. Although the left-of-center Dominican Revolution- ary Party has accepted the government's proscription of the rally it planned for 28 April to protest the land- ing of US troops in 1965, disorders are still possible. Party Secretary General Pena used the occasion of the government ban to reiterate his warning that if Pres- ident Balaguer continues to "disrespect" political freedon, the party "will be forced" to consn e against his government. F7 i (continued) 26 Apr 68 8 25X1 Approved For Release 200' J j -RDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Approved For Release 2003/Ok4cE'F,4 FCDP79T00975A011000230001-3 Venezuela: President Leoni has reorganized his cabinet following the withdrawal of the Democratic Republican Union from the government to prepare for the presidential candidacy of its leader, Jovito Villalba. The new appointees, including Venezuela's first woman cabinet member, are technocrats rather than political leaders. The cabinet now appears to be a caretaker body that probably will make few changes in government policies until after the pres- idential election in December. 26 Apr 68 9 Approved For Release 2003/099URET DP79T00975A011000230001-3 25X1