CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A012500080001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 13, 1968
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Central Intelligence Bulletin
Secret
5
13 November 1968
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No. 0312/68
13 November 1968
Central Intelligence Bulletin
CONTENTS
South Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 1)
USSR: Moscow seeks to improve scientific organiza-
tions and speed the introduction of new technology
into industry. (Page 2)
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Ivory Coast: Labor unrest continues despite recent
government concessions to workers. (Page 4)
Argentina: Purchase of Mirage IIIs imminent. (Page 5)
Panama: The government is attempting to improve its
image by restoring some constitutional guarantees.
(Page 6)
Korea: Infiltrators captured (Page 7)
Lebanon: Prime minister resigns (Page 7)
Iceland: Currency devaluation (Page 7)
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[South Vietnam: Communist tactics on 11-12 No-
vember continued to emphasize mortar and rocket at-
tacks against allied bases and urban centers in var-
ious sectors of South Vietnam.
Bao Trai, the capital city of Hau Nghia Province,
and the district town of An Tuc in Binh Dinh Province
were among the more significant population centers
hit.
Important allied military installations attacked
included a major artillery support base in the west-
ern highlands, Camp Radcliffe in western Binh Dinh
Province, and a South Vietnamese Army position near
the Demilitarized Zone in northeastern Quang Tri
Province. The latter attack was staged from within
the southern portion of the Zone, marking at least
the sixth enemy attack of this kind from the Zone
since 9 November.
13 Nov 68 Central Intelligence Bulletin
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SECRET
USSR: A recent decree seeks to improve the work
of Soviet scientific organizations and to speed the
introduction of new technology into industry.
Beginning in 1969, new financial incentives will
be extended to selected research institutes on an ex-
perimental basis. As with the economic reform in
industry, these incentives will be directly tied to
the economic results of the organization's work.
The decree provides for an assessment of the
work of institutes and scientists every three years,
an expansion of research in high-priority fields,
and the extension of research planning periods to
ten to 15 years. It also calls for greater coopera-
tion between the scientific institute and the fac-
tory.
The lag in introducing new technology, which
has been a persistent problem of Soviet industry,
is unlikely to be significantly reduced by the
decree. Although the scientific community will
probably be encouraged to improve its applied re-
search, the absence of equal incentives to in-
dustrial plants leaves the factories uncompensated
for disrupted plans, lost bonuses, and lower profits
incurred while mastering the new machine or technique.
Moreover, from test tube to assembly line, the
bureaucratic maze--the main reason for the slow im-
plementation of new scientific achievements in the
past--remains essentially unchanged.
Central Intelligence Bulletin
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Ivory Coast: Labor unrest continues despite
recent government concessions to workers.
Discontent among workers has long been building
because of the strict control of wages and careful
restriction of organized labor that have been part
of the government's successful economic program.
Early last summer Ivorian workers, emboldened by the
relative success of labor's pressures in France and
Senegal, began vigorously to press for a greater
share in the country's prosperity. In addition to
wage demands, workers urged the rapid placement of
Ivorians in jobs held by Europeans and foreign
Africans, and greater freedom for organized labor.
In the face of growing labor tension, President
Houphouet-Boigny granted minor wage increases and
promised a speed-up in job placement. He also called
the first national congress of the country's six-
year-old single labor federation. The congress,
held last month, was a raucous affair. The govern-
ment was forced to accept a shake-up of the union's
leadership, although crucial posts were retained
by progovernment officials.
Rank-and-file members were stung, however,
by oppressive government control of the congress
and by the reported firing of two dissident leaders
immediately after the congress. Union members re-
portedly consider the firings a breach of faith
by Houphouet-Boigny and have threatened retaliation.
While labor unrest seems certain to increase,
workers are likely to be very careful in their
choice of tactics. For the present, at least,
agitation for change probably will be confined to
continued pressure from within the labor federation
for further concessions from Hou houet-Boigny's
paternalistic government. 1 -1
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Argentina: Buenos Aires will soon buy ^ all-
weather French Mirage III supersonic fighters for
1970 delivery.
The planes are more sophisticated than the
Mirages acquired last year by Peru. Negotiations
have been under way for some time, and the sale has
been pushed vigorously by the French Government.
Argentina's original plans for aircraft, drawn
up in 1964, called for purchase of the US-built F-5,
a less sophisticated and slower plane than the Mirage.
After negotiations with the US, however, the Argen-
tine Air Force agreed to buy the subsonic A4B, also
a US airplane, because F-5s would not be available
until 1970. Now it appears that the Argentines pre-
fer the French fighter.
Argentina's shift to France as a source of air-
craft follows the trend set by the army's purchase
of French AMX tanks in lieu of US tanks. The navy
is also buying new ships in Europe. The Argentine
military have usually preferred US equipment, but
now claim that they are forced to buy in Europe be-
cause of US restrictions on arms sales.
The Argentine negotiation for Mirages, follow-
ing Peru's purchase last year, has increased Chile's
interest in upgrading its air force. This may mean
additional Chilean purchases of subsonic British
Hawker Hunters and perhaps renewed interest in the
F-5, or a similar aircraft built in Europe.
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Panama: The junta is attempting to improve its
image by restoring some of the constitutional guar-
antees suspended at the time of the recent coup.
Included among the civil rights that have been
re-established are guarantees against the death pen-
alty, retroactive laws, and double jeopardy. Con-
stitutional articles pertaining to freedom of ex-
pression remain revoked, however, and press censor-
ship continues.
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The government's moves are designed to pave the
way for diplomatic recognition by states other than
the 24 that have resumed relations to date.
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Korea: South Korean troops have killed 26 and
captured two of the North Koreans who came ashore on
the east coast early this month. The United Nations
Command believes there were at least 60 infiltrators
divided into four groups. According to one of the
captured agents, their mission was to establish guer-
rilla bases, recruit and indoctrinate South Koreans
as potential agents, and then to exfiltrate across
the Demilitarized Zone. Snow and cold weather will
now make it difficult for the remaining infiltrators
to hold out against South Korean security forces.
Lebanon: The shaky truce between the two feud-
ing parliamentary blocs may be broken. Prime Minis-
ter Yafi submitted his resignation to President Hilu
on 12 November, stating that in its present form his
cabinet could not handle events in the country. He
asked that the cabinet either be replaced or ex-
panded. Yafi's move is probably a ploy to increase
the number of Shihabists in the cabinet, which is
now composed of one Shihabist, two Chamounists, and
an independent.
Iceland: Yesterday's devaluation of the krona
is the first major step by the government to deal
with the worsening economic situation. The govern-
ment intends to introduce additional measures, but
to date has been unable to resolve differences over
their content and timing. If the crisis deepens,
a national coalition of all political parties, in-
cluding the Communists, may be formed. The devalu-
ation, pegging the krona at 88 to the dollar, amounts
to 35.2 percent, compared with 24.6 percent in the
last devaluation one year ago.
13 Nov 68 Central Intelligence Bulletin
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Secret
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