CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A012600060001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 23, 1968
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Central Intelligence Bulletin
Secret
.50,
23 November 1968
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No. 0321/68
23 November 1968
Central Intelligence Bulletin
CONTENTS
Vietnam: Situation report. (Page 1)
Czechoslovakia: The public is dissatisfied with
decisions at the central committee plenum. (Page 2)
Poland: Foreign Minister Rapacki's replacement re-
portedly will be announced next week. (Page 3)
Italy: The Christian Democrat and Socialist parties
are reviewing policies on center-left government.
(Page 4)
Israel: Yesterday's terrorist bombing will almost
certainly provoke a strong Israeli response. (Page 5)
Singapore: The government is forming a joint state-
private trading corporation to regulate trade with
Communist China. (Page 6)
Chile: President Frei is consolidating control over
his-Christian Democratic Party. (page 7)
World Communist Conference: New date (Page 8)
Egypt: Student unrest (Page 8)
Pakistan: Student disorders (Page 8)
Dominican Republic: Return of General Wessin (Page 9)
Ecuador: Worry over riots (Page 9)
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~Dong Van
Luang Prabang
Thanfi Hoa
VIE
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NAM
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n Bai
Thai
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HANOI
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\.,
-
Dien Bien Phu
ti f?
\??~ VIENTIANE
/ LAOS \ Vinh Li
i DEMILITARIZED ZONE
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f NORTH
\.?
Saravane
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[Vietnam:
South Vietnam: No major military actions were
initiated by Communist forces on 21-22 November.
No population centers were shelled and no sig-
nificant military activity occurred in the Demili-
tarized Zone. Light enemy shellings were directed
at allied military installations, however, and sev-
eral small-scale enemy ground actions were reported
from widely separated parts of the country.
North Vietnam: Daytime logistics activities
south of the 19th parallel in North Vietnam have
stepped up during the past week. South of Vinh,
large numbers of trucks were observed in photography
of 16 and 17 November on the two main routes leading
toward the Laos panhandle. Prior to the bombing halt
there usually was little daytime trucking observed
on these routes because of the threat of air strikes.
Other reports indicate there also has been an
increase recently in truck movements within Laos,,
but this may reflect intensive shuttling operations
rather than a significant movement of trucks into
the panhandle. Photography and roadwatch teams have
not yet detected any major increase in traffic along
the two major routes from North Vietnam into Laos,
I
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Czechoslovakia: The public is obviously dissat-
isfied with the decisions of the recent. party central
committee plenum.
The students have ended their sit-in strikes,
but have threatened to demonstrate again if the lead-
ership takes any "backward steps" in implementing the
decisions made at the plenum. Industrial workers, who
sided with the students, have also ended their token
sympathy strikes. It is apparent that opposition
among youths, workers, intellectuals, and other sec-
tors of the populace is widespread although it is not
well organized. Party leaders risk serious public
reaction if they introduce new restrictions.
Some newspapers have taken up the cause of the
students by publicizing their ten-point demands,,
which include many of the freedoms originally in-
cluded in Dubcek's reform program. Rude Pravo, the
main party daily, has suggested that the party must
find the courage to tell the public why it did not
implement certain reforms and why the introduction
of others will be delayed.
Moscow seems relatively satisfied with the re-
sults of the plenum. The Soviet press has reported
on it extensively.
The Soviets still have not extracted from the
Czechoslovaks an admission that the invasion was
justified by the existence of a counterrevolutionary
situation in Czechoslovakia? but Moscow appears to
be content with the slow reimposition of political
controls. The Soviets probably see Dubcek's admis-
sion that the Czechoslovak. party failed to assess
accurately the threat of "antisocialist" forces as
a step in the right direction and the most that
could be expected from the present leaders 1'ID Of
the Czechoslovak party.
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Poland: Deputy Foreign Minister Adam Kruczkow-
ski will become Poland's new minister of fore: n
affairs
Kruczkowski, 38, appointed to his present
post in April, will replace veteran Adam Rapacki,
whose political demise was sealed by the Polish
party congress last week. Kruczkowski has been re-
sponsible for relations with the USSR and Eastern
Europe and is a competent technician. He is repre-
sentative of the tough, educated, younger generation
of the party that made significant gains at the
congress.
Unlike Rapacki, Kruczkowski will not hold a
politburo seat and thus will have no great voice in
policymaking. Foreign policy, like defense matters,
will remain under the purview of party leader
Gomulka.
Kruczkowski's appointment reportedly will be
announced on 30 November by the parliament, which
probably will make other changes in the government
to reflect personnel shifts made in the party hier-
archy by the congress.
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Italy: The executive bodies of the Christian
Democratic and Socialist parties are meeting this
weekend to try to reach decisions on the formation
of a center-left government.
Ex-premier Aldo Moro has withdrawn his fac-
tion's support from the majority that has controlled
the Christian Democratic Party for the past year.
Moro probably is trying to force the formation of
a new majority including the left factions. He may
also hope the move will put him in the running for
premier or party secretary, and will block a re-
ported scheme of other party leaders to divide up
the principal party and government positions.
The Socialist Party directorate is reviewing
the political situation in the light of developments
in the Christian Democratic Party. The Socialists
appear to be making some progress toward a division
of party and government posts that would satisfy
their various factions.
President Saragat is consulting with politi-
cal leaders preparatory to designating a new pre-
mier. Should efforts to form a center-left govern-
ment bog down, it is probable that another interim,
minority Christian Democratic government will be
installed pending an extraordinary Christian Demo-
cratic Party congress early next. year. Such a
government would have trouble putting through con-
troversial legislation.
The current student and, labor agitation is
not the cause of Italy's political difficulties,
but its continuation makes more urgent the instal-
lation of a government capable of enacting reform
legislation.
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Israel: Yesterday's terrorist bombing of a Jew-
ish marketplace in West Jerusalem,
in
which
11
people
were killed, seems almost certain
Israeli response.
to
provoke
a
strong
The nature and direction of the response will
presumably hinge on what the Israeli authorities un-
earth in their investigation. In previous incidents
of this type, the Israelis have jailed the terrorists
and blown up their homes. After the 9 October bomb-
ing in Hebron, however, Minister of Defense Dayan
said--without elaborating--that in the future a "new
type of selective retaliatory action would be taken
against the men behind such incidents.":
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Singapore: The government, will regulate trade
with China rough a joint state-private trading
corporation,
The International Trading Company (INTRACO) will
control trade from Communist countries--particularly
Communist China--as well as promote trade with free
world countries. INTRACO, which is expected to begin
operating in January 1969, will eventually have nine
overseas offices, including one in the US0 , Govern-
ment spokesmen have assured Singapore's traders that
the government has no intention of competing with
private enterprise in foreign trade and that China
is the main reason for forming INTRACOO
Singapore's statistics show that trade with
Communist China, some 85 percent of which consists
of imports, has grown by nearly a third since 1966
and will probably total about $180 million this
year, A large share of Singapore's imports are
re-exported to other free world countries,
This trade in the past has been handled by
only one or two private firms, The Singapore
Government fears that the heads of these firms,
who wield power and influence in the Singapore
community, could become subversive tools of Peking,
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Chile: President Frei is consolidating control
over hi- Christian Democratic Party.
Frei, who in the past has been reluctant to
involve himself in strictly partisan matters, re-
cently fired left-wing Christian Democratic leader
Jacques Chonchol from his government job. Although
Chonchol's leftist colleagues are unhappy over this
development, they are unlikely to make an open
break with the party now, as congressional elections
are scheduled for March. Frei appears to have im-
proved the position of his supporters, who now may
be able to organize their forces for the party con-
gress to be held after the elections.
Communist propaganda regarding present devel-
opments within the Christian Democratic Party seems
to have strengthened the hand of Frei and others
who claim that the Communists' only goal is to di-
vide the party. Communist attacks lumping presi-
dential hopeful Radomiro Tomic with Frei and other
moderates have undercut Tomic's arguments in favor
of cooperation with the Communists.
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World Communist Conference: Moscow achieved its
main goal at the preparatory meeting in Budapest,,
which ended Thursday, when all but three small parties
agreed to fix a new date for the international con-
ference, Soviet pressures on reluctant European
parties evidently had their effect? since both the
French and Italians endorsed the May 1969 date.,
Nevertheless;; the Soviets can expect to face further
struggle over the conference agenda at another pre-
paratory meeting scheduled for 17 March in Moscow;:
EEr y t: An outburst of student unrest is again
troubling the Nasir regime, According to press re-
ports from Cairo, four persons were killed and some
44 injured when demonstrating students from a
religious secondary school clashed with police In
a city 75 miles north of Cairo on Thursday? Nasir
was clearly upset by the antiregime aspects of wide-
spread student demonstrations last February, and
will probably institute measures designed to limit
the spread of this new outbreak,,
Pakistan: A new outbreak of student disorders
may occur if government schools and colleges in
Peshawar reopen as scheduled on 25 November,, The
government's recent arrests and threats-while some,
what inhibiting opposition groups--seem to have
brought them closer together than at any time in
the recent past? The announcement this week that
Asghar Khan, a respected ex-chief of the air force,
intends to join the opposition may provide a
rallying point for antigovernment forces throughout
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Dominican Republic: Exiled General Wessin is
pressing President Balaguer to permit him to return
following his brother-in-law's murder by a congres-
sional supporter of Balaguer. Wessin--the leader
of the government forces during the 1965 revolution--
has requested US aid in gaining re-entry and has
asked Balaguer for a guarantee of personal safety.
Wessin's return under present circumstances would
play into the hands of Balaguer's left- and right-
wing opponents, who have recently stepped up their
scheming and are likely to denounce the murder as
"another act of government repression."
[Ecuador: Panic among cabinet ministers over
riots in a southern town reflects a growing worry
within the Velasco government that plans exist for
its overthrow. President Velasco has thus far re-
sisted advice to assume emergency powers but may re-
shuffle his cabinet in an effort to deal with dis-
orders cropping up throughout the country. Top mil-
itary leaders, reacting to rioters' attacks on troops,
assured Velasco late on 21 November that he had the
complete support of the military.
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