CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A027200010032-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2007
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: December 6, 1974
• Content Type: REPORT

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National Intelligence
Bulletin
State Dept. review completed
DIA Review Completed.
Top Secret
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National Intelligence Bulletin
December 6, 1974
CONTENTS
GREECE: Greeks unlikely to vote for restoration of mon-
archy. (Page 2)
KOREA: Pro-Seoul resolution likely to pass in the UN Po-
litical Committee, but the opposition resolution may also
win. (Page 4)
KOREA: Seoul plans to destroy North Korean tunnels along
the DMZ. (Page 5)
BURMA: Student protesters attempt to exploit U Thant's
funeral to whip up sentiment against Ne Win government.
(Page 6)
COSTA RICA: Vesco's extradition becoming major political
issue. (Page 8)
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National Intelligence Bulletin December 6, 1974
Greek voters are expected to reject by a wide margin
the return of King Constantine to the throne in the ref-
erendum that will be held on Sunday. The 300-member par-
liament, in which Prime Minister Karamanlis' New Democ-
racy Party holds 220 seats,.will then determine the ex-
act form the republic should take. It will convene for
the first time on December 9.
King Constantine, who has been in exile since 1967,
has agreed to accept strict limitations on his authority
if allowed to return to the throne. He is not a popular
figure, however; most Greeks believe his meddling in
politics before the 1967 coup helped create the polit
ical instability that sparked the military takeover.
The New Democracy Party, which has both royalists
and republicans in its ranks, has adopted a strictly
neutral posture on the issue, although the deputies are
free to vote as they wish. The major opposition parties,
on record against restoring the monarchy, have bowed to
Karamanlis' dictum that the issue be settled by the peo-
ple without partisan politicking.
Although the monarchy issue has been the subject of
heated debates and five referenda in the past, the US em-
bassy describes the electorate as lethargic. Earlier
referenda have been rigged, but there were no indications
of electoral irregularities in the recent parliamentary
elections, suggesting that this referendum will be con-
ducted in a similar fashion.
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National Intelligence Bulletin December 6, 1974
The pro - South Korean resolution proposed in the
Political Committee of the UN General Assembly has ac-
quired sufficient support to pass by a safe margin, but
Seoul and its supporters will have to overcome procedural
obstacles before a favorable outcome can be secured.
North Korea's backers apparently intend today to
challenge the priority of the pro-Seoul resolution, call-
ing for a vote on their conflicting resolution first.
This move seems unlikely to succeed, but it could delay
the vote on South Korea's resolution, which had been set
for late today.
The US-supported resolution emphasizes the need for
replacement armistice machinery--to be established under
the aegis of the Security Council following the disman-
tling of the present UN Command mechanism. The opposing
resolution simply calls for "the withdrawal of all for-
eign forces in Korea under the UN flag," with no mention
of any new arrangement for policing the 1953 armistice.
Once the pro - South Korean resolution is passed,
its sponsors may move on procedural grounds to block
consideration of the North Korean resolution. It is
possible, however, that the North Korean resolution will
also be voted upon and pass, if only by a narrow margin.
If both resolutions pass the Political Committee, there
are likely to be increased pressures on both sides to
achieve a compromise resolution for presentation to the
General Assembly.
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National Intelligence Bulletin
December 6, 1974
The South Korean government has determined that
North Korean tunneling through the Demilitarized Zone
poses a serious military threat. Seoul thus is planning
to search out and destroy the tunnels.
The UN commander and the US embassy in Seoul agree
that the tunnels are a threat, but they note that intro-
ducing drilling equipment and defenses for these opera-
tions may violate the armistice agreement. Additionally,
this effort could prompt a North Korean reaction.
Thus far, only the.tunnel discovered last month can
be confirmed, but Seoul believes more exist and has iden-
tified 12 suspected excavation it s
Pyongyang
has been digging DMZ tunnels for nearly three years.
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National Intelligence Bulletin December 6, 1974
Some Burmese students are trying to exploit the
funeral of former UN secretary general U Thant to whip
up sentiment against the Ne Win government. Several
thousand students staged a protest yesterday and carried
U Thant's casket to the Rangoon University campus, wh ,re
they intend to keep it until the government provides a
"fitting" burial site. The students reportedly were
supported by Buddhist monks and nuns.
President Ne Win has long been hostile to U Thant,
who was a close associate of exiled former prime minister
U Nu. The government cooperated with the UN in funeral
arrangements but rejected a request by U Thant's family
for a national hero's burial, forcing it to be scheduled
at an ordinary cemetery.
The students could draw considerable sympathy for
their protests, because U Thant was greatly respected
in Burma for his role in international affairs. Acc9rd-
ing to the US embassy, the government's attitude toward
the funeral has aroused considerable resentment in Ran,
goon. The-government is already on the defensive be-
cause of the country's worsening economy.
The government is now calling up additional police
forces in Rangoon. In the past, the Ne Win regime has,
acted quickly and forcefully against agitation. The
army brought labor disturbances in the capital under
control last June by killing more than 20 protesters,
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National Intelligence Bulletin
COSTA RICA
December 6, 1974
The status of fugitive financier Robert Vesco is
becoming a major issue in Costa Rican politics. So far,
the calls for his expulsion have had no anti-American
overtones, but in the long run the outrage might add to
Costa Rican apprehension over private US investment.
The move against him, led by a wide spectrum of
newspapermen, businessmen, and government officials, was
joined last week by all major union federations and
teacher associations.
Despite the extensive support for his ouster, neither
President Oduber nor the Legislative Assembly has responded.
The legislature, in fact, has now adjourned without repeal-
ing the so called "Vesco Law"--the tailor-made extradition
law pushed through congress at the end of the Figueres ad-
ministration to protect Vesco. Unless the President sub-
mits the repeal 'bill for the extraordinary session that
will deal with other unfinished business, there will be
no action before next May, when ordinary sessions begin
again.
For over two years, the Vesco case has been carried
by the San Jose media as a headline story. During the
Figueres administration, two US extradition requests
were dismissed--ostensibly on legal technicalities. The
financial tie between President Figueres and Vesco, how-
ever was the underlying factor. The unresponsiveness of
President Oduber, Figueres' hand-picked successor, indi-
cates that the new executive does not want to risk losing
Figueres' support.
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Top Secret
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