THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 DECEMBER 1967

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0005974190
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
September 16, 2015
Document Release Date: 
September 16, 2015
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
December 26, 1967
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 The President's Daily Brief Top Sec rct 26 December 1967 2 3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 DAILY BRIEF 26 DECEMBER 1967 1. Laos 2. Philippines 3. Communist China 4. Yemen Communist forces are keeping up the military pressure. Yesterday they pulled off a hit-and-run raid on .a government-held town in the central panhandle, destroying USAID and Air America facilities there. Government forces in the north were also under Communist pressure over the weekend. President Marcos on the progress of the continuing drive against the Huks. He got another en- couraging report from the constabulary commander who told him of several new victories. The commander, incidentally, feels the morale of his forces has greatly improved in recent weeks be- cause of Marcos' strong support. The Russians may be wondering why they ever let themselves get involved in the Yemeni civil war. Their repub- lican clients continue doing poorly despite all the oviet hel the have been getting. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X2 50X1 50X1 50X1 - DeClassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 50X1 5, Egypt 6. Czechoslovakia 7. Panama An affable, self-confident Nasir really extended himself when the new British ambassador presented creden- tials last week. He even agreed "in principle" to the British proposal that the southern end of the canal be unplugged to release the trapped ships. Nasir said he had already ordered his experts "urgently" to find out how to go about the job. The Czech party central committee was unable to resolve its business last week and is to reconvene on 3 Janu- ary The general feeling in the Czech capital is that an inten- sive struggle continues on the leader- ship question and that the outcome is still anyone's guess. Arnulfo Arias has been formally nominated for president by the most formidable coalition ever assembled in Panama's history. He looks like a sure bet in next May's election--if the voting is relatively free and honest. 50X1 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Top Secret FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY Special Daily Report on North Vietnam Top Secret 50X1 26 December 1967 15 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Special Daily Report on North Vietnam for the President's Eyes Only 26 December 1967 I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION Hanoi Rejects President Johnson's "Five-Point Plan": The party Daily Nhan Dan charged yesterday that the President's proposal= a "worn-out trick" intended only to prolong the war, The paper went on to reiterate Hanoi's old terms for settlement of the war. * * *:1 Hanoi Says Ho is "Strong and Healthy": The North Vietnamese news agency went out of its way yesterday to try to refute rumors that Ho Chi Minh is seriously ill. It reported that Ho had appeared at a recent mass meeting and that "everyone felt extremely happy to see that their beloved leader is strong and healthy." Ho himself is quoted telling the crowd that he feels "twenty years younger" than his 77 years. "Our line and policies are correct," he went on, "our en- tire people are united, and we are enjoying the firm support of friends in the five continents,,, this is why we will surely win and the US aggressors will surely be defeated." He used Secretary McNamara's resignation as evidence that "the US is being de- feated." In concluding what Hanoi called a lengthy address, Ho expressed thanks to the Communist nations for their aid and to "the world people, including the progressive American people who are opposing the US imperialist aggressors and supporting the just fight of the Vietnamese people." * * * Birthday Greetings to Mao Tse-tung: Hanoi radio reports that today's issue of Nhan Dan carries a front page photo of Ho and Mao shakiiiR?HaTiag. Also front- paged is Ho's standard congratulatory message to Mao. 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 50x1 * * * Draft Dodging in North Vietnam: most young people in North Vietnam yearn for peace. The greatest fear of the young men is being drafted and sent South. They often try to avoid the draft by faking illness when they appear for their pre-induction physicals. the desertion of draftees from the training camps is becoming a real problem for the regime. The deserters usually do not get very far, however, because they are unable to produce their identity cards when ac- costed by the authorities. the North Vietnamese people have lost confidence in the party cadres because of their many unfulfilled promises. Service in North Vietnam: mail service has been undependable since the first of this year and has gotten even worse in the past six months. Letters are often lost and the people, who now have no faith in the postal system, seldom write letters any more, ordinary citizens have received no mail from overseas since the first of 1967 and do not know whether the letters they have sent abroad have reached their destinations. * * * North Vietnam Continues to Send Students Abroad: A group of some 35 North Vietnamese students was ob- served earlier this month on a train traveling across Siberia toward Europe. They averaged about 20 years old and were about equally divided between men and women. They were destined for Budapest to study -2- 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 engineering and medicine This is one of a number of signs that Hanoi con- tinues, even in the midst of war, to put a high premium on educating the next generation of leaders. * * * * * * ,II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL ATTITUDES ON THE WAR day. There is nothing of significance to ileport to- -3- 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 50X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A005700100001-3