SITUATION IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (REPORT # 173 - SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION FROM 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM EDT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00472A001400030023-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 2008
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: May 6, 1965
• Content Type: IM

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State Dept. review
completed
OCI No. 1614/65
JCS review completed
DIA review(s)
completed.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Current Intelligence
6 May 1965
Situation in the Dominican Republic
(Report # 173 - Summary o the aS a-
tion from 6:00 am - 9000 pm EDT)
1. Sporadic sniper fire continues against US
forces despite the ceasefire. At 12:45 pm EDT a
helicopter from the USS Okinawa was hit by machine-
gun fire originating from the rebel held Ciudad
Nueva area. The helicopter with the copilot wounded
landed safely. The latest casualty figures from
the National Military Command Center are 10 killed
and 58 wounded in action.
2. As of 4:00 pm EDT today the SS Santo Domingo
was still smoldering in the Ozama River. The ship,
which was apparently carrying rebel arms, was sunk
yesterday. 25X1
25X1
4. Ambassador Bennett has received several
reliable reports today of growing tension in
Caamano headquarters. Caamano's self-styled
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"political adviser," Hector Aristy, appears to be
dominating Caamano more and more and "barks orders
to him like a top sergeant." Caamano gives the
impression of being dazed, according to these
reports. Today Aristy sent a message to Ambassador
Bennett telling him that the rebels "control the
situation but if we lose prestige, we will lose
control." Aristy said that a new junta would be
unacceptable and added that "I entend that Caamano
will fill out Bosch's term," The Ambassador com-
ments that he believes Aristy, who has been
characterized as a slick and thoroughly untrust-
worth opportunist, can be bought off at the proper
moment o
50 According to a French news service, rebel
"foreign minister" Jottin Cury sent President de
Gaulle a telegram asking him to use all his prestige
and power to protest against US intervention in
,the Dominican Republics Curry reportedly has also
sent telegrams to all Latin American governments
protesting the US action. This morning President
de Gaulle expressed his disapproval of "foreign
troops" in the Dominican Republic and said they
ought to be withdrawn, according to a French
cabinet minister's comments in a subsequent press
conference. The French minister added that the
De Gaulle government was considering recognizing
the Caamano "government" and the French ambassador
in Santo Domingo had already been in contact with
the rebel regime. No definite decision on recog-
nition had yet been made, however.
6. US efforts to form a viable loyalist
government continue, but have not yet borne fruit.
The refusal of the Dominican Revolutionary Party
(PRD) to accept Antonio Imbertin a proposed junta
have again turned US efforts towards the formation
of an essentially non-political junta. A separate
effort by the Reformist Party (PR), the party of
former president Joaquin Balaguer, to form a gov-
ernment with the PRD, and the Social Christian
Revolutionary Party (PRSC), was rejected by PRD
leader Molina Urena, who served as provisional
president early in the revolution.
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7, US military attaches consider General de
los Santos, air force chief of staff, to be the
only "fighting general" on the loyalist side. The
others have been and continue to be ineffective.
The attach?s do not feel, however, that the Domini-
can military has disintegrated, and point out.that
the air force, navy and armed forces training center
are all intact and still control the preponderance
of their equipment and forces.
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