THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 MAY 1966

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968340
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: May 31, 1966

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A004500210001-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
31 MAY 1966
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DAILY BRIEF
31 MAY 1966
1. South Vietnam
Saigon was quiet today, but we can-
not be sure how long the lull will last,
or whether it represents a deliberate
effort by the Buddhist leadership to
calm things down. However, Buddhist In-
stitute leaders reportedly met this even-
ing with Ky and Thieu. As yet we have
no hard information about what was dis-
cussed.
Both Tri Quang in Hu6 and Buddhist
Institute leaders in Saigon have called
for an end to self-immolations.
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Hu6 was also calm, with some indi-
cations that the province chief--now be-
ginning to show some backbone--is making
headway against the unruly students, who
appear to have given up control of the
radio station. Barricades in the city,
however, were still manned by armed stu-
dents at 11:00 p.m. (Vietnam time).
The province chief has also with-
drawn most of the troops of the politi-
cally shaky. First Division from Hu6.
This has deprived the struggle force
of any organized military support--but
also leaves the city vulnerable to at-
tack by the Viet Cong. Although Saigon
reportedly has no immediate plans to re-
occupy Hu6, this vulnerability might
provide a pretext to move in loyal
troops.
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2. Soviet Union
3. Soviet Union
A recent CIA study shows that Mos-
cow last year was able to cut its hard
currency deficit almost in half as com-
pared with 1964--a drop from about $600
million to between $300-350 million.
This reduction came largely from
a cutback of some $300 million in im-
ports of Western wheat and machinery.
Gold sales--Moscow's chief means of fi-
nancing its chronic hard currency defi-
cit--were accordingly reduced to just
over $300 million, in contrast to the
record sales of more than $500 million
in 1964.
This year, the Soviets will prob-
ably again hold back their imports from
the West in order to conserve foreign
exchange. Trade with Communist coun-
tries is expected to grow a little faster
than the 1965 rate of less than four per-
cent.
The antimissile defenses under con-
struction in the Moscow area are being
expanded. The latest satellite photog-
raphy shows early construction prepara-
tions for what will probably be another
radar and launcher installation for de-
fense against ballistic missiles.
This will make a total of five po-
sitions forming an arc around the north-
ern and western sections of the city.
We still expect that at least one and
possibly three more of these positions
will be built.
The same satellite mission also pro-
vided further evidence that the two huge
missile detection and tracking radars in
the northwestern part of the Soviet
Union are nearing completion and could
begin operating soon.
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4. Pakistan
5. Iraq
6, Congo
Other satellite photography shows
that there are now at least 29 MIG-19
aircraft at one airfield in West Paki-
stan. Another 20 of these planes may
well be under camouflage and in pack-
ing cases nearby.
Earlier photography had shown only
14 aircraft:
Congolese-Belgian relations are
headed for even rougher sledding as a
result of the abortive plot against
President Mobutu over the weekend. Mo-
butu is convinced the Belgians were in-
volved and he has already ordered one
Belgian Embassy officer expelled. The
president has said, however, that he
will not break relations.
Our embassy believes that the Bel-
gians were guilty of nothing more than
indiscretion, but warns that this latest
affair has all the potential for blowing
up into a highly dangerous source of anti.
Belgian tension.
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TOP SECRET
TOP SECRET
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