THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 SEPTEMBER 1966

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005968541
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: September 23, 1966

A
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
23 SEPTEMBER 1966
70-P-SEG-R-E-1_
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DAILY BRIEF
23 SEPTEMBER 1966
1. South Vietnam
2. France
The constituent assembly, scheduled
to convene next week, will not face com-
pletely smooth sailing.
One thorny problem will be the
election of its president. The assembly
may be unable to agree on any of the
five well-known politicians who now ap-
pear to be the chief candidates. In
this case, regional differences among
the delegates could produce a bitter
struggle or even a stalemate. The gen-
erals might then have to settle the mat-
ter.
Secondly, there is the possibility
that the assembly may challenge the
charter article which gives the present
military government veto power over any
draft constitution passed by less than
a two-thirds vote. A formal discussion
of this issue by the assembly would
surely antagonize the directorate.
Incidentally, the assembly is
vening a day later than originally
uled because an astrologer pointed
that the original day would not be
able.
con-
sched-
out
favor-
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3. Soviet Union
4. West Germany
5. Ethiopia
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Chancellor Erhard is suffering from
bureaucratic as well as parliamentary
harassment. He was to address a meeting
of the civil servants' association yes-
terday but walked out when the associa-
tion's president delivered a slashing
attack on the government for failure to
improve civil service pay and benefits.
Erhard's departure was accompanied by
scattered catcalls.
Although the chancellor's political
backers continue to rally round him, he
will be under heavy pressure to reorgan-
ize the cabinet soon after his return
from Washington--whether or not the mis-
sion is regarded as a success.
Emperor Haile Selassie intends to
press the US for material and moral sup-
port of Ethiopian claims to French Somali-
land. In a vague and incoherent talk
with our ambassador in Addis Ababa, the
Emperor threw out veiled hints that he
might look to Moscow for help 'if the US
failed to come through. The Russians,
meanwhile, are busily building up
Somalia, which also contends it must 50X1
have French. Somaliland. .
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6. Congo
Fighting broke out today in Kisan-
gani (Stanleyville) between government
and Katangan units there. Both sides
are having logistic difficulties and
this scrap could peter out for lack of
ammunition, leaving another uneasy stale-
mate.
Whoever started the row, it springs
from Mobutu's long-threatened campaign
to take strong measures against the Ka-
tangan rebels. If the Katangans find
themselves seriously threatened by gov-
ernment forces, they can fade into the
bush and head south for their homeland,
where separatist tendencies continue to
cause trouble for Mobutu.
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