Documents / FOIA release
This is the Central Intelligence Agency's Current Intelligence Weekly Summary of 23 March 1962, a secret digest from the Office of Current Intelligence covering world events. It reviews Soviet foreign policy on Berlin, the Berlin air corridors, disarmament and a nuclear test ban. It also covers Algeria, Argentina's elections, the Congo, Laos, South Vietnam, Guatemala, food rationing in Cuba and Middle East tensions. Special articles assess Brazil under Goulart and Turkey's economic prospects. It contains no UFO material.
Approved for Release: 2026/03/06 C03176167 gala?’ CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY LAOS General Phoumi, by his re- fusal to meet with Secretary Harriman in Bangkok this week, has underscored his opposition to US policy in Laos. Phoumi, who earlier had "welcomed the opportunity" to confer with the Secretary, now claims that his cabinet has ruled against such a "clandestine mission." Western efforts to reach agreement with Souvanna and Souphannouvong at Khang Khay on a suitable cabinet slate have been hampered by their in- sistence that coalition terms must be settled at another meet- ing of the three princes. While Souvanna claims that this cur- tailment of talks with the West is designed merely to allow "a certain flexibility" in bargain- ing with Vientiane, it probably resulted from Souphannouvong’s fear that Souvanna might reach a unilateral accommodation with the West. Souvanna and Souphannou- vong say that their future bar- gaining will be based on the principles that the posts of defense, interior, and foreign affairs must go to the neutral- ist center and that posts given to the two wings, Vientiane and Pathet Lao, must correspond in number and importance. The USSR apparently regards Phoumi's intransigence and the present stalemate in the Geneva conference and in Laos as devel- opments which can only accrue to Soviet advantage. Deputy Foreign Minister Pushkin con- tinues to absent himself from Geneva, and Holiakov, acting head of the Soviet delegation 1» (now comprising himself and a secretary), has informed his British counterpart that Gromyko confirmed he had no intention of interfering in the Laotian situation while in Geneva. This indicates that Moscow does not expect an early resumption of formal Laos conference activity and has no desire to work ac- tively to resolve the present impasse. This view is supported by remarks made by Soviet Ambassa- dor Abramov on his return to Vientiane after an absence of about a month. He said that a solution in Laos now depends on US actions, and told the British ambassador he is planning a three-month vacation beginning in April and will not return un- til August. Heavy enemy shelling of the Nam Tha airstrip in north- western Laos resumed on 18 March but has tapered off to only sporadic firing. This action presumably was triggered by the recent reinforcement of the government garrison with several 105-mm. howitzers and elements of a paratroop battalion from southern Laos. The Nam Tha area had been relatively quiet since the end of February. Elsewhere, government forces have continued to move slowly north in the Nam Beng valley to the west of Luang Prabang, while other activity ha been limited to minor probes and ambushes by the two sides. meant?23 Mar 62 WEEKLY REVIEW Page ll of 22 S \ ( Approved for Release: 2026/03/06 C03176167
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 42 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.