Documents / FOIA release

The President's Daily Brief

Central Intelligence Agency · 10 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is the Central Intelligence Agency's President's Daily Brief for 6 February 1968, released in 2019. It reports renewed fighting in Saigon during the Tet offensive and South Korean anger over the Pueblo incident. It also covers Arab frustration with UN emissary Jarring, Soviet advisers in Egypt, the war in Yemen, the Panama election campaign and the British economy. A Special Daily Report on North Vietnam covers Hanoi's rejection of the San Antonio formula, shipping deliveries and AN-2 aircraft. The brief does not mention UFOs.

~~--Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 C05974263 I 3.5(c)
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:French Correspondent Reports on Strategy: A
4 February. dispatch from the French correspondent in
Hanoi describing Communist objectives in the current
military offensive appears to be another North Viet-
namese - inspired story. The newsman, Bernard Cabanes,
claims that the Viet Cong and Hanoi are more elated
about the political results of their five-day offen-
sive in South Vietnam than they are about its military
success. Quoting unidentified sources in Hanoi,
Cabanes says that the fighting in South Vietnam is
only the 'beginning of a "new phase of struggle" and
that it will be weeks before the political gains of
their new offensive can be evaluated.
Besides the battles for large towns which have
been publicized, the Communists claim to have "swept
into many small towns and villages'' throughout the
country.· The plan, according to this news analysis,
is to hold territory where possible and set up new
administrative units. Where the ground cannot be
held, their objective is to destroy the local gov-
ernment structure.
This analysis is a reasonable approximation of
Communist strategy in last week's attacks. Cabanes'
material is always censored and frequently inspired.
This kind of interpretation enables Hanoi to capi-
talize on the potential political disruption of the
offensive and at the same time makes allowances for
military reverses.
* * *
Giap Reported in Hanoi: The French correspon-
dent also ~eports that General Giap was in Hanoi dur-
ing Tet. There has been persistent speculation in
the Western press that he was personally leading
troops around Khe Sanh.
* * *
Shipping Report: Cargo deliveries to North Viet-
nam by foreign flag ships in January totaled about
192,300 tons, Some 45,000 tons more than the pr~vious
monthly record import level set in May 1967. Large
deliveries of foodstuffs, fertilizer, and petroleum
accounted for the increase. I /
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Approved for Release: 2019/01/17 C05974263
3.5(c)

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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 10 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.