[1]177-10002-10103 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[3]JFK Assassination System Date. 3/6/2018
[4]Identification Form
[6]Agency Information
[8]AGENCY:  LBJ
[9]RECORD NUMBER: — 177-10002-10103 ~
[10]RECORD SERIES: NSF, INTELLIGENCE BRIEFINGS, 1 1/23/63-12/5/63, BOX 1
[11]AGENCY FILE NUMBER :
[12]Document Information
[13]ORIGINATOR: CIA
[14]FROM:
[15]TO:
[16]TITLE: THE PRESIDENT'S INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST
[18]PAGES: 15
[19]SUBJECTS :
[20]INTELLIGENCE REPORT
[21]DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT!
[22]CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified ;
[23]RESTRICTIONS: 1B; Mandatory Review Material
[24]CURRENT STATUS: = Redact
[25]DATE OF LASTREVIEW: — 12/12/1997
[26]OPENING CRITERIA :
[27]COMMENTS : DOC. #1
[29]TOP SECRET
[31](Security Classification)
[33]CONTROL NO; CSC -W5-063/45 8)
[35]COPY _A oF
[37]Jenacler Cuddelack [IBS Liban Wiy [is
[39]COMINT
[41]Channels
[43]Access to this document will be restricted to
[44]those approved for the following specific activities:
[46]NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
[47]Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
[49]TOP SECRET
[51](Security Classification)
[56]THE PRESIDENT’S
[57]INTELLIGENCE CHECKLIST
[59]ISSUED BY THE ;
[60]CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
[62]23 NOVEMBER 1963
[63]TOP SECRET
[65]1. South Vietnam a, Vietnamese Communist ef-
[66]' forts- to discredit the new Saigon
[67]regime stayed in high gear this
[68]week,
[70]b. The number of armed attacks
[71]was off from the high of the previous
[72]week but still some 50% above the -
[73]year's weekly average. ;
[75]c. These attacks have been,
[76]for the most part, small-scale efforts
[77]directed against the government's
[78]paramilitary forces in the villages.
[79].They have been designed more for
[80]their psychological impact than for
[81]immediate military gain.
[83]d. <A high volume of messages
[84]on Viet Cong military and political
[85]communications nets indicates a prob-
[86]able continuation of this effort.
[88]e. The new government is re-
[89]sponding by stepping up its own
[90]military operations, It is also
[91]setting about the hard job of -re-
[92]vamping the Diem government .apparatus
[93]and harnessing broader popular sup-
[94]port for the war effort.
[96]ff. The generals have been
[97]dealing fairly effectively with
[99](Cont'd) -
[101]For The President Only - Top Secret
[103]VENEZUELA
[105]—+-+++—+ Selected railroad
[107]200 Miles
[109]200 Kilometers
[112]2.
[114]Venezuela
[116]their new responsibilities. There
[117]are, however, a few signs of dissen-
[118]sion within this group and between
[119]it and civilian politicians.
[121]g. One of the more ambitious
[122]and troublesome figures is the able
[123]but opportunistic General Ton That
[124]Dinh, the new Minister of Security.
[125]He has been travelling about the
[126]country spreading the idea that the
[127]coup was largely his doing and seems
[128]bent on developing his own independ-
[129]ent base of power. He is a man to
[130]watch.
[132]h, The new regime has also
[133]embarked on a purge of high military
[134]officers who sided with Diem during
[135]the Buddhist crisis-and failed to
[136]get on the right side soon enough.
[137](INTERCEPTS)
[139]a. The death toll from the
[140]terrorist outburst in Caracas last
[141]Tuesday and Wednesday now stands at
[142]about 30.
[144]b. This is the high water mark
[145]thus far in the campaign of the
[146]Castro-supported Communist extremists
[147]to disrupt the national elections a
[148]week from tomorrow.
[150](Cont'd)
[152]For The President Only - Top Secret
[154]ec. The Betancourt government
[155]has struck back hard, Its new uni-
[156]fied command over the security forces,
[157]set up at US urging, passed this
[158]initial test with flying colors.
[160]ad. At least 500 extremists
[161]were arrested and the round-up is
[162]still going on. Their removal will
[163]hamper the Communist drive against
[164]elections in major cities like Caracas.
[166]e. We now expect the elections
[167]to be held on schedule, a consider-
[168]able achievement under the circum-
[169]stances. The elections will be fol-
[170]lowed, however, by a Communist ef-
[171]fort to prevent the March inaugura-
[172]tion of the victor,
[174]£. The rub here is that none
[175]of the presidential candidates com-
[177]Siderable assets for dealing success-
[178]fully with the harsh realities of
[179]Venezuelan politics. The constitu-
[180]tion prevents Betancourt from suc-
[181]ceeding himself,
[183]g. In the background, as
[184]always, looms the military, which
[185]could intervene if the president-
[186]elect shows signs of being soft on
[187]communism.
[189]For The President Only - Top Secret
[191]“SAN “JULIAN :
[193]3
[194]OQ
[195]o
[197]fo)
[198]aD
[199]a
[200]re]
[201]“G
[202]0.
[206]3, USSR-Cuba
[208]a. In the past week we inter-
[210]' cepted Cuban military messages which
[212]show that Cuban interpreters are now
[213]posted at several surface-to-air mis-
[214]Sile (SAM) sites on the island,
[216]b. We think this means that
[217]on-site training of Cubans has begun
[218]on schedule, Field training is to
[219]last six months, after which the
[220]SAM system may be turned over to
[221]Castro.
[223]c. In the past month some
[224]1,500 Soviets arrived in Cuba. Most
[225]of these were probably SAM experts,
[226]sent to monitor the training.
[228]d. Prior to their coming, we
[229]had detected no more than a few
[230]hundred Soviet military personnel
[231]entering Cuba since the October
[232]crisis last year,
[234]e,. We estimate that at least
[235]15,000, and probably closer to
[236]18,000, have been withdrawn in the
[237]intervening 13 months, leaving, very
[238]roughly, 4,000 to 7,000, Those re-
[239]maining are for the most part ad-
[240]visors whose main functions are to
[241]train and supervise Cubans in the
[242]use of weapons turned over to then,
[244](Cont'd)
[246]For The President Only - Top Secret
[248]Autobahn “Road
[249]Canal - .  ° Air Corridor
[251]Control Points for Allied Traffic:
[252]A Soviet A Allied
[254]Interzonal Border Crossing Points:
[255]A East LA West
[257]i sT¢ “—" MLES}
[259]Railroad
[263]ans —
[264]an) KILOMETERS. 100
[265]a
[267]f. All Soviet weapons intro-
[268]duced into Cuba last year have been
[269]withdrawn or turned over to the
[270]Cubans. The only significant excep-
[271]tion is the SAM systen.
[273](Includes INTERCEPTS)
[275]OO a. We have had an indication
[276]that Soviet harassment of Allied ac-
[277]cess routes to West Berlin will shift
[278]this weekend to the air corridors,
[280]4. Berlin
[282]b. The Soviet man at the Ber-
[283]lin air traffic control center told.
[284]the Allied representatives yesterday
[285]that Soviet transports would be using
[286]the air corridors for brief flights
[287]during the next five weekends.
[289]. c. Moscow has tried on a num-
[290]ber of past occasions to assert its
[291]right to restrict Allied use of the
[292]air corridors. In early 1962, the
[293]Soviets attempted to'reserve "blocks"
[294]‘of air space for their own use. They
[295]have since demanded that Western
[296]flights stay between stipulated al-
[297]titudes, that we file flight plans
[298]in advance and provide prior notice
[299]of border-crossing times.
[301](Cont'd)
[303]For The President Only - Top Secret
[305]5.
[307]Iraq-Syria-
[308]UAR
[310]d. This sort of harassment
[311]stopped in the spring of 1962 when
[312]Soviet leaders became convinced
[313]that the US was interested in a
[314]serious discussion of a Berlin settle-
[315]ment. Moscow may hope that the
[316]threat of more of this sort of har-
[317]assment will Jog the US into talks
[318]on. Berlin. a
[320]a. It now appears that Presi-
[321]dent Arif's role in last Monday's
[322]coup in Baghdad may have been vir-
[323]tually that of a bystander,
[325]b. According to our Latest in-
[326]formation, Arif was wakened early
[327]that morning and given five minutes
[328]to join up. Tahir Yahya, now prime
[329]minister, was reportedly the orga-
[330]nizer.
[332]c. Whatever Arif's role may
[333]have been, the coup was primarily
[334]an effort by the Iraqi Army to cur~
[335]tail the activities of the extreme
[336]wing of the Baath Party. The Baath
[337]is an Arab nationalist political or-
[338]ganization, active throughout the
[339]Arab world, which has been ruling
[340]Iraq and Syria.
[342](Cont'd)
[344]For The President Only - Top Secret
[346]d. The coup group has not
[347]thrown all Baathists out of the
[348]government; there are party members
[349]in the new cabinet.
[351]e. Syrian Baathists have wel-
[352]comed this retention of their Iraqi
[353]brothers. Their attitude springs
[354]from the recognition that the Baath
[355]in Syria cannot stay afloat without
[356]support from Iraq. Even so, we hear
[357]talk of coup plotting in Damascus.
[359]f. The reaction of Nasir's
[360]Egypt, which passionately desires
[361]to see the Baath go under, has been
[362]exactly the opposite. Cairo has been
[363]backing off its all-out support for
[364]the coup ever since the new cabinet
[365]was announced,
[366](Includes INTERCEPTS)
[368]For The President Only - Top Secret
[372]Lew
[374]TOP SECRET |
[375]DINAR
[378]NOTES
[380]USSR New activity involving Soviet range instru-—
[382]mentation ships in the Pacific appears to be forth-
[384]- coming. Three instrumentation ships left Petropav-
[386]lovsk 12 days ago and are apparently headed for the
[387]more distant Pacific impact area, 6,500 miles from
[388]Tyuratam, We are looking for extended range ICBM
[389]tests but we do not exclude a space event. There
[390]has so far been no announcement closing the area.
[391](INTERCEPTS)
[393]Congo-USSR Soviet embassy personnel have not yet
[394]Teft Leopoldville, but their departure is expected
[395]momentarily. They were ordered out of the country
[396]after the Congolese turned up good documentary evi-
[397]dence of their complicity in anti-government plots.
[398]One of the items taken off a Soviet diplomat the
[399]other day was a Letter from an anti-Adoula leader
[400]now in Brazzaville asking for funds and arms to over-
[401]throw the Leopoldville government.
[403]Britain The Labor Party scored again in the Dundee
[404]West by-election Thursday, increasing its 1959
[405]majority of 719 to a thumping 4,955. Heartened by
[406]this, Labor is now pushing for general elections at
[407]once. Prime Minister Home is not likely to accede.
[409]Ecuador The military junta which has run Ecuador
[410]Since July may be about to come unstuck. We have a
[411]report that one of the less savory members of the
[412]group, air force Colonel Freiles, will try to take
[413]over full control this weekend. We are not sure
[415]of the reliability of this report, but Freiles is
[416]known to have been making motions in this direction,
[418](Cont'd)
[420]For The President Only - Top Secret
[422]SOVIET EARTH SATELLITE VEHICLES - COSMOS SERIES
[424]1962-1963
[425]PERIGEE ORBITAL
[426](N.M,) INCLINATION _ STATUS
[428]SECRET 1962
[430]APPROXIMATE TIME] LAUNCH | PERIOD | APOGEE
[431]SITE | (MINUTES)|—(NM,)
[432]6.35 529
[434]OF LAUNCH(GMT)
[436]Cosmos 1 12:00:00 {EST.) Decayed
[437](Sputnik 13) 16 Mar '62 Kapustin Yor 98. 7 49° 25 May '62
[438]Cosmos 2 1715318 Peeayed
[439](Sputnik 14) 6 Apr '62 Kapustin Yor 102.5 842 115 49° 19-20 Aug '63
[440]Cosmos 3 0400:12 Decayed
[442](Sputnik 15) 24 Apr '62 Kapustin Yor 93.8 389 124 4g? 17 Oct.62
[444]Cosmos 4 1002:56 Recovered
[445](Sputnik 16) 26 Apr '62 Tyuratem 90.6 178 161 65° 29 Apr 62
[446]Cosmos 5 * 0259:49 Decayed
[447](Sputnik 17) 28 May '62 Kopustin Yor 102.75 865 10 49° 2 May '63
[448]Cosmos 6 1600;00 (EST.) Decayed
[449](Sputnik 18) 30 June '62 Kopustin Yor 90.6 194 148 49° 8 Sept '62
[451]Cosmos 7 0918:30 Recovered
[452](Sputnik 19) 28 July *82 Tyuratom 90.1 199 13 65° 1 Aug 62
[454]Cosmos 8 0500:00 (EST.)
[455](Sputnik 22) 18 Aug 62 —-Kopustin Yar 92.93 326 138 49° Decayed
[457]Cosmos 9 * 0940:00 5 Recovered
[458](Sputnik 26) 2 Sept '62 Tyuratam 90.9 191 163 65 1 Oct 62
[459]Cosmos 10 0900:01 (EST.) Recovered
[460](Spitnik 27) 17 Oct '82 Tyuratam 90.2 205 113 65° 21 Oct '62
[462]Cosmos 11 ~~. 0655:00 (EST.) Decayed
[463](Sputnik 28)" 20 Oct *62 Kapustin Yor 96.1 497 132 49° 6 “tore "63
[464]* Cosinos 12 .._* 0924:40 . oe Recovered
[465]‘Tyuratom - 90.45 . 65°". 30 Dec '62
[467]L(Spumik 32) °° ° — 22-Dec '62
[468]CFE 1963
[470]Cosmos 13. | : 08:30:00 , . : Loy ° , Recovered
[471](Sputnik 34) 2} Mar '63 _ Tyuratam 7 ms “ 6458" “29 Mar '63
[472]Cosmos 14: a 1059359 : : : - Decayed
[473](Sputnik 36) 13. Apr 163. Kapustin Yor : ; 49° 57" 29 Aug '63
[474]Cosmos 15 . 0829:58 : Recovered
[475](Sputnik 37) 22 Apr '63 Tyuratam 65° 27 April '63
[476]Cosmas 16° 0850:00 (EST.) Recovered
[477](Sputnik 38)... 28 Apr.363- Tyuratam . - : 65° 01" 5 May '63
[478]Cosmos 17+ 0300:00 (EST.) . . : In orbit, silent
[479](Sputnik 39) ¢ "22 May '63 Kapustin Yor . . 4g9o net " Means
[480]Cosmos 18 ~ 4638307" - “ : oo ". Recovered
[481](Sputnik 40) :-. 24 Moy '63 © -Tyyratam . . - : 65°01" 2 June '63
[482]Cormes 19 + # —0600:00 (EST.) . te : - In orbit,
[483](Sputnik 43) * , . 6 Aug 463 Kapostin Yor . ; “* 49° ~ 1. transmitting
[485]Cosmos:20 oa -  Q929:58 , : . ; Recovered
[486](Sputnik 44) 18 Oct 63° Tyuratam 89. : 6 26 Oct '63
[488]Failure 24 Oct'63 Kapustin Yar
[490]Cosmos 21 0623:39
[491](Sputnik 46) 1 Nov '63
[493]Cosmos 22 1034:25
[494](Sputnik 47) 16 Nov '63
[496]Tyuratam
[498]Recovered
[500]Tyuretam 22 Nov '63
[503]Thailand Prime Minister Sarit, who suffers from
[505]an xpcurable liver disease, is failing, Doctors
[507]attending him, including one of our own, give him
[509]no. more than six months more. Sarit has attempted
[510]to arrange for an orderly succession when he does
[512]go. The chances of this are not good; Thai poli-
[514]ticians and military figures are already Jostling
[516]one another for position.
[518]USSR Cosmos 22, launched a week ago, was recovered
[520]_yesterday. It is the eleventh unmanned satellite to
[522]be recovered. All recoverable satellites have been
[523]launched from Tyuratam, the main Soviet missile test
[524]center, and recovered after three to ten days aloft.
[525]A series of non-recoverable satellites has been
[526]fired from Kapustin Yar.
[528](See Chart)
[530](INTERCEPTS)
[532]For The President Only - Top Secret