area north of Vientiane on Route 13, They hope to gain control of that town and its small airfield, d. We have been anticipating an expansion of the fighting with the recent advent of the dry.season. 3. Cambodia a. Sihanouk knows his actions against us have increased his vul- nerability to the Communist bloc, and he is looking to the French to bail \ him out, - b. He has intimated that aid from France would be most welcome, and he has asked that French advisors stay on. ec. He apparently hopes that the availability of French aid will enable him to keep his balance with the Communists and fend off their pressure, d. The French have told our Embassy in Paris that plans are afoot for French Defense Minister Messmer to go to Cambodia in January. (Cont'd) For The President Only - Top Secret HY 50955 DBocld: 322705073 Page 6
SUDAN Khartoum ETHIOPIA * Addis Ababa HW 50955 DBocla: 32205073 Page #
e. Sihanouk's actions toward the US have not been universally popular. This is particularly true among government officials, the bus- iness community (who have reason to fear stepped-up nationalization), and the military, where the US re- tains a considerable reservoir of goodwill. f. Indications are that Si- hanouk will try to win fuller sup- port by creating new feuds with neighboring South Vietnam and Thai- land. This is a gambit he has used to advantage in past difficulties. 4, Yemen~Egypt a. A number of Yemeni leaders have told us they want the Egyptians to get out of the Yemen, They want to be left alone to solve their own problems, b. This is especially true of those Sheikhs with large tribal followings. c. A general uprising against the Egyptians is not likely at the moment, but the longer they remain.,- the greater the possibility of major pro-government tribes deserting to the royalists. (Cont'd) For The President Only - Top Secret HW 50955 DBocld: 322705073 Page 6
d. Nasir, with some 30,000 troops in the Yemen, has grudgingly promised to pull out 5,000 before the end of the year. So far there has been no sign he is preparing to do so. e. So far as we can tell, Faysal has. kept to his promise not to supply the Royalists before the latest extension of the UN observa- tion mission runs out on 4 January. f. But he has made plain his intention to resume supplying them thereafter, There has been a sub- stantial build up of Saudi supply points north of the border. 5. Italy a. The Christian Democrats and Socialists have finally reached an! agreement on cabinet assignments and a program for a "centerleft" coalition government, b. Negotiations were especially tough, but apparently President Kennedy's death acted as a catalyst, to bring the two together. “s (Cont'd) For The President Only - Top Secret WY 50955 Doclad: 32705073 Page i0
HW 450955 A. NOTES India-USSR The Indian military attache in Moscow feels that the Russians are dragging their feet in the matter of military assistance for India, Mean- while, we have a report (not yet confirmed) from New Delhi that Defense Minister Chavan has decided to look to us hereafter for fighter aircraft, USSR Our Embassy in Moscow has gotten word of strikes recently at Ryazan, near Moscow, and in Leningrad. The cause of the Ryazan incident is not clear, but bread shortages apparently were behind the Leningrad strikes. Similar disturbances were reported last month from several points in southern Russia, For The President Only - Top Secret Docld: 32205073 Page il
c. We do not yet have any in- formation on how differences in key issues such as MLF were worked out. d. With Moro premier, Nenni- will probably become vice-premier. Saragat, who is pro-US and pro-NATO, is most likely to be named Foreign Minister, For The President Only - Top Secret HY 50955 DBocld: 32205073 Page i2