THE SITUATION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA (AS OF 10:00 A.M. EDT)

Created: 5/10/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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INTELLIGENCE AOKNCY Directorate of Intelligence8

FOR RELEASE date:2

MEMORANDUM

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probably Soviet, in East Germany in the Csechoslovak border ares.

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southernermany, Erich Honecker, number two nan in the East Geraen party, Indicated that troop movements havo been taking place In that area.

3. Tho numbor of troops Involved, however, is possibly ill,

bo populace has oot yot noticed the movements. More-

over, no toaporary reetrlcted areae, usually set up to screon largo-ecale maneuvers or troop movements have been lmposod.

4. Honecker ordered several district first secretarloe to send people to Czechoslovakia to advise Czechoslovak Connuniet party members of tho East German party'a support for thea, and to point out the rtantrerstn presentYia

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developments. Honecker reportedly stated that one must want to boo when tho Czechoslovak Co an unlet party is going toatrugglo to put down theforces" in tho CSSR. Honeckor'a latter remarks aro similar to those oxpreesod in tho Polish party's main dally, Trybuna Ludu,ay.

Prague the Czechoslovaks aro continuing tothree day holiday and there were no observablepublic panic or alarm. No unusual military activity

has boon detected in Czechoslovakia.

has as yot aaldord about theroporte that some of Its forces have boonCzechoslovakia, nsmatter howmay coraothe Sovlota Intend thorumors to havo their effect in Prague. In the light

of these developments, thero seems little doubt that the mooting in Moscow on Wednesday between tho Soviet, Polish. East German, Hungarian and Bulgarian Isadora was the elgnal for the launching of thle war of nerves against the The propaganda play during the last couple of days suggests, howover, that the Hungarianoand perhaps tho Bulgarians were lens willing to lend theaaelvoe toactic than the othere.

behavior so far seams more consistent with

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sychological warfare plan than with an Intention to novo Soviet forcea onto Czechoslovakia territory. If thie latter wore Intonded, w* would have oxpocted Sovlotto haveising note.of alarm or to have begun toarsaw Pact cover for intervention.

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he French government clearly ia not treating tho situation ae critical whllo Bonn aa of lato last night wan etlll analysing the situation.

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Original document.

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