CENTRAL INTS-LlGENCE AGENCY
LBJ LIBRARY Mandatory Revirw
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
Moscow, by its protestuSuS* alleging that US aircraftoviet merchant ship in Haiphong harbor,rowing uncertainty and apprehension concerning1 US policy. Its protest is carefully worded,hat ft does not imply that theeliberate, and the note itself does not appear tohange in Moscow's present policy of limiting Some* risks in the conflict.
On the contrary, recent signs of Soviettoward the US seen to underscore Moscow's desire to continue to deal with the US on practical questions of interest and importance despite the strains of Vietnam. This attitude* was evident in Premier Kosygin's address to the Supreme Soviet on the day following the "strafing" incident.
Kosygin biased the US for the strain In Soviet-American relations, but said the Soviet government did "not believe that Sov.et-Ajieri.caii relations cannot bo different from what they are now.1* He stated that"aggressive moods obviously predominate Inat the presente knew* that there are other, sounder tendencies there, too. The strengthening of those tendencies will be received with due understanding on our part." Tho Soviet premier pointed out that despite the "exceedingly tense" international situation caused by the war, measures suchonpr-oliferation treaty could still be dealt with.
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In recent days, the USSRdemonstrated its desire to make progress on other mutters. The US Embassy in Moscow noted the cooperative spiritby the Soviets toward the US in discussions which ended onuly concerning the conservation and use of fishery resources. Much the same spiriteneral lack of aolcnics was evident on the part of the Soviets in the outer space -treaty negotiations in Geneva.
On Vietnam, the Soviets have been attempting recently to persuade third parties to urge restraint on the US. Soviet ambassadors have made demarches to Free World countriesweden and Denmark) warning of the gravity of the situation. The intensely emotional position that Brezhnev took on the subject during UN Secretaryisit to Moscow also may have been calculatedreate pressure on the US from other quarters to ease military pressure on Hanoi. These tactics reveal not only Moscow's concern over US policy in Vietna*, ontinuing frustration over its inability thus fer to influence the course of events there.
The Soviet note charges that US aircraft "strafed the moorings of Haiphong part"ugust and "in this connection, large caliber bullets" hit the Soviet vessel Medyn, endangering the lives of the crew. Although thisarge-hatch dry cargo vessel carrying POL in drums, is known to have been in Haiphong harbor at the time of the US air strike against the Haiphong POL storage site, its exact position cannot he established. Nor can it be established that the vessel actually was hit by US ordnance. Pilots of the strike aircraft reported all bombs were dropped in the target area and that no foreign-shipping was involved. Strike aircraft were armed with guns, but did not use them. Flak-suppression aircraft which accompanied tho strike aircraft were not armed with guns or other ordnance which would fit the description of "large caliber bullets."
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