Moscow Talks regarding Occupation and Fatalitie

White House Administrative Office (U.S.)

English

Texas ScholarWorks

_::SECRET : 00 'JTE 15 DE 1.IJTE 10 3 73A EEA267 00 WTE 10 DE WTE 3386 FROM WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM TO THE PRESIDEtH INFO GEORGE CHRISTIA~ CITE CA P82128 S~ C RET ~~lHVED WASHI?«ITON COMMCENTER ~:38 A.M. 25 AU UST 1968 R~EIVED LBJ RANCH CCl1MCENTER 7:35 A.M. CDT 25 A GUST 1968 RELAYED AUSTIN CCJllMCENTER 7:37 A.M. CDT 25 AUGUST 1968 I>ECLASSIFilTI E.0. 12356. Sec. 3.4 NL) CjP - /ks~ Rv ~ NARA. Date d ~~-50 SUBJECT : STATE DEPARTMENT ' S SITUATION REPORT ON CZECHOSLOVAKIA FOR AUGUST ?5 , 1968 MOSCOJ TALKS: TALKS BETWEEN THE SOVIET LEADERS AND THE CZECH DELEGATION LED BY CZECH PRESIDENT SVOBODA HAVE E~TERED THEIR THIRD DAY WITH UNCERTAIN PROSPECTS . DUBCEK , CERt' IK , A D SMR.KOV SKY ~'ERE TO PART IC I PATE TOD Y, ACCORD I 'G TO THE CLANDEbTINE RADIO CZECHOSLOVAKIA; DUBCEK IS ALSO SAID TO HAVE STATED DURING o PHONE CALL FROM MOSCOW YESTERDAY , THAT HE ',vOULD RETURN HOME TODAY. YESTERDAY , ACCORDING TO PRESS ACCOUNT , THE CZECHS SECURED SOVIET AGREEMENT TO RESTORE PO,ER TO THE CZECH LEADERSHIP , POSSIBLY INCLUDING DUBCEK. RADIO CZECHOSLOVAKIA REPORTS, HOwEVER, THAT THE SOVIETS ASKED TO STkTION ABOUT 500, 000 TROOPS INDEFINITELY IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA; SVOBODA REFUSED . CO~FERENCE OF THE FIVE?: ACCORDING TO T~O REPORTS , LEADERS OF THE FIVE '•'ILL ASSEM8LE TODAY IN 110SCOW . A SOVIET SPOKES~A~ TOLD REUTERS HE HAD NO INFORMATIO~ ON THE SU8JECT . CZECHOSLOVAK SOLIDARITY : THE SLOVAK CENTRAL COMMITTEE YESTERDAY EX PRESSED FULL SUPPORT FOR THE CZECH GOVERNMENT <PRESUMABLY THE i AT 101 AL ASSEMoL Y) , JHICH WAS ALSO CONTACTED FOR THE FIRST TIME bY THE OCCUPATIOr COMMANDER IN PRAGUE --ACCORDI~G TO CONTI~UING CLANDESTINE 3ROADCASTS . THE LATTER HAVE oEE 1 SUPPLEMEt'-TED 0Y DISPATCHES FROM A UNDERGROUND CTK ~IRE SERVICE . It ADDITION , A RUSSIAtJ - LANGUAGE "RADIO SVOBODA" <RADIO FREEDOM) wAS REPORTEDLY HEARD LRIEFLY EARLY TODAY BY vJESTER! LISTENERS I~ ,10scow , CUTTING INTO A BBC ROAD CAST. THE OCCUPATIO': RADIO PRAGUE REPORTS FATALITIES OCCURRED LAST NIGHT IN PRAGUE 1JJHE1~ OCCUPYING TROOPS FIRED ON VEHICLES F'ROu 10 : 00 PM ON , APPARENTLY BEL I EVI NG THE Y WERE DELIVERHvG ARMS . SEPARATE STATEMENTS OF THE CZECH GOVERNMENT AND PARTY PRESIDIU:,., , CARRIED OVER THE FREE t\AJIO , DE.NY THAT THEY ·ERF . THE GOVER!,MENT MESSAi.:iE ALSO PROTLSTS AGAINST OVERNIGHT SEARCHES Of GOVERNi~ENT BUILDINGS tiY OCCLIPYING FORCES; THE PRESIDIUM STATEMENT URGES CAUTION ON BOTH THE CITIZENRY A1 1D THE OCCUPIERS , lfr{Q ARE REPOR1£DLY PLAN! ING TO EXHIBIT ARMS THEY HAVE SEIZED . OTHER CLA DESTINE BROADCASTS STATE 1HAT LA~T NIGHf ABOUT 180 TA KS MOVED FROM ~LOVAKIA TO MORAVIA , AR~O D FORCES IN ~RATI LAVA ~ERE INCREASED AND • ORE TROOPS ARRIVED I1J PnAGUE -- APPA ENTLY BY ;HRLIFT. THE REPORTED PRAGUE ARRIVALS , HOWEV H, MAY BE REPLACEMENTS FOR THOOPS SAID ro BE D[~ORALIZED . SOV I ET COMM T fOUGH : PRAVA A' S EDITORIAL TODAY CLAIMS THAT " COUNTERREVOL JTIONARIES , EGGED ON BY THE IlPERIALIST WEST , ARE BE COM I NG MORE ARROGANT" , PER PET RAT ING " DIRE CT SUBVERS I ON At D ACTS OF TERROR ISM." REFER NCES TO THE IMPORT fl'' Ci OF I NDOCTK I NAT I 01 0 1' SOVIET SOLDIERS AND TO A " fENSE" IDEOLOG !CAL SfRUGGL E SUGGEST THAT THE LATTER MAY BE UNDER SU0STANT I AL ST RA I N. YESTERDA Y MOSCOW DOMEST I C RADIO TOLD ITS LISTENERS THAT FOU SO VIEf SOLDH.KS HAD BEE1J KI LLED IN PRAGUE. GDR REACTIO : ACCO. DI TO RAD I O CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND AFP RE POR T FR OM RETURN ! G TRA VELERS, THERE HA VE BEEN PRO- DUBCEK DE 10NSTRA T IONS I N EAST GERMAN Y. DIG 25 1138Z AUG 68 

State Department Situation Report on Czechoslovakia

https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/2152/37584/1/box182_folder01_doc039_lbjdoc0032.pdf

State Department Situation Report on Czechoslovakia

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Texas ScholarWorks