THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 11 DECEMBER 1967

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974165
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: December 11, 1967

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The President's Daily Brief
TO77?Sec-44L 11 December 1967
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DAILY BRIEF
11 DECEMBER 1967
1. Yemen
2. North Vietnam
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Sana is still surrounded, but the
besieged republicans have evidently won
back some ground. There are signs that
the republicans may be able to hold out
until they can get reinforcements.
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3. Cambodia
4. Communist China
5. Cyprus
Phnom Penh has taken further
measures to improve security in
areas along the South Vietnamese
border which it feels may be threat-
ened by allied military operations.
Peking is faced with new disrup-
tions to the country's railroads. A
recent party directive admits that "bad
elements" trying to ruin rail transport
have caused "great losses." Stealing
from warehouses and freight yards is
said to be widespread.
These troubles are still far be-
low the level of last summer, but resi-
dents of several cities are writing
letters about stoppages in deliveries
of some kinds of food and about tighter
regulations on coal consumption for
winter heating.
The first Greek troops withdrawn
from the island--about 400 men--dis-
embarked last night on the Greek main-
land. There is still no word as to
when further withdrawals will be made.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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11 December 1967
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
11 December 1967
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Comments by Front Spokesmen: Liberation Front
spokesmen are continuing to emphasize the reason-
ableness and acceptability of their new program and
to imply that more than a cessation of the bombing
of the North is necessary to bring about conditions
for ending the war in the South.
Nguyen Van Tien, the Front representative in
Hanoi who is currently in Europe, stated in a 5 De-
cember interview on the French radio that the first
gesture required to bring about favorable conditions
for peace is the cessation of the bombing of the
North. He stressed, however, that US acceptance of
the Front's objectives is necessary before the
fighting in the South can be ended. He defined these
objectives as "the cessation of the aggression
against us, the cessation of the bombing, the with-
drawal of all US and satellite troops from the South,
and recognition of the Front."
Much the same line was adopted by the Front
representative in Prague, Ha Thanh Lam, in a re-
cent interview in the Italian press, only a portion
of which has yet been received. Lam demanded that
the US stop the bombing of the North unconditionally
but insisted that the NFLSV will continue to fight
until the US agrees to withdraw. Both Tien and Lam
side-stepped the question of how such a withdrawal
would be carried out or whether an agreement to
withdraw was sufficient to get negotiations under
way.
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* * *
The Liberation Front Press Office in Paris: The
acting head of the French Foreign Office Far East
Section has informed the US Embassy in Paris that his
government cannot confirm a recent statement by a
Liberation Front spokesman that his organization would
so9n open a press office in the French capital. The
French official claimed that his government had not
been officially approached by the Front on this mat-
ter, although he felt that such a request would be
granted. He pointed out, however, that his govern-
ment was awaiting a firm request by the Front before
taking any final decision on the question.
* * *
Liberation Front on Holiday Truce: The Libera-
tion Front has issued a lengthy statement stressing
the humanitarian nature of its proposal for truce
periods at Christmas, New Year; and Tet, and calling
upon South Vietnamese troops to "force their
superiors" to observe the Front's order for a sus-
pension of military attacks. The statement broad-
cast on 8 December claimed that the South Vietnamese
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Government, "together with their US bosses," are at-
tempting to undermine the Front's initiative for a
suspension of military attacks. It pointed out that
the Thieu-Ky "clique" has been obliged to pretend
to talk about a cease-fire "in order to fool public
opinion and to cope with the Front's good will" but
that it has had to acquiesce to the US view" proving
that it has no right to solve problems dealing with
our people's feelings." The statement ended by
stressing the Communists' resolve not to let the
"enemy" carry out provocative acts or to take ad-
vantage of the suspension of military attacks.
* * *
Dac Son Massacre: The Communists are claiming
that the more than 100 civilians who were murdered
by the Viet Cong near the village of Dac Son in the
South Vietnamese province of Bien Hoa on 5 December
were actually killed by allied forces. A Hanoi
English language broadcast yesterday claimed that
US and "puppet" troops fired "wantonly" at two ham-
lets in the Dac Son area, killing or wounding more
than 100 civilians and burning some 200 houses. The
broadcast noted that this was only the latest in a
series of similar allied "acts of terror."
* * *
Egyptian Casualty: According to press reports,
Cairo has claimed that one of its diplomats in
Hanoi died recently as the result of injuries suf-
fered during a US air raid on Hanoi in October.
The announcement stated that the victim, Gamal
Eldin Omar, charg?f the Egyptian mission, was
hurt as he dashed to a shelter during the raid,
tripped on a flight of stairs, and was fatally in-
jured.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Hanoi on Antidraft Demonstrations: Hanoi on
10 December broadcast in English an article in the
party daily commenting on "the stop-the-draft week"
in the US. The article recounted the recent protest
activities in many US cities and claimed that they
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were a further indication of the "uninterrupted de-
velopment of the American people's movement to con-
demn and oppose the dirty colonialist war now con-
ducted by the US imperialists in Vietnam." The paper
claimed that the US antiwar movement has broadened
in the past few weeks and that it includes almost
all the "social strata in the US." This, the article
points out, makes it clear that the longer the US
war of aggression lasts and the more "obdurate" the
Johnson "clique" becomes, the more the American people
see it their task to "stand up against this aggres-
sion." The article closed by praising the American
people for braving sacrifices and hardships in con-
tinuing their struggle against the rulers of their
country, claiming that the protestors are conscious
that they are protecting the honor of their country
"now stained by the ruling circles."
* * *
More on the Draft Protest: Hanoi on Friday
broadcast a detailed list of protest activities re-
lated to antidraft week that occurred in several
US cities. The demonstration in New York drew par-
ticular attention. The broadcast claimed that
2,000 demonstrators clashed with police during a
protest march and that 200 Americans tried to break
into a hotel where Secretary of State Rusk "was
defending the US war of aggression in Vietnam."
The broadcast went on to report that the four US
sailors who jumped ship in Tokyo were presently in
Moscow on a hunger strike in sympathy with the anti-
draft and antiwar movement at home.
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