THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 FEBRUARY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974283
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: February 17, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
?'1"9-sreig4_17 February 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
17 FEBRUARY 1968
1. South Vietnam
2. Communist China
3. Soviet Union
Enemy tanks were sighted some five
miles north of Con Thien yesterday. This
is the first time tanks have been seen
in this sector. Air strikes and artil-
lery fire were ordered up, but the re-
sults are not yet known.
The Khe Sanh area has been quiet
overnight except for occasional mortar
fire.
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4. Soviet Union
5. Korea
6. Communist China
Ambassador Thompson is not at all
optimistic that Moscow will allow any
of its major newspapers or magazines to
publish an interview with President
Johnson to reciprocate for the recent
Kosygin interview in Life.
Press reaction in Seoul to the
Vance mission has largely focused on
the US refusal to agree on specific
measures to cope with future North Ko-
rean provocations. A spokesman for the
government party has called the commu-
niqu?nadequate and said that South
Korea must rely on its own "independent"
defense system. The opposition party
has dismissed the communiqu?s meaning-
less.
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7. Pakistan
8. West Berlin
The sponsors of the anti-Vietnam
"congress" in Berlin on Sunday seem de-
termined to have a fight. They are
telling the participants to wear pro-
tective hats and coats and to use flag-
staffs and placard poles as weapons
against the police. The amount of vio-
lence could well exceed earlier predic-
tions.
The principal target is the US
headquarters complex. Although more
than 5,000 demonstrators may turn out,
US officials believe that the police
should be able to keep the full weight
of the demonstrators from reaching the
headquarters area.
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9. West Germany
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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17 February 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
17 February 1968
I. .NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Propaganda Roundup: A series of recent communi-
qu?from several of the Viet Cong regional commands
reviewing the military, situation since the Tet of-
fensive have indicated that the "victories" achieved
in the past two,weeks have only:laid the groundwork
for a more intensive' period of fighting ahead.
Separate broadcasts carrying communiques frbth
the Communist commands in the highlands and in the
delta detailed the-Victories recorded in the offen-
sive and claimed that they produced "favorable ci5n
ditions" for the advance toward "still greater vic-
tories." An editorial in the Hanoi party daily; broad-
cast on 16 February, employed the same theme. It
claimed that the recent fighting had "smashed the
enemy's grip on the countryside and loosed allied
control in the urban areas." These successes, it
claimed, have tipped the balance of forces in favor
of the Communists and treated favorable conditions
for their "advancing toward total victory."
While promising new and greater victories, cur-
rent Communist propaganda is also pointing out that
such successes will be costly. On 14 February, the
Liberation Radio, in analyzing the "successful strug-
gle" in Saigon, pointed out that "no fierce diffictil
ties, hardships, or sacrifices" can slacken the
"surging thrust" of the people of the capital city.
Other statements, employing the well-worn Communist
theme--the greater its defeat the more fiercely the
US will struggle--have':warned of increased difficul,-
ties but have guaranteed that perseverance in ditty
will reap vittory.
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Release of US Fliers: In its announcement of
the release of the three US pilots which was broad-
cast yesterday, Hanoi specifically pointed out that
the men .had been freed through the auspices of the
Vietnam Peace Committee, and not of any government
or international organization. A release through
government or international channels might have im-
plied that the fliers had prisoner.of war status un-
der international agreement and were not "war
criminals" as Hanoi contends.
The announcement also quoted the secretary of
the peace committee as claiming that the release of
the three men was a demonstration of North Vietnam's
"lenient" and humanitarian policy. He asked the two
US peace workers to tell their associates in the US
that the work of the antiwar movement is greatly ap-
preciated by the North Vietnamese people.
One of the Americans was quoted by Hanoi radio
as saying his "basic needs" had been provided for
during detention. He said he was happy to be going
home and expressed gratitude for North Vietnam's
"lenient policy."
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Nothing significant to report at this time.
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