THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 20 APRIL 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005974391
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: April 20, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
'up Secret 20 April 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
20 APRIL 1968
1. Vietnam
2. South Korea
3. Soviet Union
Signs are increasing that the Com-
munists are using the current military
lull to prepare for a new round of of-
fensive actions. One
source says that the aim
of a planned new "general offensive
against the towns and cities" will be
to enhance the Communist bargaining po-
sition during expected peace talks.
Another forecasts a "second general at-
tack" if US - North Vietnamese talks
are "not successful."
Leading Seoul newspapers are en-
thusiastically hailing the Honolulu
communiqu?s a reaffirmation of US
commitments in Asia.
Kosygin will stop briefly in India
tomorrow on his way home from his three-
day visit to Pakistan. The surprise
Indian announcement this morning says
only that the Soviet leader will dis-
cuss the Vietnam situation with Mrs.
Gandhi. This looks like a move to line
up New Delhi behind Moscow's campaign
to pressure the US into prompt talks
with Hanoi.
Kosygin will doubtless also want
to reassure Mrs. Gandhi that his foray
into Pakistan in no way diminishes So-
viet support for India.
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4. West Germany
5. Czechoslovakia
The authorities expect a new round
of student demonstrations this weekend
in West Berlin and perhaps in various
West German cities. They are sticking
to their firm stand and are confident
that local police forces will be able
to cope.
Prague is now publicly airing its
complaints about the ineffectiveness
of Eastern Europe's Council for Mutual
Economic Assistance. In a published
interview on Wednesday, the foreign
trade minister bluntly declared that
CEMA's results have been minimal and
that he is not optimistic about its fu-
ture. He went on to plug for more in-
dependence for Czechoslovakia in inter-
national economic relations and greater
participation in the "world economy."
Most other members are unhappy with
CEMA, though they continue to stay in
line with Moscow's standard position
that Communist economic relationships
,should develop Within the CEMA framework.
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6. Common Market The Dutch, concerned about the con-
tinuing impasse over British membership
in the Community, are thinking abOut
? proposing a bilateral treaty with Brit-
ain. The objective would be to stimu-
late the other members, particularly
? the Italians, to act against the hammer..
lock which the French have on the Com-
munity's future development.
The Dutch risk being accused of
setting the stage for a new crisis in
the Community, but they feel strongly
that prolongation of the present stale-
mate is really the greatest danger
facing European unity.
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7. Haiti
The streets of the capital have
been almost deserted at night for the
past week. The reason: rumors that
roving gangs are ?picking up unwary pe-
destrians(
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
is
20 April 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
20 April 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Hanoi Reaction to Rusk Offer: Hanoi promptly
rejected the US offer of ten new sites for prelimin-
ary talks. The authoritative Foreign Ministry
statement yesterday repeated the demand that the US
choose Phnom Penh or Warsaw. In addition, the state-
ment charged that the US had added new conditions to
its terms for preliminary contacts. Hanoi took par-
ticular exception to an alleged US stipulation that
the site of the initial talks be one that permitted
attendance by representatives from Saigon. The
North Vietnamese asserted that originally only the
US and North Vietnam had to have representation in
the city selected. Hanoi insisted that the US stop
delaying on the issue of a site. It repeated an
earlier implied threat to forgo the proposed con-
tacts. All Hanoi commentary on 19 April focused on
this issue.
* * *
The North Vietnamese Line Abroad: North Viet-
namese representatives abroad also continue to indi-
cate that Hanoi is sticking on Warsaw or Phnom Penh
as a site for preliminary talks.2
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* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report.
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