THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 JULY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976257
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: July 18, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
--T5T-S-ec-r-a. 18 July 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
18 JULY 1968
1. Czechoslovakia
2. Turkey
3, Iraq
The split among European Commu-
nists over Czechoslovakia ?is sharper
than ever. The French Communist Party,
badly shaken over the prospect of heav-
ier. Soviet intervention, is now calling
for .a European Communist conference to
take up the Czech problem. Several par-
ties have already responded favorably.
There are reports that.Tito will
arrive in Prague today to give his sup-
port to Dubcek. Rumania's Ceausescu
may arrive at about the same time.
The letter sent to .the Czechs. by
the participants ofthe Soviet-sponsored
meeting in Warsaw has. now been published.
It demands that the Czechs get their
party,laack into orthodox line,"but there
is still no mention of what action will
be taken if this is not done.
The meeting of the Soviet central
committee yesterday was evidently called
essentially to endorse the Warsaw letter.
At last count, two US sailors had
been hospitalized and 17 others treated
for superficial injuries ?.a. result of
the anti-American riot in Istanbul yes-
terday. Not all of the sailors have
been accounted for yet, however, The
Turkish police and military bungled the
job of controlling the mob.
The right-wing Baathist group
which took over in Baghdad yesterday
seems to be well in control. The capi-
tal is apparently calm, and the curfew
imposed during the coup was scheduled
to be lifted during daylight hours to-
day.
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4.
South Vietnam
Thieu's position on the question
of negotiating with the Liberation Front
has evolved a bit further.
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He now says that Saigon
might initiate the contacts, although
he is inclined to think the first moves
5. Nigeria
will be made by the Front or by Hanoi
after they have taken further military
punishment. He says his government has
? already begun quiet efforts to condition
"opinion makers" in Saigon to the idea
of direct contacts with the Front.
Thieu clearly thinks the Communists
will be the suppliants in any negotia-
tions, and he believes his government
will be in a position to accept or re-
ject proposals made by the other side.
Thieu insists--as he did in June--
that any contacts must be secret. He
also makes it clear--as he did not do
in June--that he is absolutely opposed
to the idea of a coalition with the
Front.
Direct political contacts between
the two sides in the civil war are again
in the offing.
The Biafrans have accepted an in-
vitation to attend special meetings on
Nigeria sponsored by the Organization
of African Unity. A high-level federal
Nigerian delegation is already attend-
ing the sessions being held next door in
Niger.
The meetings are aimed essentially
at finding a face-saving cease-fire for-
mula, but we don't rate the chances of
this as high.
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6. France
.Ambassador Shriver-made his ini-
tial call on Foreign Minister Debre on
Monday. The meeting was largely a mon-
ologue by the Frenchman. These are
his main points':
--As a result of President John-
son's historic decision of 31 March,
the US has taken the first ?steps to-
ward solving the Vietnam problem. This
has deeply impressed De Gaulle: "The
General feels old age coming on him and
wants to see these great outstanding
questions settled while he is still ac-
tive."
--De Gaulle is.firmly convinced
that a profound reform of the interna-
tional monetary system, a change in .the
privileged position of the dollar, and
a change in the value of gold are indis-
pensable.
--The General is also convinced
that .US congressmen and other prominent
Americans are inclined to look too
.closely into French domestic affairs
and make misjudgments. France is ac-
cused of nationalism and of blocking
the formation of European institutions.
Gaullism, however, is not nationalism
in the Napoleonic sense, but patriotism
which De Gaulle has rekindled in the
French people.
Debre personally impressed Shriver
as a most unlikely occupant of the top
job in anybody's foreign ministry. "His
candor is refreshing, and he is articu-
late and forceful, but.he looks, talks
and acts like a doctrinaire zealot--a
political infighter rather than an ef-
fective spokesman of France."
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7, Cambodia
8. Soviet Union -
Communist China
The Cambodian navy's seizure yes-
terday of a US landing craft with ten US
servicemen followed a number of serious
border incidents. Sihanouk holds the
US responsible for Cambodian casualties
incurred during these incidents and
only yesterday sent a sharply worded
protest to U Thant requesting his in-
tervention with Washington. Sihanouk
has also threatened to bring to trial
US personnel caught violating Cambodian
territory.
Under these circumstances, Sihanouk
will almost certainly feel himself com-
pelled to win some kind of face-saving
gesture from the US before he releases
the servicemen. He will probably also
use the incident to drive home the fact
that the US is the only large nation that
has ?refused formally to "recognize" Cam-
bodia's borders.
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Top Secret
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-3. -I- ?
Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
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16
18 July 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
18 July 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
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Shipping to North Vietnam: Cargo deliveries to
North Vietnam by foreign?flag ships showed a 26 per?
cent increase in the first half of 1968 over the same
period last year.
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing significant to report today.
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