THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 29 JULY 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976275
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: July 29, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
ToTPIFrrt4.? 29 July 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
29 JULY 1968
1. Czechoslovakia -
Soviet Union
The meeting of Soviet and Czech
leaders may now be under way. A Czech
domestic broadcast last night announced
the arrival of the presidium at the
Czech village of Cierna, near the Soviet
border, and said that the talks would
take place today.
There has been no sign of give on
the part of either Prague or Moscow.
Dubcek on Saturday assured the nation
that the presidium intended to stand
firm. He noted in particular the mas-
sive expressions of public support that
he had received in recent days. Moscow
has continued its barrage of propaganda
with the apparent aim of convincing
Czech conservatives that intervention
will be necessary if the "democratiza-
tion" process is not reversed.
The Soviets are said
to be determined to force Prague into
retreat despite objections from Western
Communist parties.
Soviet demands will be presented
against a backdrop of heavy military
pressure. Late yesterday the Soviet
military commander in East Germany de-
clared all of East Germany south of
Berlin to the Czech border a temporary
restricted area.
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2. Philippines
Nigeria
4. Mexico
By order of Marcos, the Philip-
pine contingent in Vietnam is to be
drawn down to 1,000 men from its
present strength of 1,800 by mid-
August. Marcos appears to think this
is necessary in order to get Senate
approval of funds for keeping a con-
tingent in the field. Some of the
votes he had previously lined up may
now be turning soft.
The Biafrans have now agreed to
discuss a political settlement with
Nigeria at next week's talks in Addis
Ababa. Ojukwu's worsening military
situation probably was behind his agree-
ment to put the political question first
on the agenda.
Gowon's successes in the field
have made him more and more inclined to
try for a military solution. He would
have to see a considerable amount of
give on the part of the Biafrans before
he would abandon this line.
Communist agitators were behind
Friday night's clash between several
thousand students and police in down-
town Mexico City. Scores were wounded
and many arrested. In a raid on? Commu-
nist Party headquarters, police seized
a big quantity of inflammatory propa-
ganda.
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5, Bolivia
Barrientos on Saturday named a
new cabinet composed almost entirely
of military officers. This gives
him a stronger whip in dealing with
opposition groups that have been stir-
ring up trouble over the Guevara diary
issue. It also should damp down criti-
cism from some segments of the military
over his handling of recent political
difficulties.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
16
29 July 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
29 July 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Nhan Dan on Honolulu: The Honolulu meeting
"marked another gain" for Thieu against "his oppo-
nent" Ky, according to a 27 July Hanoi international
service broadcast in English. The broadcast re-
ported a commentary in the Hanoi daily Nhan Dan
stating that Thieu and Ky are trying to eliminate
each other. The paper asserted that the "Honolulu
farce" helped the South Vietnamese president, but
that he still cannot get rid of Ky because President
Johnson "has not yet decided to kill one of his run-
ning dogs."
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Rail Shipments Through China: Soviet propaganda
continues to exploit the intermittent disruption of
rail transport through China to North Vietnam. The
Soviets are now claiming that cargoes for North Viet-
nam are being delayed in China.
The Soviets have claimed that during June Chi-
nese authorities refused to accept any rail ship-
ments to North Vietnam of arms and ammunition from
either the Soviets or East Europeans for "technical
reasons." Railroad transport has been hindered and
delayed during June and July by factional strife in
Kwangsi Province and by floods. Intercepts have con-
firmed that in mid-June the Chinese were not accept-
ing some type of low-priority rail freight because of
the "extreme confusion" in Kwangsi Province.
NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Hanoi on Antiwar Protests: The North Vietnam-
ese have presented another roundup of Western press
reports on antiwar protest activities in the US.
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A 27 July Hanoi international service broadcast in
English described a 23 July antiwar demonstration
in New York outside the Waldorf-Astoria, where Vice
President Humphrey was speaking. A protest against
the use of toxic chemicals by US troops in Vietnam
voiced by the American Association for the Advance-
ment of Science was also reported. The broadcast
noted that two more US soldiers who had served in
Vietnam sought political asylum in Sweden on 25 July.
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