THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 29 JANUARY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976589
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 29, 1969

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The President's Daily Brief
29 January 1969
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93478 1-69
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29 January 1969
LATE NOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF OF
28 JANUARY 1969
I. MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
The press reports that another mass spy trial
has begun in Baghdad. We assume the Israelis are
casting about for ways to retaliate, but the govern-
ing consideration for them probably is still the
vulnerability of the Iraqi Jewish community. (AP
247, 28 January 1969)
EUROPE
Knowledgeable sources of the US Embassy in Paris
report that the Concorde supersonic transport is
scheduled to make its maiden flight between 11 and 15
February.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
A Tass report of a "luncheon" for the president
of South Yemen was broadcast at 0524 EST this morning.
Kosygin was listed among the participants. An hour
later the report was transmitted again, but this time
the event was referred to as a "dinner" and. Kosygin's
name was missing from the list of participants.
The Soviet premier has been out of sight for a
month,
(FBIS
13 and 15, 29 January 1969)
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ri.c rneJ1LJEIN 1 ()IN L I
VIETNAM
The Liberation Front has announced that it will
observe a week-long truce during the Tet holiday. The
truce will extend from 15 to 22 February. (UPI 320 Af
28 January 1969)
II, OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
PERU
The Peruvians took over the International
Petroleum Company's offices in Lima yesterday afternoon.
Company officials say that although the company retains
ownership of its distributive outlets, this move
effectively puts it out of business in Peru.
Paradoxically, the Peruvians yesterday also
extended until 4 February the deadline for payment
of the $15 million bill they have levied on the compaly.
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FUR 11-IE PRESIDENI ONLY
MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
There is nothing of significance to report.
EUROPE
Horst Osterheld, a foreign affairs aide in Kiesing-
er's office, has told the embassy in Bonn that he thinks
the idea of transforming the April meeting of NATO into
a summit is a good one. If this is not possible, he won-
ders whether it would be a good idea for Kiesinger to visit
Washington in early March before his meeting on 13 and 14
March with De Gaulle. Osterheld made it plain that the
Chancellor and the President must meet first; only there-
after could such lesser figures as Schroeder and Brandt
see President Nixon.
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FOR "THE PRES1DEN/ ONLY
SOVIET AFFAIRS
The Soviets are working to keep a toehold on the
Arabian Peninsula. They have supported the rulers of
Yemen--regardless of ideology--since 1962, and have been
undeterred by consistent Saudi Arabian hostility in their
attempts to establish contacts there.
During the past week, Moscow has airlifted to South
Yemen--until last year the British Aden colony--some of
the military equipment it had promised last November.
This shipment includes MIG-17 fighters, which will be
assembled by some 52 Soviet technicians. There are no
South Yemenis qualified to fly the MIG-17, so additional
Russian advisers can be expected. South Yemen is torn
by civil war and its future is so uncertain that up to
now the Soviets were reluctant to do more than send t
ken military assistance. The MIGs--the first jet war-
planes in the country--were probably sent as a gesture,
arriving as they did just before the trip to Moscow yes-
terday of South Yemen's president. He is looking for ad-
ditional military and economic aid and will probably re-
ceive both--in amounts far below his requests.
Our Annex today deals with Soviet military pressures
on Rumania and Yugoslavia.
2
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1-VR 11-IE PRES1DEN1 ONLY
VIETNAM
Vice President Ky's conversation with Ambassador Lodge
on 27 January provides a good summary sketch of the way he
would like to see the talks unfold and the kind of political
settlement his government thinks it could live with.
Ky made it clear that the GVN wants the military issues
kept as separate as possible from the political issues, the
latter to be considered only after, there is substantial move-
ment on the former. He apparently hopes that our side can
bargain for the withdrawal of North Vietnamese forces by
offering only military concessions in return. Presumably
the withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam would be the quid
pro quo for North Vietnamese withdrawal. Despite this state-
ment, Ky went on to say he expects Hanoi to insist that the
settlement "take care" of the National Liberation Front.
Ky's view of how to satisfy this Communist demand is
for the government to allow Front personnel to run for elec-
tive office, specifically including seats in the houses of
the National Assembly. He made it clear, however, that the
GVN would not entertain the notion that Communists be allowed
to have any ministries in the government. In this conversa-
tion, he estimated that the Communists might get around 15
or 20 percent of the vote. He clearly implied that he does
not believe the Communists have enough political punch to
threaten, or even seriously embarrass, the Saigon government.
On the contrary, Ky suggested that the GVN would be able to
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
"overwhelm" the Communists once North Vietnamese military
personnel had withdrawn.
Ky's optimistic view of how easily the Communists' po-
litical challenge can be met may actually reflect current
GVN thinking or it may be only his own view.
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Ky, Thieu and company have not yet really 50X1
come to grips with this problem in any detail.
There have been no new clues to Communist intentions
in Paris. More propaganda broadsides are likely in to-
morrow's meeting, especially in reaction to South Vietnam's
initial presentation last Saturday. Although Hanoi undoubt-
edly wants to explore the US position on substantive matters,
the North Vietnamese will do everything possible to avoid
moves which suggest they are in a hurry. As they have in
the past, they probably will wait to take their cue from the
US, and they probably expect the US to take the lead in pro-
posing new private discussions. Le Duc Tho agreed to Ambas-
sador Harriman's suggestion on 14 January that the private
US-DRV dialogue should continue with the new American team
in Paris. The Communists almost certainly believe that only
in private talks will they be able to sound out the policies
of the new US administration, their priority objective at
present.
Military action remained at a normal level yesterday.
There are signs, however, that the enemy intends to launch
a series of attacks in I Corps over the next few days. The
enemy is in a position to hit many allied posts and urban
center's with rocket and mortar attacks, sapper and terrorist
raids, and even with some small scale ground attacks.
4
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OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
BERLIN
Vice President Ky was scheduled to arrive in West Ber-
lin at 3:35 EST this afternoon. At last report, neither
the press nor the student militants had gotten wind of the
fact. The students, however, are already mobilized on other
issues and could zero in on Ky with little or no advance
warning.
COMMUNIST CHINA
TASS reporting from Peking shows that there has been
a recent increase in the wall slogan and poster campaign
there. One slogan is quoted as calling for the "overthrow
of all who are opposing Chairman Mao." This adds to signs
that the political struggle in the Peking leadership may
be intensifying.
There is also some indication that the military estab-
lishment is becoming more deeply embroiled in the political
struggle but in a way that is not yet clear./
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