THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 APRIL 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976738
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 23, 1969

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The President's Daily Brief
23 April 1969
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32
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24 April 1969
LATE NOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF OF
23 APRIL 1969
I, MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
In Beirut troops are still patrolling city streets and
guarding key buildings including American University. The
state of national emergency declared yesterday is to last un-
til 27 April. In a clash between armed Palestinian refugees
and security forces near Sidon yesterday, three refugees were
killed and some 30 wounded. In a subsequent clash in Beirut,
three more demonstrators were killed and 25 people wounded.
There was another incident at Barr Illyas, to the east of
Beirut near the Syrian border.
The disturbances have been triggered by the government's
attempts to bring the fedayeen under better. control. (Cen-
tral Intelligence Bulletin, 24 Apr.)
In a lengthy conversation yesterday with Bergus, the
senior US diplomatic representative in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign
Minister Riad claimed the military were deeply concerned over
the possibility of an imminent Israeli attack on Port Said.
The Egyptian military also insist, according to Riad, that Is-
rael is making extensive use of "rockets." The foreign minis-
ter described these as weapons having a range of between 5
and 15 kilometers--not "pinpoint weapons" but "area weapons"
to supplement artillery.
EUROPE
Manac'h, the new French ambassador to Peking, says he
found De Gaulle in a somber mood during his farewell call on
the General Tuesday. When Manac'h asked De Gaulle about the
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referendum, De Gaulle replied that this might be their last
meeting in Elysee. He said if the referendum results were not
what he wanted, he would resign "immediately."
? On the same day, veteran politician Guy Mollet told
Manac'h that he was "absolutely sure" that the "no" vote
would win Sunday.
De Gaulle will take small comfort from the latest results
of Le Figaro's poll, which today for the first time has 53%
of those who have made up their minds voting against the gov-
ernment's reform proposals. About one-third of those polled
are-still undecided, however.
UPI 024A)
There is nothing significant to report in any other areas.
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MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
The Israelis have once again accumulated a sizable
backlog of scores to settle with the Egyptians. They al-
ways carefully calibrate their moves to balance the account,
but it is difficult to predict the lengths to which their
retaliation will go this time. The current state of af-
fairs along the Suez Canal, however, is reminiscent of the
situation last fall when the Israelis finally made a heli-
copter raid deep into Egypt.
VIETNAM
There is further evidence that Hanoi is prepared to
wait out some new US effort to break the current impasse in
Paris. Ha Van Lau told the French on 18 April that he knew
of no plans for Le Duc Tho to return soon and discounted
the idea that the North Vietnamese Politburo member would
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come back with new instructions designed to get the ball
rolling. Lau's line was that Tho would return only after
our side. had opened a way to progress in the talks.
Soviet Ambassador Zorin gave even clearer evidence of
Hanoi's current waiting game in a talk with Ambassador Lodge
on 21 April. He said that Moscow was not going to act as
a go-between unless the US came up with "something new."
He claimed again that the Vietnamese Communists were ready
to move into "serious" talks, but only if the process
started with new steps from the US side. Zorin bluntly
asserted that if we did not take the first steps ourselves,
"there is no way out."
Zorin refused to say what Hanoi might do if the US
withdrew some troops. He continued to insist that we must
do "something" if we wanted progress, but he did not specify
what. In the past he has suggested everything from unilat-
eral troop withdrawal to pressuring Saigon to "reform" it-
self.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
Press reports that the Soviets may have canceled all
or part of the military phases of the Moscow May Day parade
could be correct. Western attaches report that the military
equipment assembled at Moscow's Central Airport for the pa-
rade has not been seen since the night of 8-9 April. The
equipment--including missiles, tanks, and artillery--had
arrived on 3 April. Night rehearsals for the parade should
2
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have begun in Red Square this week, but so far only dis-
mounted marching elements have been seen.
One possible explanation for what may be a sharp break
with tradition could be Moscow's wish to play down the mili-
tary segment of the parade as a way of promoting a peaceful
image. The seeming change of signals between 3 and 9 April
suggests that the reason for the switch in plans--if indeed
there has been one--may lie in some fairly fast breaking de-
velopment.
EUROPE
There is nothing significant to report.
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IL OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
NIGERIA
The federal government is claiming the capture of
Ojukwu's capital at Umuahia. We have no confirmation yet.
If the claim proves accurate, this would be less than a de-
cisive point in the civil war. Ojukwu had already moved
his capital elsewhere. Biafran forces are intact, and
the arms supply airfields are still functioning. Arms are
pouring into Biafra at a very high rate, in fact.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the federal side is
gaining in its war of attrition. Even Ojukwu's backers in
Paris seem to think the Biafrans will be overrun in the
next few months, although they (and we) believe Ojukwu's
Ibo tribesmen will then revert to guerrilla warfare.
KOREA
Examination of the full text of Pyongyang's first of-
ficial statement on the EC-121 incident shows a generally
cautious and defensive stance. The North Koreans clearly
have been playing for time in which to assess US inten-
tions. The defensive tone of the statement suggests that
North Korean leaders are well aware of their weak interna-
tional position and are fully conscious of the hazards in
any further military provocations on their part.
The North Koreans make an attempt to link the EC-121
with the Pueblo affair, but the weakness of their case is
evident in their failure to cite a precise location for the
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alleged intrusion of the US plane. The omission of details
contrasts with the elaborate attempt to "document" the Pueblo's
violation of North Korean waters.
In an obvious attempt to play on foreign uneasiness
regarding US intentions, the statement claims there is no
"guarantee" that US flights "will not intrude again." The
statement further seeks to cast doubt on US intentions by
warning that the US will exploit any North Korean defensive
reaction as a pretext to "commit full-scale attack" which
may lead to another "total war" in Korea.
The general posture and deployment of North Korean
forces and air defense units is consistent with a decision
to lie low for the time being.
Seoul appears to be trying to keep in step with the US.
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