THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 20 MAY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976783
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 20, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A007100160001-1
The President's Daily Brief
20 May 1969
19
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FOI? THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MAJOR PROBLEMS
VIETNAM
Enemy-initiated activity was generally light over the
past 24 hours, but Communist forges in many parts of the coun-
try continue to prepare for attacks. Although there are no
significant new indications bearing on the timing of the en-
emy's next offensive phase, the possibility of another flare-
up like the one on 12-13 May remains high.
EUROPE
German tongues are loosening up as elections come closer
and the difficulty of living together until that date begins
to tell on the grand coalition.
Charge Fessenden talked separately last week with Helmut
Schmidt, SPD leader in the Bundestag, and his CDU counterpart,
Rainer BarzeI. Barzel commented inter alia that coalition re-
lations had been Strained both by the bitter debate on revalua-
tion and over the attitude Bonn should take toward Cambodia's
recognition of East Germany. From his talk with Schmidt, Fes-
senden gained the impression that indeed the coalition had been
strained primarily because the SPD does not feel the CDU sub-
stitute measures for revaluation will be effective. Schmidt
felt, however., that the issue would not cause a ,crisis be-
tween the coalition partners.
On the subject of European integration, Schmidt expressed
the opinion that the two patties are onthe same "basic wave
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
length" and De Gaulle's departure makes it'less.of an elec-
tion campaign issue. Barzel agreed that integration should
not play a part in the campaign, but he expressed the fear
that Brandt might take an initiative,designed-to inject it
into the election. Both men continue to favor UK entry into
the Common Market but neither expects it to happen quickly
or easily.
Despite these strains in the coalition, the member par-
ties will probably hang together until the elections, even
though the government will be able to accomplish little of
significance.
MIDDLE EAST
There is nothing significant to report.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
II, OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
TURKEY
The military is exerting strong pressure to prevent pas-
sage today of a constitutional amendment restoring full po-
litical
ago.
rights to those ousted by the military coup nine years
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The beneficiaries of the amendment would be the faction
led by former President Bayar in Prime Minister Demirel's
Justice Party. (Bayar and his associates, while now permitted
to belong to a political party, are still proscribed from run-
ning for office.) Demirel had been dragging his feet on in-
troducing the bill, advocated not unnaturally by the Bayar
faction, until opposition leader Inonu forced his hand by
coming out for it ten days ago.
The odds are that the military's muscle flexing will be
enough to persuade the Senate either to shelve the bill or
defeat it. The military would probably much prefer to remain
in the background, serving as the final arbiter on crucial
decisions, but allowing the 'Demirel civilian government to.
continue doing most of the country's official business.
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100160001-1