THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 JUNE 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976841
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 23, 1969

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The President's Daily Brief
23 June 1969
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
EUROPE
The new French cabinet reflects a compromise between or-
thodox Gaullism and Pompidou's desire for greater flexibility
in foreign policy. By unexpectedly naming Maurice Schumann
as foreign minister Pompidou served notice to orthodox Gaul-
lists.that he intends to chart his own course in foreign af-
fairs, especially in the realm of European cooperation. The
new foreign minister,
Democratic party, has
cause
a former member of France's Christian
been identified over the years with the
of European unity.
adapt personal ideals to
He has, however, been willing to
circumstances by participating in a
number of Gaullist cabinets. Schumann in any case is likely
to have little independent power.
Pompidou had been under strong pressure from orthodox
Gaullists to retain Michel Debre as foreign minister. By
naming Debre minister of state for national defense, a newly
created post, Pompidou has avoided an early clash with the
Gaullist party. In his new position, Debre will be formally
the highest ranking minister below Prime Minister Jacques
Chaban-Delmas.
Pompidou made good on campaign promises by naming cen-
trists Jacques Duhamel and Rene Pleven to important posts.
Both men broke ranks with their party by backing Pompidou in
his campaign. Valery Giscard d'Estaing, leader of the Gaul-
list-allied Independent Republicans, was named finance minis-
ter. Leo Hamon, a left-wing Gaullist, was also brought into
the cabinet.
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Parliament will meet next week for a short session, and
Pompidou has promised to have the prime minister outline the
general lines of his policy to the Assembly before it adjourns
until October. Unlike the situation under the Fourth Republic,
the new cabinet need not win a vote of confidence.
Two leaders of the CDU/CSU have recently given US offi-
cials some revealing insights into the way election-year pol-
itics are figuring in their party's approach to foreign pol-
icy. The two--Franz-Josef Strauss and Kiesinger's adviser
Kurt Birrenbach--made the following points, among others:
--Strauss claimed it would be undesirable for any poli-
tician to appear too close to the Americans during the cam-
paign. He said he was wondering, in fact, whether his own
and Kiesinger's forthcoming visits to the US were really wise.
He apparently has been trying to sow some doubts in Kiesinger's
mind on this score. (We doubt that the simple fact of the
visits would be particularly harmful to Strauss' or Kiesinger's
standing with the German electorate. Strauss has purely self-
ish reasons, of course, for keeping Kiesinger at home and out
of the limelight. Moreover, he could be trying to get the US
to provide additional inducements for his and Kiesinger's trips.)
--Strauss applied the same argument to the offset nego-
tiations. He said it would be hard to wind up these talks be-
fore the elections because any agreement would open its nego-
tiators to the campaign charge of "giving too much to the
Americans."
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--Birrenbach, who arrives in Washington today, complained
that he had not been able to see Brandt when he was preparing
for the trip. He said that as a result he would be represent-
ing Kiesinger's viewpoint rather than the coalition's. He
claimed the coalition was in a parlous state, and he made it
clear he hoped it would not be reconstituted after the elec-
tions. He said he felt that if Brandt returned as foreign
minister, most of West Germany's foreign policy resources
would be harnessed to Brandt's eastern policy, rather than to
more important tasks such as the construction of unity in West-
ern Europe.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
Recent satellite photography shows that the second of two
launch pads for the Soviets' huge new space booster is nearing
completion at Tyuratam. A booster has been erected for the
first time on this pad, located at Complex J. 50X1
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VIETNAM
Sihanouk has announced a new arrangement with the Vietnam-
ese Communists regarding their activities within Cambodia.
The signed agreement apparently came out of the high-level talks
that have been going on for several weeks in Phnom Penh. Si-
hanouk said that the Viet Cong ambassador, admitting that Com-
munist troops are on Cambodian soil, had "promised" the with-
drawal of all but the sick and wounded "as soon as possible."
All Communist troops would leave when the war was over.
Sihanouk gave no hint of any concessions on his part that
may have been made, but the lifting of the recently imposed ban
on shipment of supplies to the Communists could be one. He did
make it clear that he is under no illusions that the Communists
will honor the agreement. Sihanouk no doubt believes, however,
that it can be used to good advantage in future negotiations
over the ultimate disposition of Communist forces in Cambodia.
MIDDLE EAST
Heavy shooting across the Suez Canal has again become al-
most a daily occurrence. The artillery exchanges will probably
continue as Egypt attempts to keep the major powers focused on
the problem while at the same time trying to avoid provoking
an all-out Israeli response.
The Israelis claim they attacked an Egyptian radar station
near the southern end of the canal on Saturday night. This
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marks the first Israeli penetration in this area. Cairo an-
nounced it had sent two commando groups on raids across the
canal the same evening.
II, OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
SUDAN
The Dutch Embassy in Khartoum, to which the US interests
section is attached, has been notified by the new Sudanese
Government that the US staff must be drastically reduced. Only
the chief of mission, an administrative officer, and a consular
officer, along with some nondiplomatic staff members, will be
allowed to remain.
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Top Secret
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