THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 22 AUGUST 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976946
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 22, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007400190001-5
The President's Daily Brief
22 August 1969
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007400190001-5
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
VIETNAM
Huong resigned this morning, according to the press.
We have no details yet.
There is fresh evidence that Hanoi has spent a good
deal of its time this year putting its own house in order.
--A series of agricultural reforms has been put into
effect. Aimed at getting farmers back on the socialist
track, these measures among other things attempt to restore
the prewar authority of the collective and to crack down on
individual profiteering.
--The screws are being tightened on local officials
to improve military recruiting and the quality of local
forces. This summer, General Giap has spoken out twice on
this problem, which almost certainly results from the ex-
tremely heavy troop infiltration between late 1967 and early
this year. (The need to allow local authorities to rebuild
their military units may help to explain the drastic cutback
in infiltration this spring.)
These are the kinds of things which both Giap and fel-
low-politburo member Truong Chinh have been advocating for
some time. In essence, both argue that the war in the South
could be pursued more effectively through greater reliance
on long-term guerrilla warfare (as opposed, for instance,
to the all-out attack at Tet, 1968). They also think the
party must pay more attention to preserving and strengthening
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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its position in North Vietnam. It is beginning to look as
if they have carried the day, although presumably not with-
out considerable debate in the party councils.
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SOVIET AFFAIRS
The demonstrations in Prague were large yesterday,
but the security forces had no trouble handling them.
Other forms of protest were more successful; the US Erbassy
reports that a boycott of transport services was 90 percent
effective and that shopping was sharply curtailed.
The situation is quiet now. Some civil unrest could
develop in the next few days, but the threat of a national
crisis should ease now that the anniversary of the invasion
has passed.
MIDDLE EAST
We have nothing to indicate that yesterday's fire in
the al-Aqsa Muslim shrine in Jerusalem was anything but ac-
cidentAl; , caused perhaps by faulty wiring. Arab radio
commentators, however, are predictably holding the Israelis
responsible. There have already been some anti-Israeli
demonstrations in East Jerusalem, and others can be ex-
pected. There may also be an Arab attempt to destroy a
comparable synagogue.
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Some demonstrations may have anti-US overtones; the
Voice of the Arabs in Cairo has accused the US of com-
plicity because Washington condones Israeli moves to
"Judaize" Jerusalem.
PAKISTAN
S. M. Ahsan, East Pakistan's governor-designate, has
told US Embassy officers that Yahya wants to accelerate
the return to civilian rule. He says Yahya has told him
to begin negotiating a constitution acceptable to East
and West Pakistan and to the martial law regime.
The regime believes East Pakistan's most popular
leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, holds the key to the suc-
cess of these efforts. To win his support it is willing
to guarantee him the prime ministership--but only if he
will forgo East Pakistan's traditional demands for broad
regional autonomy and agree to a strong central government.
Sheikh Mujib obviously will have to do a good deal
of soul searching. Ahsan gave no indication what the
regime will do if Mujib turns down the offer.
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007400190001-5