THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 SEPTEMBER 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976991
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: September 17, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
The President's Daily Brief
17 September 1969
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001.-8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
FRANCE
A review of last week's meeting of Gaullist parliamen-
tarians has led the Embassy to conclude that Pompidou and,
Chaban-Delmas are starting the new political season in rela-
tively good shape on both the political and parliamentary
scene. This assessment was borne out early this morning when
Chaban-Delmas' policy statement before the National Assembly
yesterday won a vote of confidence by 369 votes to 85 with
eight,abstentiOns. This is hardly surprising since the Gaul-
lists hold, a clear, over-all majority and all of them but four
abstainers voted for the motion as did the Independent Repub-
licans and Centrists who have ministers in the government.
The opposition came from the Socialists and Communists.
However, some hard battles will be fought over the next
few months on the economic' and social fronts where labor par-
ticularly may be harder to cope with than parliamentarians.
The government's understanding of these problems was shown
by the fact that the premier's statement yesterday was largely
a critical appraisal of France's administrative, economic
and social situation. He spoke of the "frailty" of the econ-
omy, the "defective working" of the state, and the "archaic
and conservative" social structure and called for the build-
ing of a new society. At no time, however, did Chaban Delmas
attack General De Gaulle by name. The press quotes one dep-
uty as commenting that the speech could have been made by op-
position leaders Mitterand or Mendes-France.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
De Gaulle himself is another potential source of trouble.
/ The present govern-
ment undoubtedly dreads the prospect of a De Gaulle press con-
ference and will do everything possible not to provoke him to
such action. The feeling in Gaullist circles is that the
General will break his silence only if Pompidou deviates too
far from cherished Gaullist foreign policy positions.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
50X1
50X1
50
COMMUNIST CHINA - SOVIET UNION
The Chinese can hardly be said to have cooled it since
last week's meeting between Kosygin and Chou En-lai. Peking
yesterday called attention to the possibility of an atomic
attack launched by "social imperialism"--a clear allusion to
recent public speculation concerning a possible Soviet pre-
emptive strike against China. The statement, part of a slo-
gan for this year's National Day celebrations on 1 October,
is an unprecedented Chinese attempt to portray the USSR as
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001:8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
the aggressive party in the dispute,. As such, it is likely
only to further aggravate tensions between Moscow and Peking.
Meanwhile, the stream of standard anti-Soviet invective
from Peking is continuing with no change in content or volume.
On 14 September, for instance, New China News Agency publi-
cized the showing in several foreign countries of a Chinese
documentary depicting the "Atrocities of the New Tsars" along
the border.
The Soviets' polemical stand-down is still in effect but
is unlikely to continue much longer in the face of such out-
bursts.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
BRAZIL
The consensus is that no immediate solution to the ques-
tion of Costa e Silva's successor is in the offing. Yesterday
was set aside for consultations within the three armed ser-
vices and another meeting of their high commands is scheduled
today. There is little optimism thatagreement on one name
will emerge from this meeting, however, as considerable nego-
tiating and "politicking" are still going on. Still to be
decided, also, are the questions of whether to convene Con-
gress to legitimize the eventual decision and whether the man
chosen should fulfill Costa e Silva's term plus one of his
own or should merely finish out the present term. The army
and air force are said to favor the long-term solution with
an army four-star general to be chosen as successor but lack
of agreement on a name may force the military to compromise
on the stop-gap solution.
KUWAIT
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
(
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007500150001-8