THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 24 FEBRUARY 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977315
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 24, 1970

Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008000200001-6
The President's Daily Brief
24 February 1970
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
24 February 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
In Laos, Communist forces are threatening the govern-
ment airstrip at Muong Soui. (Page 1)
Chancellor Brandt's strategy for his meeting with his
East German opposite number next month is outlined on
Page 3.
The agreement King Husayn obtained from the fedayeen
seems less restrictive than his decrees of 10 February
(Page 4)
Israeli authorities are groping for a solution to the
problems of air sabotage and hijacking, but without
much success. (Page 5)
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Xieng
Lom
Enemy probing
attack
AREA OF
MAIN MAP
SAYABOURY
Nam KO
Communist Offensive Continues
LAOS
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2 Government vacuatirtg
1
Xieng
04thouangville
Ban Ban
61
? Government-held location
? Communist-held location
97697 2-70 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Communist forces are threatening the government
airstrip at Muong Soul. A probing attack early this
morning was unsuccessful, but ammunition and POL sup-
plies at the base are burning and some government
forces are withdrawing westward on Route 7. With ad-
ditional enemy units moving into the area, the small
number of defenders still at Muong Soul probably will
offer only token resistance to further Communist at-
tacks. Muong Soul had been an important base for Lao
fighter-bombers providing close air support in the
Plaine des Jarres area.
Southwest of the Plaine, yang Pao is reinforcing
his defensive line with 155-mm. howitzers and most of
the 1,100-man garrison now being evacuated from Xieng
Khouangville.
The Communist counteroffensive, under-way
for little more than a week, has pretty
much erased the government's gains in its
unusually successful rainy season offensive.
The enemy's rapid advance has resulted in
part from yang Pao's efforts to keep his
casualties as low as possible. By yester-
day, all but 200 of the 1,300-man defensive
force from Xieng Khouang airfield had reap-
peared at government positions.
The Zack of adequate stockpiles on or near
the Plaine will probably keep the enemy
from pushing deep into government-controlled
areas for the time being. Once their supply
lines are re-established, the Communists
will probably turn their attention to yang
Pao's new defense line southwest of the
Plaine.
In western Sayaboury Province, meanwhile, Com-
munist forces launched their first heavy probing at-
tack yesterday against the government base at Xieng
Lom. Xieng Lom, about five miles from the Thai
border, is an important government staging base for
guerrilla operations against the Communists in the
Thai-Lao border area.
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FRANCE
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
EAST GERMANY - WEST GERMANY
In his meeting with East German Premier Stoph
next month, Chancellor Brandt will try to line up
acceptance of a series- of principles governing East
German - West German relations, according to Bonn
Foreign Ministry officials. If a draft agreement
is hammered out by lower level officials, Brandt
and Stoph could get together again in Bonn in April
to sign' it.
Other Bonn officials doubt that talks can
proceed so rapidly, and cite the problems
that have arisen in the talks with Gromyko
and other Soviet leaders. Even if both
sides make significant concessions to move
things along at high speed, the talks could
still founder altogether on the issue of
recognition of East German sovereignty.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
JORDAN
The agreement between King Husayn and the fed-
ayeen,
seems less restrictive than the King's decrees
of 10 February and more in line with the fedayeen's
self-imposed curbs. The agreement prohibits the
fedayeen from carrying or firing arms in the cities
and from interfering with civilians and security
forces. It also puts some restrictions on fedayeen
fund raising and requires registration of fedayeen
vehicles.
On the other hand, fedayeen "military police"
are permitted to carry arms, there are some excep-
tions in favor of the fedayeen on the storage of
ammunition and explosives in the cities, and there
are only token restrictions on public meetings and
publications. Most importantly, the accord is vague
on the question of enforcement, appearing to leave
it at least in part to the fedayeen. The agreement
says only that fedayeen violators of Jordanian law
are "to be handed over" to Jordanian authorities.
Yasir Arafat of Fatah and the leader of the
Syrian-supported Saiga organization signed the agree-
ment for the fedayeen.
Arafat later obtained the somewhat grudging ap-
proval of the other eight groups in the newly formed
unified fedayeen command.
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ISRAEL
Israel's appeal to European nations to help
find a way to prevent hijackings and a repetition of
the weekend sabotage seems destined to fall on sym-
pathetic ears but will probably produce few tangible
results. The suspension of air service to Tel Aviv
by even a few airlines will seriously weaken Israel's
link with Europe and is the kind of "blockade" the
terrorists hope to create.
Diplomatic protests by Israeli ambassadors
are ineffective simply because there is as
yet no way to insure precognition of sabo-
tage or terrorism. Israeli authorities,
including Mrs. Meir, have no good solution
to the problems although Tel Aviv press re-
ports allude to prospects of "action" by
Israel to defend its air routes and its
citizens.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Nigeria:
Bolivia-USSR:
Guyana-Venezuela: Troops on both sides of the
disputed border have lobbed a few mortar shells at
each other, but thus far have inflicted no casual-
ties. The sporadic firing seems to be little more
than an effort by the border-post troops to alleviate
boredom and frustration. In the wake of the collapse
of the diplomatic negotiations about the border, how-
ever, if either side suffers significant casualties
there could be serious repercussions.
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Top Secret
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