THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 MARCH 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977354
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 18, 1970

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
The President's Daily Brief
18 March 1970
27
Top Secrerl
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
18 March 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
In Laos, North Vietnamese units are closing in on
General yang Pao's headquarters at Long Tieng.
(Page 1)
About 2,400 North Vietnamese troops entered the
infiltration pipeline to the South during the past
week. (Page 2)
50X1
Yesterday's violence in Manila underscores the grow-
ing influence of radicals in the Philippine student
protest movement. (Page 4)
The Soviets appear to be getting ready for a large
naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean. (Page 5)
Greek
Cyprus. (Page 6)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
LAOS: Current Situation
AREA OF
MAIN MAP
Bouam
Longs
Ban Ban
,-----417 '----
-. Sa
, 4 ala Lamy
'Thou"' / Ho
Khoun Ki Nin.
-,/ '
khouang
Ban Na?
Tea Tam
Bleung %hang
Kho
NWA forces - -
\do eying in
g\,)
ang Vieng
1,0 20 M es
97930 3-70 CIA
20 Kilometers
Government-held location
Communist-held locatio
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
The North Vietnamese units that overran Tha Tam
Bleung on 16 March are now pushing south toward Gen-
eral yang Pao's headquarters at Long Tieng. Inter-
cepts disclose that the enemy is establishing heavy
weapons positions within four miles of the base. To
the northwest, the refugee center of Sam Thong has
been taken by the Communists, according to late re-
ports; the civilian population there had been evacu-
ated earlier.
Most of the 148th Regiment of the North
Vietnamese 316th Division has been com-
mitted to the operation against Long Tieng.
Communist communications indicate that the
North Vietnamese campaign calls for elimi-
nating as quickly as possible all govern-
ment positions within striking distance of
the Plaine des Jarres.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
50X1
50X1
o Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY?
NORTH VIETNAM
About 2,400 troops in six groups were detected
setting out on the infiltration route in the North
during the past week, bringing the input thus far
in March to about 5,200. This total includes eight
groups containing 3,500 troops that were noted in
intercepts, plus another three groups containing
about 1,700 whose presence is presumed from analysis
of the numbering system.
Personnel entering the pipeline since last
October, when the dry season began, now
stand at more than 48,000. This figure
is somewhat more than half the number of
troops that started out during the same
period in the two previous years.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
The government's chances for extracting signif-
icant concessions from the Vietnamese Communists ap-
pear slight.
Cambodian units on the border remain on alert.
The situation there is still tense, although thus
far there has been little confirmed fighting between
Cambodian and Communist units. Intercepts show that
some Viet Cong troops have moved "toward" the South
Vietnamese border, and some small units may actually
have crossed over. Other Communist forces, however,
are being reinforced and show no signs of withdraw-
ing.
The Communists may be trying to stall in
the taZks until Sihanouk returns to Cam-
bodia next week. If they appear too in-
flexible, however, the Cambodian Govern-
ment may break off the discussions. The
government is keeping up the pressure by
encouraging large anti - Vietnamese Com-
munist demonstrations in Phnom Penh.
The Cambodians, with their limited re-
sources, are not likely to apply any sig-
nificant military pressure against the
Communists, but the possibility of an in-
cident is strong as long as the Cambodians
continue to press for the withdrawal of
Communist units. Any such development
would make the political resolution of
the situation much more difficult.
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
50X1
50X1
' Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
PHILIPPINES
The growing influence of radicals in the Philip-
pine student protest movement was underlined by the
violence that occurred yesterday in Manila. Groups
of militants marched on various targets following a
downtown demonstration against the Marcos administra-
tion and US influence in the islands. One group that
reached the US Embassy was dispersed by anti-riot
police before doing any damage. A student at another
location was killed by a private security guard; this
may generate further disturbances.
The size of the demonstration--about 3,000
persons?fell short of its organizers'
hopes. Radical and moderate student lead-
ers are increasingly at odds over the need
for violent tactics, and moderates appar-
ently stayed away in anticipation of trou-
ble. The split in the student movement
will help Marcos to discredit it, but he
clearly faces persistent student challenges
that may force him to make further conces-
sions.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR
the Russians may be preparing
for a large-scale naval exercise in the eastern Med-
iterranean. Several Soviet warships now in the Med-
iterranean including the command ship,
In addition, the Soviets have notified the Turks
that as many as 12 warships will exit the Black Sea
in the next week.
This type of communication activity resem-
bles the preparations prior to the exten-
sive naval maneuvers the Soviets conducted
in the Mediterranean last August. If all
the scheduled ship passages are made, the
resulting force of 26 major surface com-
batants and 12 submarines will be the most
powerful the Soviets have ever had in the
Mediterranean. The Leningrad, the Soviets'
second helicopter carrier, may make its
maiden voyage outside the Black Sea and
join its sister ship, the Moskva, for the
exercise.
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CYPRUS-GREECE
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
50X1
50X1
50X1
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
FINLAND
The government's coalition parties won a major-
ity of the parliamentary seats in this week's elec-
tions but their position has been weakened by a sur-
prisingly good showing by the conservative parties.
Latest returns indicate that the combined strength
of the government center-left parties dropped from
165 to 136 seats.
The conservative National Coalition Party and
the radical right Rural Party were the only parties
to improve their positions. They increased their
parliamentary representation by 11 and 17 seats re-
spectively, and the Rural Party received 10.5 percent
of the vote, the highest ever by a far-right group in
Finland.
All parties participating in the center-left
government lost ground, with the Center Party and
the Communist-dominated People's Democratic League
suffering the heaviest losses. The losses among
Prime Minister Koivisto's Social Democrats were more
moderate, and they remain the largest single element
in parliament.
Although the election outcome would seem
to point to a right-center or right-social-
ist coalition, Moscow, which has played a
decisiv'e role in the past, probably will
insist on continuation of the present cen-
ter-left coalition.
Buoyed by the election's pronounced swing
to the right, conservative opposition
leaders are not willing to accept another
center-left lineup. They argue that it
would constitute a government of losers
and would not reflect the will of the elec-
torate. In these circumstances, if Moscow
applies additional pressure, the conserva-
tives' position may be strengthened in the
eyes of the public. A period of govern-
mental instability could follow.
7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LATE ITEM: CAMBODIA
Phnom Penh's domestic radio service this morn-
ing broadcast an announcement that the National As-
sembly has "withdrawn all confidence from Prince
Sihanouk as Chief of State" and has named Cheng Heng
as acting chief of state pending elections. No fur-
ther details were given. Cheng Heng has been presi-
dent of the National Assembly since 1968 but has
little political following.
8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008100150001-1