THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 12 MAY 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977450
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 12, 1970

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The President's Daily Brief
12 May 1970
48
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
12 May 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Cambodia
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In Laos, government and Communist forces continue
to jockey for position. (Page 3)
Iran
(Page 4)
The French propose to smooth the way toward European
detente. (Page. 5)
Israel sends troops into Lebanon to punish guerril-
las. (Page 6)
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Cambodia: Current Situation
ossible
target
98518 5-70 CIA
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CAMBODIA
On the military front, the Communists ambushed
a government army munitions convoy in northern Takeo
Province yesterday, routing elements of a newly
formed battalion and capturing at least one truck-
load-of munitions.
(continued)
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The Communists have been capturing substan-
tial quantities of Cambodian arms and am-
munition during the past month./
/Cambodian troops had lost more
than 5,000 weapons. This figure does not
include the substantial losses that prob-
ably were suffered as a consequence of the
fall of Kratie and Senmonorom.
In Kompong Cham Province, the government's base
at Suong.was attacked yesterday, and the town of
Kompong Cham reportedly was hit by Communist artil-
lery fire. Some Communist forces may have estab-
lished a command post in this province on the west
side of the Mekong River.
In the adjacent province of Kratie two columns
of Communist troops are reported moving north, and
local commanders think they may be preparing to at-
tack government forces holding the northern provin-
cial capital of Stung Treng. Several government
battalions have been ordered to block the enemy
columns. Panicky government forces are reporting
Chinese Communist and Pathet Lao troops near Chhlong,
but there is no evidence to support the use of such
troops in Cambodia. Communications intelligence in-
dicates that elements of two Viet Cong regiments
have been operating in and north of this area.
Communications intelligence also discloses that
a group of "very special persons" has been moving
southward through the Communist infiltration corri-
dor in Laos since early April. Unusual security
precautions have been taken, and unusual administra-
tive arrangements have been made for this group. On
30 April, the group was near Chavane and heading to-
ward the Laos - Cambodia - South Vietnam tri-border
area. References to "guests" and "friends" suggest
the group is not composed of North Vietnamese per-
sonnel. It appears to include three persons of par-
ticularly high rank, and it is possible they are
the leading leftist cabinet mininsters of Sihanouk's
new government. Sihanouk recently claimed they were
in "liberated areas."
2
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Laos: Current Situation
BURMA
0:r fl, fi , a.L.,..0'ging:ar'
?," ,',, J,C-Plaine,
'.
cir 6
' ' '' 'Ban Na Jerre .
,
. i..1 , r....,?';,a ' Thg:=..T.n.N.an't ng
ii
kyo mole
'`pt;ep ring to
,A-i /
THAILAND
GULF
F
TONKIN
comb-moist-controlled territory
*contested territory
MA RCA TION
LINE
V TNA M
Limit of area claimed under
Communist and Neutralist
control, June 1962
THAILAND
98517 5-70 CIA
CAMBODIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Communist forces took another step yesterday
toward clearing government guerrillas from the south-
eastern edge of the Bolovens Plateau by capturing a
lightly defended position there. The enemy also
probed site 38--the main government base in the area.
Elements of the regular Lao Army battalion that
bolted from their positions defending the guerrilla
base overlooking Attopeu have straggled into the vil-
lage of Paksong.
The situation at Saravane is somewhat brighter
following visits there by southern leader Sisouk-na
Champassak and regional military commander General.
Phasouk. They were able to quiet, at least tempo-
rarily, the panic that was leading to the wholesale
evacuation of the town despite the apparent absence
of any immediate Communist threat.
In the north, General yang Pao's forces are
continuing to push the enemy back toward the Plaine
des Jarres. With some 1,300 government troops now
occupying the hills immediately north of Tha Tam
Bleung, yang Pao plans to strike an enemy staging
area near Ban Na.
The guerrillas may run into considerable
enemy opposition if they push into this
areas however. The North Vietnamese have
been rotating fresh troops into forward
positions near Ban Na, and there are in-
dications in communications intelligence
that the enemy recently has moved 85-mm.
artillery pieces into the area.
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IRAN
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
FRANCE-EUROPE
In an apparent effort to reverse the seeming
decline of their influence in the process of European
detente, the French have surfaced a scheme that will
facilitate Willy Brandt's talks with East Europeans--
especially the Poles., Under the French proposal,
the occupying powers would announce that, if a West
German --Polish border agreement is concluded, they
will confirm it in any future peace treaty., This
announcement would satisfy the Polish desire for a
binding recognition of their border and also would
meet the West German position that, -wader, the Pots-
dam agreement and other agreements, German borders
must be endorsed in a general peace treaty.
The French last week outlined their idea to
visiting Polish Foreign Minister Jedrychowski. In
a speech last Saturday, Polish party leader Gomulka
asked in effect that the four powers publicly de- -
clare their support for a Bonn-Warsaw accord, thus
implicitly endorsing the French suggestion. Paris
plans to present this proposal to the US and UK in
Bonn this week.
German opposition critics of Brandt's pol-
icies have been hoping that France and
perhaps the US would impose restraints on
his negotiations with the East. The French
proposal, especially if supported by the
US, seems likely to throw cold water on
such hopes.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTE
Israel-Lebanon: After repeated warnings, Is-
rael sent an armored force into Lebanon to neutral-
ize the guerrilla positions on Mount Hermon. Early
this morning, reports from press sources and radio
broadcasts indicated the Israeli units had fought
with regular Lebanese forces. The most important
long-term effect of this invasion may be its dis-
ruptive-influence on Lebanese politics.
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Top Secret
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