THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 JUNE 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977510
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 15, 1970

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The President's Daily Brief
15 June 1970
? 25
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LATE ITEM
At press time, Associated Press reports that
South Vietnamese forces have recaptured Kompong
Speu. A late report from Military Assistance Com-
mand Vietnam (MACV) indicates that ARVN forces did
indeed make a sweep through Kompong Speu late yes-
terday. Actual control of the city, however, re-
mains in doubt.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
15 June 1970 ,
. PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Fedayeen'leader Yasir Arafat is making a bid for
more influence in Jordanian and Palestinian affairs:
-(Page 1)
The West German state elections did not provide a
verdict on Ostpolitik. (Page 2)
In Cambodia, Kompong Speu has become the 14th pro-
vincial capital to come under Communist attack since
late March. (Page 3)
Prime Minister Souvanna seems determined to recap-
ture Saravane. Meanwhile, a new threat may be de-
veloping in south Laos. .(Page 4)
Moscow is disturbed by the increasing influence of
fanatical fedayeen groups. (Page 5) -
The new Argentine president appears to be a figure-
head, and real power probably will remain with the
military junta. (Page 6)
The Communists are brewing a summer offensive in
South Vietnam with particular attention to the north-
ern portion of the country. (Page 7)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
JORDAN
Fedayeen leader Yasir Arafat is seeking to
achieve a paramount position in Jordanian and Pal-
estinian affairs. In a press conference yesterday,
Arafat claimed to speak in the name of the Jordanian
soldiers and people as well as the fedayeen when he
accused the US of fomenting trouble in Jordan and
warned against US intervention. By retroactively
approving the seizure of foreign hostages by the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP), Arafat took the credit and responsibility
for the action, which has been generally viewed as
the crucial factor in the commandos' successful
confrontation with the Jordanian Army.
Arafat seems anxious to repair his lead-
ership image which was slightly eclipsed
by the more radical *leader of the PFLP,
George Habbash, during the Jordan crisis.
Arafat
forced the PFLP to modify its terms for
the release of the hostages under the
threat of combined fedayeen action.
Arafat probably will have to deal with
further challenges from the PFLP, how-
ever, whose prestige among the more
radical Palestinian elements has been
enhanced by its militant actions.
The interim settlement arranged between
King Husayn and the Palestine Armed Strug-
gle Command--which Arafat heads--seems to
be holding, under the guard of joint fed-
ayeen-police patrols. Amman's uneasy
quiet was threatened Sunday, however, when
an armored element of the Jordanian Army
attempted to move into the city. The unit
was reportedly turned back by the persua-
sion of chief of staff Haditha, who appears
to be playing the principal government role
in enforcing the settlement.
1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
WEST GERMANY
? The results of Sunday's state elections are
disappointing for the Brandt government. Brandt's
Social Democratic Party (SPD) fell one seat behind
the Christian Democrats (CDU) in the North Rhine -
Westphalia (NRW) legislature, winning 94 seats com-
pared to 99 in 1966. In the Saar, the CDU increased
its lead over the SPD from two to four seats. The
SPD did manage to retain its one-seat edge over the
CDU in Lower Saxony, however.
Brandt's coalition partners, the Free Democrats
(FDP) squeaked into the NRW legislature, but failed
to win seats in Lower Saxony and theSaar. The head
of the NRW government plans to continue the SPD/FDP
coalition, which will have a total of 105 seats.
The elections neither endorsed nor censured
Ostpolitik. The results will encourage
the CDU to attack the government's foreign
policies, however, and Brandt can be ex-
pected to proceed with Ostpolitik cau-
tiously.
The FDP's hesitations over Ostpolitik in
recent weeks probably cost it both liberal
and conservative support. Some FDP depu-
ties in Bonn, however, may attribute their
party's poor showing to its partnership
with the SPD, which could lead to a split
in the federal coalition.
2
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Cambodia: Current Situation
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98853 6-70 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
Communist troops are still holding the center
of Kompong Speu. Three battalions of Cambodian re-
inforcements supported by tanks and air strikes are
maintaining blocking positions to the north and the
east of the town along Route 4, while South Vietnam-
ese troops moved into the area from the south. Cas-
ualties have been relatively light, but damage ?to
the town, which is under South Vietnamese artillery
fire, has been heavy. Elsewhere the military situ-
ation has been relatively quiet.
The tenacity of the Communists' attacks
in the Kompong Speu area suggests that the
enemy is placing considerable importance
on interdicting Route 4 leading to Kompong
Som seaport. Although the Mekong waterway
or overland routes from Thailand could be
used by the government to bring in vital
supplies, the interdiction of Route 4
would increase Phnom Penh's sense of iso-
lation.
Kompong Speu is the 14th provincial cap-
ital attacked by the Communists since late
March. Four are still in Communist hands--
Kratie, Stung Treng, Lomphat, and Senmon-
orom; only five have gone unscathed so far.
One of these, Kompong Chhnang, is now sur-
rounded by large numbers of Communist
troops.
50X1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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SOUTHERN LAOS: Current Situation
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Government efforts to retake Saravane continue
.to be repulsed. Irregular patrols occupied portions
of the town over the weekend but were driven out, by
an estimated two companies of North Vietnamese troops.
Government forces located across the Se Done River
at Ban Tapoun have been reinforced for fresh attempts
against Saravane, and 150 troops have been airlifted
into the area north of the town to block enemy rein-
forcements via Route 23.
Prime Minister Souvanna probably has or-
dered the recapture of Saravane to recoup
some of the political loss he has suffered
since the Communists opened the south Laos
offensive in late April. Souvanna's unu-
sually acerb and negative remarks to Ambas-
sador Godley regarding the possibility of
a South Vietnamese ground operation into
the Laotian panhandle are good evidence
that the welter of rumors regarding a
rightist coup are beginning to get under
his skin.
A new Communist threat may be developing in
south Laos. Villagers report the arrival of North
Vietnamese and Pathet Lao troops in an area only
ten miles from the Mekong river town of Pakse. The
Communists reportedly are setting up positions from
which they can rocket the town. The airstrip out-
side of Pakse was hit by rockets earlier this year,
but the Communists have so far refrained from hit-
ting the town itself. A new program of terrorism
against civilians or a direct move toward the city
would have severe repercussions in Vientiane.
4
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR - MIDDLE EAST
In The President's Daily Brief of 13 June we
reported that George Habbash's Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was likely to emerge
from the turmoil in Jordan as the biggest winner,
to the chagrin of almost every other element in the
Middle East conflict. We have now received two good
indications that the Soviets are dismayed by the ap-
parent rise in prestige of the more radical fedayeen.
organizations.
Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin- openly expressed
Moscow's qualms in his talks with Assistant Secre-
tary Sisco last Friday. Dobrynin said that two years
ago Moscow had discounted fedayeen strength, but that
now it felt the fedayeen had grown so strong that
there was some doubt that either Nasir or Husayn
could make a peace settlement stick. Dobrynin said
that unlike the USSR, most of the fedayeen are in-
tent on destroying the state of Israel, and he char-
acterized the PFLP as "Maoist oriented."
On the same day a Soviet Foreign Ministry offi-
cial, Konstantin Fedoseyev, repeated this same theme
in a-conversation with a US Embassy official.
Fedoseyev blamed the fighting in Jordan on "pro-
Chinese" elements in the fedayeen. He claimed that
the Soviets were using their influence to keep Husayn
in power but admitted that if the fedayeen want to
overthrow Husayn, they will succeed. Fedoseyev also
said that Nasir is tentatively scheduled to visit.
Moscow in June.
Soviet criticism of the fedayeen probably
is sincere. It is supported by other in-
dications that Moscow regards them as a
thoroughly unreliable and unpredictable
element. Moscow obviously would prefer
to deal with the established Arab govern-
ments but, in view of the increasing in-
fluence of Palestine guerrilla groups,
will continue to maintain semiofficial
contact with the fedayeen.
5
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ARGENTINA
The ruling three-man military junta has picked
Brigadier General Roberto Marcelo Levingston as the
new president of Argentina. Levingston, the Argen-
tine military attache in Washington since January
1969, will officially take over on 18 June. He is
50 years old and is a close friend of coup leader
General Lanusse. Levingston is reported to have
helped plan the military coup that overthrew Presi-
dent Illia in 1966.
His selection is further evidence that
the junta will exert a dominant influence
over the formulation and execution of the
new administration's policies.
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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SOUTH VIETNAM: Communists Plan 'Summer' Campaign
?
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