THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 29 JUNE 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977536
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 29, 1970

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
The President's Daily. Brief
29 June 1970
49
-----Top_ge4zej.EX1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
29 June 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
CaMbodia: Military activity continues to ebb and
YE5WT-Tapei plans to send a delegation to Phnom
Penh soon; Sihanouk's "foreign minister" has set
up temporary headquarters in Cairo. (Page 1)
South Vietnam: Thieu's speech on 27 June described
his cautious military policy. (Page 3)
Jordan: The new, more militant cabinet should work
well with the moderate leaders of the fedayeen.
(Page 5)
India: Mrs.. Gandhi has shuffled her cabinet minis-
ters into new slots, primarily to ensure that she
makes most of the-important decisions herself.
(Page 6)
Latin America:_
(Page 7)
Egypt?USSR: Nasir may be on his way to Moscow.
(Page 7)
50X151
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Cambodia: Current Situation
I ???.,
?
Iv' "
THAILAND
Thben
M Meanche
,
REAP `....,,,% *4
N, ,o;
? Angkar Wet
? ?
Rovien
?
Cf:
Ph6a,mr.7inville" ON t phn
A.614j,..G
HqtNIVA? 01
t- Ie"
Ang so
GULF
OF
THAILAND
I Communist-controlled location
WA Communist-controlled
50
MILES
1'04
SOUTH
CHINA SEA
;V-?
?10-
99039 6-70 CIA
?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
The Communists continue to press their attacks
on the Lovek munitions depot in Kompong Chhnang Prov-
ince. South Vietnamese air strikes have helped pre-
vent the enemy from penetrating the government's de-
fense perimeter. The depot's commander requested re-
inforcements on 27 June, claiming that his troops
were exhausted and running low on ammunition follow-
ing four days of fighting; Phnom Penh replied it will
send a battalion.
The Cambodian Army command post in Kompong Speu
city was attacked briefly by an enemy force of un-
known size on 28 June. The headquarters of the North
Vietnamese 101D Regiment apparently is still located
15'miles southwest of Kompong Spell;
, only.a subordinate battalion relo-
cated to a position 27 miles west of the city.
Northeast of Phnom Penh, a combined Cambodian -
South Vietnamese force, with Cambodian artillery sup-
port, has retaken the Mekong River village of Prek
Tameak. Government forces have begun sweeping areas
on the east bank of the river. In addition, press
reports say two battalions of Sbuth Vietnamese Ma-
rines have moved westward from the Prey Veng area
to new positions just east of the Mekong, and as
close as six miles to Phnom Penh.
A Cambodian intercept states that 100 enemy
troops harassed an army unit at Koki Thom, on Route
1 near the Neak Luong ferry-, on the night of27-28
June. The Communists also seized a village on Route
1, some 25 miles from Phnom Penh; government troops'
are being dispatched to retake it.
Some 300 enemytroops attacked a government
unit on the west side of the Tonle Sap in Pursat
Province- on 28 June, according to an intercepted
Cambodian Army messages This is the first substan-
tial enemy action reported in this area.. The mes-
sage ?also reports that a. government post on the east'
side of the Tonle Sap,.just south of Siem Reap city,
was attacked on 28 June. Analysis of enemy.commu-
nications shows that forward elements of the Viet
Cong 275th Regiment and, the Viet.Cong 5th Division
are now in the Siem Reap area; this is the deepest
westward movement of Communist main force elements
detected to date.,
(continued)
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ,ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
A-Chinese Nationalist foreign office official
told US Embassy officers in Taipei. on 26 June that
Taipei will send an official. delegation to Phnom
Penh in the near future. The visit is designed to
pave the way for "closer relations" between the two
governments, but the official cautioned that those
relations would rest at an "unofficial level" for
some time. He added that they probably would in-
volve at least a. limited Chinese Nationalist pres-
ence in the Cambodian capital.
Sihanouk's "foreign minister," Sarin Chhak, is
making Cairo his temporary headquarters, according ?
to a Radio Cairo report. Chhak was Cambodia's am-
bassador to the United Arab Republic at the time of
Sihanouk's ouster. He probably- will concentrate on
increasing diplomatic support and recognition among
Arab states for Sihanouk's government-in-exile,
Cairo broke off diplomatic relations with Phnom Penh
shortly after Lon. Nol took over,
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
In his televised speech to the nation on 27
June, President Thieu elaborated on the fairly cau-
tious military policy toward Cambodia that he has
been developing in recent weeks. He underscored
his reluctance to allow the South Vietnamese Army
to conduct large open-ended operations to defend
Cambodia against: the Communists. If the Cambodians
request help when important centers come under Com-
munist attack, Thieu promised only to "study each
case."
Thieu clearly believes that the main burden
of Cambodia's defense must rest with the
Cambodians and that outside assistance
must be provided by other free world coun-
tries as well as by South Vietnam. He
seems fully conscious of the need to pre-
vent South Vietnamese forces from becoming
overextended in Cambodia, thereby reduc-
ing military, strength at home as US troops
continue to withdraw.
Thieu emphasized that South Vietnam's capabili-
ties to help are modest, but he promised to help the
Cambodians destroy Communist supply systems. In a
similar vein, he expressed determination to prevent
the enemy from re-establishing secure bases in Cam-
bodian territory bordering on South Vietnam. Thieu
also said that "minimum forces" would be stationed
temporarily at certain points within Cambodia, but
he claimed that this would be for the purpose of
facilitating the ? repatriation of Vietnamese refugees.
Thieu's formulation serves a dual purpose:
it helps allay domestic criticism that' the
government is doing too little to assist
ethnic Vietnamese who' have been victimized
by the Cambodians; it may also help dis-
courage Phnom Penh from interpreting the
retention of these forces in Cambodia as.
evidence that the Saigon government is
planning to undertake more' extensive oper-
ations.in defense of Cambodia than it is
willing to admit.
(continued)
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
On the other hand, Thieu did not rule out
the deployment of large South Vietnamese
forces into Cambodia in the future. He
and his military advisers would probably
give very serious consideration to sending
substantial forces if the stakes seemed
high enough.I
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
JORDAN
The cabinet formed on .27 June will probably be
acceptable to at least the more moderate fedayeen
elements,. The new premier, Abd al-Munim al-Rifai,
has been the negotiator
in dealings with:the Palestinian guerrillas, and it
seems likelythat the cabinet has the tacit approval
of Fatah leader Yasir Arafat.
The newly militant government in Jordan
should work well with the leaders of the
moderate fedayeen. The activities of
the more radical Palestinian groups, how-
ever, probably will continue to present
difficult problems.
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
INDIA
On 27 June, Prime Minister Gandhi announced
some cabinet changes that reflect.a shift in empha-
sis in her priorities. She assumed the Home'port-
folio, thus demonstrating her increased concern with
law and order. For the past year she has held the
Finance portfolio, and during most of that:time-she
chose. to fight her battles over economic issues.
Recently, however, Hindu-Moslem rioting and violence
by Communist extremists have increased the importance
of decisions in the Home Ministry.
The major casualty of the cabinet shuffle was
the anti-American, opportunistic external affairs
minister, Dinesh Singh, who was demoted to minister
of industrial development. The new foreign minister
is former defense minister Swaran Singh. He was
noncontroversial when he served as
foreign minister from 1964 to 1966.
6
50X6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Latin America:
Egypt-USSR: We noted in The President's Daily
Brief of 5 June that President Nasir was planning
another trip to Moscow. Sources of the US Embassy
there now say he will arrive shortly, possibly to-
day. His agenda is notknown; it may involve mili-
tary and political discussions on a variety of top-
ics, including the US political initiative, as well
as a medical checkup by his Soviet doctors.
7
50X1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008400260001-6