THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 JULY 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977573
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: July 18, 1970

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008500170001-5
The President's Daily Brief
18 July 1970
27
Top Secret
' Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008500170001-5
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
18 July 1970
PR I NC I PAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Cambodian commander at Kirirom claims the situa-
tion there has stabilized. (Page 1)
On Page 2 we note further signs of increased Commu-
nist military capability in the Lao panhandle and
northern South Vietnam,
A Pathet Lao spokesman, discussing possible peace
talks with Souvanna, made no mention of the usual
Communist demand for a complete US bombing halt be-
fore negotiations can begin. (Page 3)
The communique issued at the conclusion of Nasir's
visit gives little hint of what specific decisions
the Russians and the Egyptians reached. (Page 4)
The, Chilean presidential election campaign is brought
up to date on Page 6.
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Cambodia: Current Situation
THAILAND
B
Sontrong-0 0 0 -A15?s 4.4/
M ANCHEY
BATTA B A N
ttambang.
Poilin
KO
Cto-i
tinues
H KONG
ove -nment
4
reoccu s
isogon
V IETNAM
GULF 1.
OF
, THAILAND
0 Communist-controlled 'location
pr A Communist-controlled
SOUTH
CHINA SEA
99283 7-70 CIA
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CAMBODIA
The week-long fight for Kirirom tapered off yes-
terday, and the commander of the government forces
at Kirirom claims that the situation has stabilized.
Four government battalions moved into the center of
the town, and four others have been deployed nearby.
Enemy troops apparently slipped away during a lull
in the fighting when government forces ran out of
ammunition. Some 250 Communist troops however, are
believed to remain in the area.
There were renewed attacks on the Lovek ordnance
depot, northwest of Phnom Penh. A Cambodian Army
message reported that on 16 July an additional 300
Communist troops were heading toward Lovek to join
enemy forces already deployed around- the depot. The
government garrison at Lovek probably can again count
on heavy air strikes to help it maintain its position.
1
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VIETNAM
Ctuang Khe
037)
Ban Karai
Paas
Dong Hal
Demiiitori d 7
e- -onc
Tche one
Savanna
-Sa Bong Heng
Da Nang
THAILAND
Satavane
15 undetermined groups
in this area
VIETNAM
Palms
Hopeu
Konturn .
CAMBODIA
.14)
99282 7-70 CIA
Stung Tren0
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NORTH VIETNAM - LAOS
Signs of increased Communist military capability
in the Lao panhandle and northern South Vietnam con-
tinue to appear. The President's Daily Brief of 9
July noted the presence in the panhandle of 15 un-
identified groups of men, perhaps as much as a divi-
sion of North Vietnamese troops. Since then the
following bits and pieces have turned up:
--The 304th Division, which has been rotating
regiments in and out of the DMZ area for the past
three years, now has moved all three of its regiments
to the vicinity of the western DMZ.
--The 320th Division, which is based far to the
north, has also sent one of its regiments to the DMZ.
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We still cannot put this picture together
with any confidence. We have no good idea
what direction the mysterious 15 groups
which were discussed last week are moving.
One bit of negative intelligence does not
make the problem any easier: these groups
probably cannot be equated with the North
Vietnamese Second Division as had been
thought by some analysts. All the major
headquarters of this division are still
in South Vietnam.
In sum, although-it is fairly clear that
the Communists are 'stronger in the are
than they were a month'ago,-the way they
intend to use this strength is stiZZ.by no
means clear.
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LAOS
According to Pathet Lao spokesman:Soth,Pethrasyt
a_high-ranking messenger from-Souphanouvong.is ex-
pected to arrive shortly in Vientianeto discuss
"points of view which might lead to a peaceful set-,
tlement."- Soth asserted that if an agreement to
talk.were,reached between $ouvanna and the Pathet
Lad envoy, the ensuing negotiations would be the
most important between the Lao factions since 1961
and: would be. regarded by the Communists as a'"summi-L
meeting."
Soth omitted mention of the usual Communist de-
mand that a total halt in US bombing be aprecondi-
tion for a discussion of the issues. Instead, he
said that a termination of the bombing could be one
of the two main questions to be dealt with during
the formal negotiations. The second would be the
composition of the coalition government.' He thought
that the Communists wanted only four ministerialseats
and would expect. equal. representation for the neu-
tralists. Soth stressed that the Pathet Lao antici-
pated negotiations without foreign intervention and
wanted no part of a larger Indochina settlement in-
volving the US and the North Vietnamese.
If the Communists do intend to make a bid
for negotiations alOng these lines, Sou-
vanna can be,expected-to work for-a. forth-
corning response on the part of the Laotian
Government. The accuracy of Soth 's infor-
mation will be in doubt, however, until-the
arrival.of Souphanouvong's messenger-.
Nothing in Soth.'s comments.notes the North
Vietnamese attitude, but if a representa-
tive comes, the package he brings will ob-
viously have their blessing.- If what Soth
describes as the-Pathet Lao poSition is
accurate, it represents a significant
change in Hanoi's previous insistence on
a bombing halt.
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USSR-EGYPT
The communiqug issued at the conclusion
of Nasir's visit to Moscow yesterday was
primarily a recapitulation of previously
stated positions and gave little hint of
what specific decisions were reached. It
did say, however, that the two sides dis-
cussed "means and methods for achieving a
peaceful settlement" in the Middle East
and that they agreed "to continue their
coordination in this direction."
The declaration couched in standard terms
both sides' commitment to a political set-
tlement based on the November 1967 Security
Council Resolution and Israeli withdrawal
from all the occupied territories. The
Soviets also reiterated their readiness
to provide the Arabs with "necessary aid"
for the struggle against Israel.
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FRANCE - COMMUNIST CHINA
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CHILE
In the course of his fourth try for the presi-
dency, Salvador Allende, the Marxist candidate, is
basing his campaign on a. combination of anti-Ameri-
canism and promises of a. sharp turn to the left. In
recent speeches, Allende has charged that "American
imperialism" is the one enemy of Latin America and
has said that his government would join Castro's in
launching the "Latin American Revolution." To this
end, he would respect the principle of noninterven-
tion in the affairs of other states only to the ex-
tent that other governments "reflect the will of the
majority."
Allende 's campaign views have become more
openly Marxist than in his previous tries
for the presidency. He calculates that a
strong pitch to leftist sentiments will ap-
peal to the many Chileans who are dissatis-
fied with the slow pace of reform under
the present Christian Democratic government
of Eduardo Frei.
With six weeks to go before the election of
4 September, conservative Jorge Alessandri
seems to hold a narrow lead. There are no
reliable polls on which to base predictions,
however. Both Allende and Radomiro Tomic,
the candidate of the Christian Democratic
government, are running strong campaigns.
The election will go to the Congress if no
candidate wins an outright majority. Ei-
ther Tomic or Allende could try to strike
a deal with the other's supporters to win
the presidency by vote of the Congress if
either were to run even a close second in
the popular poll.
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COMMUNIST CHINA
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NOTES
Israel:
Jordan: At least one extremist fedayeen group
already Ias disregarded the recent a reement with
Husayn.
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Top Secret
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