THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 NOVEMBER 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977817
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: November 25, 1970

Etn E?9 emit LNI rows* emmt rift rot rit rot rot rat Declassified in in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
The President's Daily Brief
25 November 1970
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1
j
r-7-1 17
1 ?1
[7)-eiclassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230007-4-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
25 November. 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
50X1
Yesterday
SALT talks are discussed on Page 1.
Guinea. (Page 2) 50X1
A Burmese official says that.0 Nu will initiate
action against Ne Win's government early next year.
(Page 3)
North Vietnamese infiltration seems likely to total
20,000 for November. (Page 4)
Hanoi is having problems with its propaganda re-
sponse to the US air rescue effort. (Page 5)
Communist China
(Page 6)
The Soviets orbited another unmanned spacecraft
yesterday. (Page 5)
Fedayeen groups are to meet today in Amman. (Page 6)
The Soviet sub tender is back in Cienfuegos. (Page 7)
Both Egypt and Israel are now conducting overflights?
in the Suez Canal area. (Page 7)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
f 1 f-1 f
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A00890023000'Wl
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SALT
At yesterday's session in Helsinki, Semenov
continued to pick away at the US proposal of 4 Au- ?
gust. He addressed some of the "corollary measures"
suggested by the US to facilitate verification, and
contended that these were unnecessarily stringent.
The US plan, for example, would ban the relocation
of land-based ICBM launchers and their modification
in externally observable ways. Semenov argued that
this would result in banning any modernization pro-
grams which can be discovered and verified by "na-
tional means."
Semenov's commentary on the US proposal seems
to be slowly grinding to a close. In private con-
versations the Soviets have already raised the ques-
tion of when to resume in Vienna after this Helsinki
round. Two of the Russian delegates have let it be
known they consider resumption before next spring
to be unlikely.
The Soviets are missing no opportunity to at-
tack US unwillingness to discuss forward-based sys-
tems (FBS), and show no signs of relenting. One of
the Soviet delegates privately told Ambassador Par-
sons yesterday that the US concern over Cuba showed
Washington to be as sensitive to FBS as Moscow is.
Last week Ambassador Dobrynin had put it
bluntly when he told Ambassador Thompson that FBS
seems to be the "main issue" at the SALT talks, and
that the Soviet military has been particularly in-
sistent that FBS be included in the discussions.
Dobrynin was doubtful that agreements would be
reached at Helsinki.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
 r?n r r77-1 r?n r?n [7-1 r_ r
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
GUINEA
Activity in Conakry- began reverting to normal
yesterday although scattered shooting persisted,
apparently resulting from theefforts of government
patrols to flush? out remnants of the invaders. It
now-appears that some commandos remained on. shore
for only a few hours and that the bulk of them re-
turned to, their ships by the second day, although
few were killed or captured.
It seems increasingly likely that the in-
vading force included both whites and
natives of Portuguese Guinea hostile to
the rebels there. Some of them are almost
certainly still at large in Conakry, along
with some of the non-Portuguese prisoners
freed.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1
50X1
50X1
[ Declassified in F'art - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP791100936A00890023000'r171
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
BURMA
The Burmese military attache ?in Bangkok has
told his American counterpart that exile forces of
former prime minister U Nu-plan to begin military
aCtion against the Ne Win regime.around the first'
of the year. Military probes from Thai-bases-by a
1,000-man-force would be complemented by Karen and
Mon tribal sympathizers living along the,Thai7Bur-
mese border*. The attache-said'that Burma isready-
ing its military forces along the border and.is con-
fident of repelling any military adventures. He
added that U.Nu's group is known to have made arms
purchases recently, and he reiterated Burmese.knowl-.
edge of Thai Government complicity in the ex - prime
minister's activities.
The Burmese obviously are getting more up-
set about U Nu's campaign to unseat Ne
Win, which to date has been a rather half-
baked affair. Although U Nu has been buy-
ing weapons, we have no evidence to con-
firm the allegation that he plans to
launch operations soon. Rangoon, although
not worried about an early military threat,
is concerned that the appearance of his
forces inside Burma would increase his
appeal to the disaffected Burmese populace.
The purpose of the Burmese attach g in pass-
ing this information may have been to
discourage any US contacts with U Nu. AZ-
though Rangoon has accepted US assurances
of noninvolvement, some Burmese officials
have been telling third parties that the
opposite is true. The Rangoon press has
noted Bangkok's association with the exile
movement, and the Burmese may also hope
that the attachg's remarks will get back
to the Thai and discourage their support
of U Nu.
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
North Vietnam: Infiltration Starts
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
- 1968 SVN, Total 240,800
=Km 1969 SVN, Total 84,600
1970 SVN, Cambodia, and Southern Laos
1970 total: 95,400 to 24 November
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
1968 SVN
21,000
18,900
32,600
38,900
32,800
23,500
21,800
11,000
2,200
2,800
5,200
30,100
1969 SVN ,
19,200
25,0.00
17,100 .
2,300
1,100
100
100
600
600
4,500
7,800
6,200
1970 SVN, Cambodia,
and Southerdiaos
14,200
11,700
10,600
3,100
3,800
2,100
4,100
4,400
11,000
15,200
15,200"
Southern Laos
600
-
700
700
900
700
3,300
10,200
3,400
2500
550595 11-70 CIA
Totals for 1968 and 1969 include troops bound for South Vietnam only;
those for 1970 include troops bound for South Vietnam, Southern Laos,
and Cambodia.
*to date
r't F:9 171 f=1 f=1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1
r---1 I __Irn r-7-71 1-1 17=1 r-1 E-1 r="="1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NORTH VIETNAM
Some 4,500 troops started southward during the
past week, bringing the total being infiltrated so
far in November to around 15,200. About 10,000 of
these are going to the COSVN area which covers south-
ern South Vietnam and Cambodia. Another 2,700 are
earmarked for northern South Vietnam and 2,500 more--
including what appears to be an integral regiment--
are most likely en route to southern Laos.
November infiltration will reach about
20,000 if the present rate continues
This would be the highest monthly total
since February 1969, when 25,000.set .out:
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
rr-='=-1 [7-71 r- rr---_
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NORTH VIETNAM
A Foreign Ministry statement about the US op-
eration to rescue captured airmen was ordered held
in abeyance yesterday shortly after being transmitted
to foreign outlets of the North Vietnamese news
agency.. The statement, although calling Secretary
Laird's disclosure a fabrication to cover widespread
US, air raids well above the 19th parallel, was on
the whole mild and lacking in threats of military
retaliation or of a break in the Paris talks. The
news agencies were ordered to await another state-
ment, but no second statement is available and, as
of early this morning, Hanoi, has not yet released
the original Foreign Ministry response-.
North Vietnam's international news service has,
however, broadcast an unattributed commentary pub-
lished today in the Communist.Party's daily news-
paper. Like Hanoi's initial response to the air at-
tacks, this commentary avoided the issue of whether
a rescue effort had actually occurred and stated
only that the US had attacked a prisoner of war in-
stallation. The weekend raids were characterized
as "extremely serious" but .no unusual reactions were
threatened..
Delay in releasing a Foreign Ministry
statement and the guarded approach to the
rescue mission suggest that Hanoi has been
having some difficulty in formulating an
appropriate response. Hanoi's dilemma ap-
parently stems from its desire to condemn
the action without acknowledging that US
forces were able to move in and out of
North Vietnamese territory with impunity.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1'
550484 11-70 CIA
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Communist China:
USSR: An unmanned Soyuz spacecraft was orbited
from ur. .41 - ? orning.
labeled Cosmos 379 by TASS,
/ The purpose of this flight may be to test
modifications to the spacecraft, possibly in.prepa-
ration for a new phase of the Soyuz manned'space
program:
Fedayeen-Jordan: Representatives from various,
Palestine commando organizations are scheduled to
meet today in Amman to discuss the merger of all
fedayeen groups into a single Palestine Liberation
Front. The meeting has already been postponed once
because of the disarray among fedayeen leaders/
(continued)
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
Li
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4 ?
Egyptian and Israeli Reconnaissance Overflights 22-24 November
.28?
Strait of
Tiran
30
550593 11-70 CIA
MILES
t IriF7-1 1,'1 F-1 F=9 r-1 11=9 C:=LI
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1
L
Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19: CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
?
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-Cuba: The Soviet submarine tender returned
to Cienfuegos yesterday afternoon following a five-
day stay in the nearby port of Casilda. In the At-
lantic, a Soviet guided-missile frigate and an oiler
are 1,300 miles southwest of the Azores, headed to-
ward the Caribbean.
a Soviet C-class nuclear attack submarine may be ac?
companying these two ships.
Egypt-Israel: Egyptian reconnaissance flights
over the east bank of the Suez Canal were conducted
on 22 and 23 November for the first time since the
cease-fire began in early August. These missions
have elicited Israeli complaints of cease-fire vio-
lations despite the fact that the Israelis conduct
fairly regular overflights of Egyptian territory--
the most recent of which occurred yesterday.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008900230001-4