THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 5 SEPTEMBER 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992846
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: September 5, 1971

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
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The President's Daily Brief
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
PDB CABLE SUNDAY 5 SEPT 71
POLITICAL TENSIONS IN PHNOM PENH HAVE EASED. THE NATIONAL'
ASSEMBLY HAS AGREED TO POSTPONE ITS I NTERPELL ATI ON OF FINANCE
MINISTER SOK CHHONG--A PROCEDURE TANTAMOUNT TO A VOTE OF NO-CON!
ENCE IN CAMBODIA--AND HAS SIGNALED ITS READINESS TO CONSIDER
MAJOR ECONOMIC REFORMS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL PROPOSE, PERHAPS
AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK. . CHIEF OF STATE CHENG HENG HAS TOLD AMBASS-
ADOR SWANK THAT CHM NG IN TURN HAS AGREED TO STAY ON IN THE CABINET
AND TO SEE THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE. CHHONG
ONE OF CAMBODIA'S FEW TRAINED AND COMPETE NT ECONOMISTS, HAD BEEN
UNDER PRESSURE TO RESIGN BY A SMALL Mit' VOCAL ASSEMBLY MINORITY,
BECAUSE HE WAS THE ARCHITECT OF SOME EARLIER, UNPOPULAR GOVERNMENT
ECONOMIC POLICIES. L ON NOL AND SIRIK MATAK WERE ANXIOUS TO AVOID'''
ANY SHOWDOWN WITH THE ASSEMBLY AS OTHER MINISTERS WERE SAID TO.tBE
READY TO QUIT IN SYMPATHY WITH CHHO NG . THIS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE.,?
BROUGHT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT, WORSENING AN ALREADY TURBULENT .POLIT-
ICAL SCENE AGITATED BY THE PERSONAL ANIMOSITIES AND AMBITIONS OF A
NUMBER OF G OVER NME NT LEADERS,
THE FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE OF THE IT NEW ECortomta
PR OGR A MS-4 HE EXCHANGE SUPPORT FUN)) (E SF) I, A MULTI 41 IO NAL AID
ARRA NGEME ? - IS EXPECTE) TA XE S
ACQUIESENCE IN THE MATTER MEANS IN EFFECT THAT THE INTERPELLATJ
WILL BE SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY AND SUGGESTS THAT THE ' ASSEMBLY
READY TO COOPERATE' WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN RESOLVING CAMBODIA'S 5 X
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ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. IT WAS ALSO APPARENTLY RECOGNIZED THAT T:-T.
SPECTRE OF CONTINUED POLITICAL INSTABILITY IN P.NNit PE NH ,COULti. HAVE
JEOPARDIZED THE ESF AS WELL AS THE PROSPECTS or4 CASH GRANT
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Note: The last line in the page is missing, but if was shown in Document# 1: the Cambodians now under study in Washington.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE GOVERNMENT TASK FOR CE ATTEMPTING TO RECAPTHRE PAICSOk ON
THE BOLOVENS PLATEAU IN SOUTH LAOS WAS DEALT ANOTHER SETSAtK, YE
DAY. NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCES MOUNTED A COORDINATED MORTAR :4N1)--G1
ATTACK AGAINST THEE LAO ARMY BATTALIONS MANNING FRONT LI NE POSITI
ON ROUTE 23 WEST OF PAKSONG, THE THREE BATTALIONS DISPERSED
WERE REPORTED TO BE STRUNG OUT AND IN DISARRAY FOR SOME SIX MILE
BACK ALONG THE ROAD. KNOWN CASUALTIES ARE ONE KILLED, 36 WOUNDED,,,
AND OVER 200 MISSING. THREE IRREGULAR BATTALIONS AT BAN PMAK
ARE TO BE JOINED BY A FOURTH TO FORM NEW FRONT LINE POSITIONS.
ELSEWHERE IN SOUTH LAOS, TWO PATHET LAO COMPANIES--TOTALING 77 KEN
AND THREE POLITICAL CADRE.-DEFECTED TO THE GOVERNMENT AT A LOCATIO
NORTHEAST OF KHONG SEDONE.
IN NORTH LAOS, THREE IRREGULAR POSITIONS NORTHEAST OF THE PLit
DES JARRES WERE LAST FOLLOWING ENEMY DAYLIGHT ATTACKS. THE NOR
VIETNAMESE ALSO KEPT UP THEIR SHELLING ATTACKS AND GROUND ASSAULTS
ON IRREGULAR POSITIONS ON THE NORTHERN PLAINE, BUT NO OTHER
IT IONS CHANGED HANDS.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009900050002-2