THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 29 APRIL 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993272
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 29, 1972

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010600250001-2
The President's Daily Brief
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29 April 1972
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
29 April 1972?
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
North Vietnamese forces have isolated Quang Tri City.
(Page 1)
In West Germany, Chancellor Brandt is determined. to .
:go-ahead_with:the Bundestag vote on the Eastern_
treaties:next-week, (Page .5) .
EgyptianJpresidentrSadat.isreceiving domestic. crit--
icism-of his -foreign policies:- (Page 6)
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104
108
Demilitarized Zone
.?Jcig Tr i.
Hue
1*,4141? ?.tirtningham
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oo
MR 1
THAILAND
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C A M.130 D
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fnkong
AM
R A ,
eao
110
MR 2
South
IGON
China
01.1000 ./Y---
TuY_/----niR 3
Sea
?10
VINHkV
0
Gulf of
Thailand
104
MR 4
116
Capital Special Zone
SOUTH VIETNAM
MILES
16-
14-
12-
10 --
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VIETNAM
Strong elements of two North Vietnamese divi-
sions, spearheaded by tanks and supported by heavy
artillery, have isolated Quang Tri City. Some enemy
troops are on the edge of the capital. The defense
of the city now depends heavily on allied air sup-
port which recently has been facilitated by rela-
tively good weather.
Farther south, Fire Support Base Bastogne has
been evacuated, and only one other military strong-
point remains between the Communists and Hue. Enemy
pressure in this area inhibits any shift of govern-
ment reinforcements from Hue to Quang Tri.
The enemy evidently hopes to sustain mil-
itary pressure on the northern front.
In the central highlands, there has been little
enemy-initiated military action. The repositioning
of. Communist headquarters, the continued evidence
of resupply movements, and enemy efforts at road
interdiction leave little doubt, however, that a
?serious. test of South Vietnamese defenses north of
Kontum City is in the offing,
The Communists may be maneuvering to increase
military pressure on the populated.sectors.surround-
ing Saigon. Intercepts reveal that preparations are
being made for military operations along the Route 1 -
Saigon River corridor west of the capital. This cor-
ridor has traditionally been a main avenue of enemy
approach to Saigon. Communist artillery fire and
light ground probes around An Loc during the last
few days suggest that the enemy is trying to keep
South Vietnamese forces pinned down. in the town and
along. Route 13. Meanwhile, some eneMy forces and
equipment reportedly are being shifted farther south
toward Route 1.
(continued)
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' /14 Sagger Missile
1 i
1,!...
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ABSENCE OF
PROTECTIVE,. p_ooT
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Enough enemy weapons have been captured since
the start of the offensive to indicate that both the
Soviets and the Chinese are supplying up-to-date
weaponry to Hanoi. Chinese copies of Soviet tanks,
recoilless rifles, and grenade launchers are among
the arms taken. The Soviet-made wire-guided "Saggerm
missile, which is highly effective against armored
vehicles and tanks, has been used on all three major
battlefronts.
Communications from the harbor master in Hai-
phong were renewed on about 24 April. Messages are
probably being passed over mobile facilities, since
the harbor master communications building was de-
stroyed during the bombing. Two communications out-
stations of the Directorate of Coastal Shipping re-
sumed normal operations on 19 April.
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VI ETNAM
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VIETNAM
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WEST GERMANY
State Secretary Bahr has told the chiefs of
mission of the US, UK, and France that Chancellor
Brandt is determined to hold a vote on the Eastern
treaties on 3'and 4 May as scheduled, despite the
Bundestag's rejection by a tie vote yesterday of
part of the budget bill. Bahr said Brandt had re-
jected a proposal by Christian Democratic leader
Barzel to postpone' the vote on the treaties for two
to three weeks. Barzel subsequently told a US Em-
bassy officer that he still is pressing for such a
delay to allow time to elicit new Soviet and East
German concessions.
The.,tie vote in the Bundestag resulted in calls
for early elections from. both: sides of the aisle,
but the leadership of both the coalition and the op-
position prefers to avoid elections' at_this time.
With the Bundestag adjourned until Tuesday,,Brandt
is trying to. rally the three or four wavering coali-
tionsdeputiesi One Free Democrat who voted for Bar-
zel'in the-,no-confidence motion is believed to sup-
port-Brandt on the treaties. Another has agreed to
resign in favor of -a loyal replacement, but has
disappeared without handing in his letter Of resig-
nation. Brandt hopes that the weekend will bring
the beginning of dissension in opposition ranks.
over Barzel's failure to unseat him.
The government crisis, capping an increasingly?
bitterdebate-over, the treaties., appears to have
sharpened divisions in the electorate. Government
leaders are taking their case to thepublic at.a
rally today in West Berlin, but they have expressed
concern:that..the normal May Day demonstrations may-
leacito disturbances.
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EGYPT
An associate of former vice president Muhyeddin
has told US officials in-Cairo that incumbent Vice
President Shafi recently took PresidentSadat to
task for severing diplomatic relations with. Jordan,,
accusing him of acting without prior consultation..
Shafi dropped from sight for a week thereafter, but
he reappeared after an apparent:reconciliation with
the President.
The source reported that similar criticism
was expressed'in a letter to Sadat from ten former
cabinet members and retired senior militaryoffi-
cers. The letter 'questioned. Sadatus. policies and
was particularly critical of the President's failure
to consult more'widely.among.well-known. Egyptians.
Two former members-of.Nasir's Revolutionary Command
Council were among the signers of the letter
This dissatisfaction is symptomatic of
widespread unhappiness among Egyptians:
Sadat's failure to move the dispute with
Israel off dead center is causing growing
frustration, and his attempts to divert
public attention from the impasse have
only tended to confirm the impression
that he is merely treading water.
This particular group of malcontents
alone has little capability to threaten
Sadat. Its members, however, represent
potential rallying points. Muhyeddin
in particular, who was frequently men-
tioned as a successor after Nasir's
death, is one of the few civilian figures
whose name reappears periodically as a
possible candidate for the presidency.
Any real challenge to Sadat would, of
course, require the support of army
leaders. Thus far there is no evidence
linking them with these dissenters.
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USSR-JORDAN
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Soviet Ugra-class submarine tender
seen entering Bay of Nipe
27 April
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NOTES
USSR-Syria:
USSR-Cuba: The Soviet Ugra-class submarine
tender that arrived in Cuban waters on Wednesday
entered the Bay of Nipe on Thursday. It is the
first Ugra from the Black Sea to operate in Cuban
waters, although Soviet tenders from the Northern
Fleet previously have visited Cuba on several oc-
casions. The Kotlin-class destroyer that has been
in Cuba since early March is currently in Antilla
and may accompany the sub tender to Havana, pos-
sibly in time for May Day ceremonies.
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Top Secret
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