THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 7 JUNE 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993341
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 7, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010800060001-1
The President's Daily Brief
7 June 1972
45
Top Secx'l
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
7 June 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
There are persistent signs of North Vietnamese prep-
arations for attacks in the northern provinces of
South Vietnam. (Page 1)
The Soviets have not changed their public posture of
support for the Vietnamese Communists. (Page 2)
Lao officials are worried about a Communist threat
to the town of Pakse. (Page 3)
There will be a great deal of international negoti-
ating soon concerning Iraq's nationalization of the
IPC's oil properties. (Page 4)
terrorist attacks in Israel.
fedayeen plans for new
(Page 5)
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I8 110
Demilitarized Zone
Gulf of
Thailand
104
553196 6-72
ir
Capital Special Zone
10--
South
China
Sea
12-
SOUTH VIETNAM
MILES
110
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VIETNAM
Military action remains generally light as
both sides prepare for further fighting.
Skirmishing continues in Hau Nghia Province
just west of Saigon, along Route 13 south of An
Loc, and in the Kontum Pass in the highlands.
Enemy pressure against An Loc itself remains mod-
erate, and government forces mopping up in Kontum
City predict that the airfield there will soon be
reopened.
There are persistent signs,? however, that the
North Vietnamese are trying to prepare a new round
of strong attacks, particularly in the northern
provinces.
Intercepts
have indicated for some time that the North
Vietnamese would try to regain offensive momentum
in the Hue area early this month. There are also
signs the enemy is preparing attacks around Da
Nang and farther south in Binh Dinh Province.
1
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USSR-VIETNAM
The third anniversary this week of the Viet
Cong's Provisional Revolutionary Government has
given the Soviets their first opportunity since the
summit to express their support for the Vietnamese
Communists publicly. At the Viet Cong ambassador's
reception on 5 June and in a message to the PRG
leaders, the Soviets condemned "US aggression" in
Indochina and affirmed that the USSR would fulfill
its "internationalist duty" to support Vietnam.
Pravda subsequently noted that the latest Communist
offensive in South Vietnam had dealt a "heavy blow"
to the US Vietnamization policy, but the article
focused primarily on the reasonableness of the Viet-
namese Communist negotiating position. It singled
out the Vietnamese demand for a three-part govern-
ment of national concord, noting that this would
"exactly meet" the real political situation in
South Vietnam.
This Soviet commentary is quite similar
to the treatment accorded the anniversary
last year.
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LAOS: Bo!ovens Plateau Area
553193 6-72
10 20 30 Miles
10 ?20 do Kilometers
14-
107
0 Government-held location
? Communist-held location
a
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LAOS
Government officials in Pakse, in south Laos,
are alarmed over recent reports
the Communists will soon attack the town.
Reflecting this concern, Prime Minister Souvanna
has sent Defense Minister Sisouk to take charge of
military and civil affairs in the south.2
In fact, the military situation in the
south has not changed since the North
Vietnamese dispersed government forces
attempting to retake the provincial cap-
ital of Khong Sedone two weeks ago. The
Communists are still blocking Route 13
both north and south of Pakse. Moreover,
recent heavy rains have washed out the
town's supply route from Thailand, and
Pakse is now virtually isolated, except
by air.
The North Vietnamese clearly have the
capability to attack Pakse with little
warning. Such an attack, however, would
be a significant change from the Commu-
nists' self-imposed policy of avoiding
major actions against the Mekong River
population centers. It seems more likely
that, as in the past several years, the
North Vietnamese are attempting to mount
a credible threat that will keep govern-
ment forces away from the Bolovens PZa-
teau and the infiltration corridor far-
ther east.
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INTERNATIONAL OIL
OPEC is expected to, take a more moderate position
than the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting_
Countries, which meets.Sunday.
Baghdad has publicly offered oil from its
nationalized fields at market prices.
IPC.'s threat of legal action against buyers
of the "hot" oil is likely to deter sales
in major non-Communist markets.
In a move' that may be related to the Iraqi
nationalization, Libya has informed US companies
operating there that they should send a. high-level
representative to Tripoli for a meeting with the
Revolutionary Command Council tomorrow.
Tripoli has given Iraq strong public sup-
port for its actions against IPC. The
meeting may be a political move to assert
Libya's solidarity with Iraq and to ha-
rangue the companies for boycotting na-
tionalized oil from both countries.
(Tripoli nationalized British Petroleum
assets in Libya last December.)
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NOTES
Fedayeen-Israel: The Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine and its collaborators from
the Japanese "Red Army Faction" plan further acts
of terrorism against Israel.)
The Israeli Government is
aware of this plan. r
USSR:
Cuba:
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Top Secret
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