THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 FEBRUARY 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014722
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 15, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
February 15, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5Bt 1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
February 15, 1975
Table of Contents
Cambodia: All surface lines of communication to
Phnom Penh are closed, leaving Pochentong air-
field as the government's only reliable means
of resupply. (Page 1)
Ethiopia: The ruling military council is too op-
timistic about winning the struggle against
the insurgents in Eritrea. (Page 2)
USSR:
/ (Page 3)
Notes: USSR; Turkey; Colombia-Cuba (Page 6) ?
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CAMBODIA
All surface lines of communication
to Phnom Penh are now closed, leaving
flights into Pochentong airfield as the
government's only reliable 'means of re-
supply. Pochentong has been the target
of daily communist shellings--mostly
rocket fire--since the beginning of the
year, and increased attacks against the
field are likely as airlift operations
expand.
An estimated 13,000 to 15,000 communist troops
are located within a 15-mile radius of Pochentong.
The recent shift of three communist regiments to the
area northwest of Phnom Penh and the movement of
elements of a communist division toward Pochentong
from the southwest are ominous developments. Pre-
vious attacks on the airfield have been mounted from
these areas.
Communist forces have the capability to:
--Intensify 107-mm. rocket attacks and possibly
initiate 105-mm. howitzer fire against Pochen-
tong.
--Launch coordinated ground attacks against the
airfield.
--Conduct sapper attacks against the airfield.
--Employ automatic weapons against arriving and
departing aircraft.
The Cambodian army has between 10,000 and 12,000
combat troops within a 15-mile radius of Pochentong.
The army's best unit, the 3rd Division, is near Route
4 west of the airfield. The 7th Division is north-
west of the airfield, but it has suffered serious
losses 'and would be particularly vulnerable to any
strong communist action. If Pochentong becomes ser-
iously threatened, the government could also with-
draw units from provincial enclaves to help in its
defense.
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ETHIOPIA
The ruling military council remains
confident that government forces will win
the struggle against the insurgents in
Eritrea, but neither the government nor
the rebels seem capable of a clear-cut
military victory.
The council overrates the military's capabil-
ities, and planned organizational and leadership
changes will probably not do much to improve the
effectiveness of the armed forces.
The size of the government force and its artil-
lery and air support give it a decided advantage in
regular combat situations. The military is, however,
ill-trained and ill-equipped to conduct counterin-
surgency operations. As 4 result, the government's
position in major cities is reasonably secure, but
it faces real problems if it attempts to operate in
the countryside against the guerrilla forces.
The government's position is Asmara could de-
teriorate seriously if the military does not show
greater success in clearing rebel roadblocks. The
airlift now under way is vulnerable to rebel attacks
on the airplanes and on the Asmara airport. In the
long run, reliance on resupply by air could prove
almost prohibitively costly for the government.
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USSR
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USSR
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NOTES
The Canadian ambassador in Moscow was told
some two weeks ago that General Secretary Brezhnev
would make a public appearance on February 13 but
that he would never fully recover from his illness
nor resume a full work schedule.
The ambassador, who has been in Moscow longer
than any other chief of mission, said he had re-
ceived the information from someone he "normally
trusts." He thinks Brezhnev's public appearance
with British Prime Minister Wilson on the 13th
gives some credence to one part of the story.
Brezhnev continued in the Moscow spotlight yester-
day with a speech praising the "positive changes"
in Soviet relations with the West. He stressed
the determination of Soviet leaders to make detente
irreversible and pledged to seek long-term coopera-
tion with non-communist states.
Turkey has sent an additional artillery bat-
talion to Cyprus within the past few days.
some 850 troops in combat gear were loaded on a
transport ship in the Turkish port of Mersin on
February 13. The US defense attache in Nicosia has
confirmed the arrival of artillery equipment at
Famagusta on February 11.
Colombia apparently is pressing on toward
renewing relations with Cuba.
Foreign Minister Lievano recently announced
publicly that he would have important news regard-
ing Cuba "soon."
The opposition Conservative
Party has launched a campaign in the Colombian
press aimed at sabotaging or at least slowing the
approach to Cuba. President Lopez is unlikely to
be deterred, however, and his party's control of
congress precludes legislative roadblocks.
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