THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 10 MARCH 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014741
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 10, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
March 10, 1975
Tob et 25x1
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Exempt from general
declassification scheduk of E.O. 11652
exemption category, 5E(1 ).(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
March 10, 1975
Table of Contents
Cambodia: A major shake-up in the military command
structure is in the offing. (Page 1)
South Vietnam: The communists opened new battle-
fronts in the central highlands and northern
Military Region 1 over the weekend. (Page 3)
Portugal: Prospects for a peaceful election next
month have been further dimmed. (Page 4)
Notes: International Energy Agency; Iran-Iraq
(Page 5)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
A major shake-up in the Cambodian
military command structure is in the off-
ing, and an unstable political situation
could result.
Within a few days, President Lon Nol will down-
grade the position of the armed forces commander in
chief, in effect demoting senior Cambodian army Gen-
eral Sosthene Fernandez. A civilian-led defense
ministry will apparently be given increased powers
over the armed forces.
In implementing these changes, Lon Nol is clearly
responding to pressure from Prime Minister Long
Boret, who on Friday announced his intention to re-
sign if Fernandez were not replaced and civilian
control over the military not increased. Boret has
the backing of the Senate and the National Assembly,
which last week passed resolutions demanding in-
creased powers for the civilian government.
Ambassador Dean has met with both Boret and Lon
Nol in an attempt to convince them that even minor
governmental changes in Phnom Penh could destroy the
facade of unity in the top leadership and adversely
affect the US Congressional vote on supplemental aid
for Cambodia. Boret on Saturday appeared persuaded
that the changes should be postponed until after the
aid vote. Yesterday, however, Lon Nol said he would
proceed with the shake-up, repeating Boret's earlier
argument that a change in military leadership is nec-
essary to boost the sagging morale of the armed forces
Lon Nol said that Boret would not go through
the formal process of dissolving the present govern-
ment to reshuffle his cabinet. Instead, cabinet
changes would be in the nature of behind-the-scenes
"adjustments," the most important of which will
probably be the appointment of roving ambassador
Sak Sutsakhan as defense minister with widely ex-
panded powers.
Although Fernandez may try to fight his demo-
tion, he has come to symbolize the inadequacies of
the government's military performance. There is a
groundswell in favor of his departure in both civil-
ian and military circles.
1
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Cambodia: Lower Mekong
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Probable / ti
artillery site .
? PHNOM
Tuol Leap PENH ?
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15
Prey Veng
Banam ,
Bleak Luong
30
Takeo
0 Miles 10\
58-7450 3-7:5
SOUTH VIETNAM
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25X1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Fernandez may resign rather than accept a less
powerful post. If he does, a period of intense in-
fighting may follow as other senior officers jockey
for dominance in the new command structure. Navy
commander Admiral Vong Sarendy, for example, wants
the top military position and has the support of
Lon Non, Lon Nol's controversial younger brother.
Lon Non, moreover, is trying to undercut Long Boret
because of his own ambition to be prime minister.
The planned command shake-up runs broader risks.
As the battlefield situation has deteriorated, an
increasing number of influential Cambodians has de-
cided that some way must be found to break the impasse
on a settlement before the government's military
position crumbles completely. These Cambodians might
seize on any confusion resulting from the planned
changes to try to force even more dramatic changes--
such as the departure of the current top leadership--
in the hope of bringing an early end to the fighting.
Tactical Situation
The airlift to Phnom Penh of ammunition, rice,
and fuel continued at scheduled levels over the
weekend despite sporadic communist rocket and artil-
lery attacks against Pochentong airport.
The government operation to retake the town of
Tuol Leap and to eliminate insurgent rocket and ar-
tillery positions in the airport area remains stalled.
Baying met stiff resistance to his head-on attacks
during the first four days of the operation, the
local government commander has attempted a flanking
maneuver, but this too is meeting heavy opposition.
The communists, however, are having to use their
artillery to hold off these government ground at-
tacks, and this may be limiting their shelling of
Pochen tong.
In the capital area, government forces have
fought off a brief insurgent penetration of the
defense line near Route 5 north of the city, but
fighting in the area continues. Hard though incon-
clusive fighting continues around the government
navy base at Neak Luong and at the nearby river
town of Banam.
2
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Demilitarized Zone
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SOUTH VIETNAM
190
MILES
557449 3-75
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
The communists opened new battle-
fronts in the central highlands and in
northern Military Region 1 over the week-
end, and early this morning North Viet-
namese troops fought their way into Ban
Me Thuot, capital of Darlac Province.
The government fears that the main thrust
of the renewed communist campaign will.
be directed at poorly defended positions
in the southern tier of highland provinces.
North Vietnamese forces on Saturday attacked
and overran the remote district town of Thuan Man
in Phu Bon Province, and they are exerting pressure
on a second district town--Duc Lap in Quang Duc
Province.
South Vietnamese commanders have speculated
that, following the interdiction of the government's
main overland supply lines, the communists would
turn southward to improve their access from the
highlands to Military Region 3 and the provinces
around Saigon. The recent upsurge in activity in
the border area of Quang Duc suggests that such a
strategy may be unfolding.
In the northern provinces, communist forces
have increased attacks against government positions
in Quang Tri and Thua Thien provinces. The commu-
nists have overrun at least 15 hamlets and have in-
terdicted Route 1 north of Hue at the My Chanh River.
Field reports indicate that in most instances, the
government's local militia broke and ran, permitting
the Viet Cong local forces easy access to the low-
land areas.
Farther south, North Vietnamese main forces
are responsible for renewed attacks against the
government's marine, airborne, and 1st Infantry
divisions. Details of the fighting are sketchy, but
the South Vietnamese reportedly have been forced
out of one position on high ground southeast of Hue.
Fighting elsewhere in the country was light,
although some increase in communist harassing at-
tacks was reported in Tay Ninh Province. Government
commanders continue to predict that the communists
will resume combat in the southern half of the
country within the week.
3
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PORTUGAL
Prospects for a peaceful election
next month were dimmed last Friday when
extreme leftists attempted to stop a
meeting of the center-left Popular Demo-
cratic Party in a working-class strong-
hold.
Shooting broke out when police in Setubal, 15
miles south of Lisbon, tried to clear the demonstra-
tors. The US embassy reports that three persons
were killed, the first deaths since active party
campaigning began several weeks ago. Troops had to
be brought in from Lisbon to free police who were
trapped in their headquarters by the protesting
leftists. The military has now assumed control of
public security in Setubal.
Previous left-wing violence had been aimed
at the parties to the right of center--the Social
Democratic Center and the Christian Democratic
Party. It is only recently that the largely mid-
dle-class Popular Democratic Party, a member of the
three-party coalition, has been attacked.
The unwillingness or inability of the provi-
sional government to control the extreme left and
to prevent violence is frightening moderate parties,
and has already hampered Social Democratic Center
campaigning.
The Popular Democrats fear that the incident
will be used by leftist military officers to post-
pone or cancel the April 12 election on the grounds
that public order cannot be maintained.
4
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NOTES
The members of the International Energy Agency
agreed last week to consider a plan that would pro-
vide multilateral encouragement to oil-importing
states to develop alternate energy sources to im-
ported oil.
This small step moved these oil-importing
states closer to the common stand the US has in-
sisted is a prerequisite to a meeting with the oil-
producing states. The plan must now be reviewed by
by agency's 18 member states--and indirectly by
France, which is not a member--before the agency's
governing board returns to Paris next week. At
that time, the board will probably adopt the plan
and give formal blessing to the preparatory meet-
ing of oil producers and importers that President
Giscard has called for April 7.
The agreement last Thursday between the lead-
ers of Iran and Iraq is endangered by a surprise
attack launched on Saturday by Iraqi forces against
the Kurdish rebels.
The attack came after most of the Iranian
troops supporting the Kurds had been withdrawn to
Iran in accordance with the agreement. The Shah
regards the Iraqi offensive as a violation of the
agreement, but he apparently is not yet aware that
Iraqi strongman Saddam Husayn personally ordered
the attack.
5
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Top Secret
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