THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 13 MARCH 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014744
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 13, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
March 13, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category511(1),(2).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
March 131 1975
Table of Contents
South Vietnam: Government forces are moving to
counter the spreading communist military cam-
paign. (Page 1)
Syria-Israel:
(Page 2)
Portugal: The Armed Forces Movement has announced
steps it will take in response to Tuesday's
abortive coup. (Page 3)
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Iran-Iraq: Kurdish rebel
leaders
have asked the
(Page 4)
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South.
Shah to arrange a cease-fire.
Korea:
Notes:
(Page
5)
Ethiopia
Cambodia; Cyprus;
Turkey;
(Pages 6 and 7):
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104
Demilitarized Zone
Gulf of
Thailand
104
ISb
Capital Special Zone
1C3
MR 2
South
China
SOUTH VIETNAM
190
MILES
1E-
557464 3-75
- ? ?
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SOUTH VIETNAM
The South Vietnamese are moving to
counter the communist military campaign.
The government has counterattacked west of Hue
and regained most of the ground lost during the
past few days. Heavy fighting has developed in
coastal Binh Dinh Province as a result of similar
government attacks.
Ban Me Thuot has been reinforced, more troops
have been promised, and President Thieu has issued
orders to the regional commander to hold the town
"at all costs." Saigon has directed the air force
to provide "maximum support" to the highland battle-
front.
The commander of Military Region 3, meanwhile,
is moving his forces to block communist advances
in southern Tay Ninh and western Binh Duong prov-
inces. He is also consolidating units of the di-
vision responsible for the defense of Tay Ninh City
and is moving other units to reopen Route 22, the
route linking Saigon and Tay Ninh that has been cut
for several days.
Faced with mounting and widespread communist
military pressure, President Thieu has ordered the
return of the airborne division from the northern
provinces to Saigon, presumably as a reserve that
could be deployed to critical areas around the
capital. If such a move takes place, the balance
of forces in Military Region I will shift to the
communists' favor. If the airborne division re-
turns to Saigon, the northern regional commander
plans to concentrate his remaining forces for the
defense of Hue and Da Nang, leaving Quang Tri,
Quang Tin, and Quang Ngai provinces vulnerable.
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SYRIA?ISRAEL
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PORTUGAL
The Armed Forces Movement, apparently
now under firm leftist control, yesterday
announced the steps it will take in re-
sponse to Tuesday's abortive coup.
The decisions announced by the Movement include:
--Formal announcement of Movement control over
Portuguese politics. This probably spells an
end to any serious negotiations between ?the
military and political parties toward sharing
power.
--Assignment of the Movement's political role
to a new executive body, to be called the
Council of Revolution.
--Confirmation that the national election will
be held as scheduled on April 12.
--Support for Prime Minister Goncalves' re-
shuffle of the cabinet so that the government
can take a "firmer and better defined line in
keeping with the program of the Armed Forces
Movement."
The Movement has also drawn up lists of com-
mand changes and of persons to be arrested in con-
nection with the coup attempt. Several of Spinola's
intimates have been added to the list of 26 of
already charged with conspiratorial activity
by President Costa Gomes. Spinola and other offi-
cers who fled to Spain have been dismissed from the
service.
A commission has been set up to investigate
the coup attempt, and the Movement campaign to "ed-
ucate the-public" about the Movement's goals is to
be intensified. ?The military service councils, in
which-moderates had assumed control after elections
last week, have been abolished.
The election on April 12 will probably be less
significant than if the coup attempt had not taken
place. The military now has no intention of giving
up any political power. In addition, the offices
of the moderate parties suffered heavy damage from
roving mobs of extreme leftists Tuesday night.
A few demonstrations continued in Lisbon yes-
terday, including one at the US embassy. The gov-
ernment, however, has repudiated a suggestion by
General Otelo Carvalho, commander of the Lisbon
military region, that Ambassador Carlucci go home.
Portuguese marines are now stationed outside the
embassy.
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IRAN?IRAQ
Kurdish rebel leaders have asked the
Shah of Iran to intercede with Iraq to
arrange a cease-firej
The Kurds are said to have offered to stop
fighting if Iraqi forces would do the
same. The collapse of Kurdish military resistance
was a matter of time once the Shah agreed in the
Iraqi-Iranian accord signed on March 6 to end Ira-
nian military support.
Baghdad may not agree to an immediate cease-
fire; it may insist on unconditional surrender of
the rebels now that Iraqi forces have the upper
hand. The situation may be further complicated by
the decision of some rebels to fight on even with-
out the authority of the Kurdish leadership.
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SOUTH KOREA
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NOTES
Airlift operations in Cambodia were halted
this morning after communist rockets set off a
fire in an ammunition holding area at Phnom
Penh's Pochentong airport.
Only a few artillery rounds landed near the
airfield yesterday. The government operation to re-
take the town of Tuol Leap--six miles northwest of
Pochentong--made slight gains yesterday. Command
problems still hinder its execution.
Greeks and Turks on Cyprus have agreed to re-
turn to the bargaining table after the UN Security
Council yesterday adopted by consensus a resolution
acceptable to both sides.
The resolution finessed the long impasse over
the role to be played by Secretary General Waldheim
by, in effect, leaving the determination of the
scope of his role up to the Cypriots. The site for
the resumed talks is still in question. The Secu-
rity Council president noted that the consensus of
the Council favored New York, but Turkish resistance
probably will mean that any negotiations will be
conducted in Nicosia.
During his second round of talks with party
leaders, Sadi Irmak ran into the same difficulties
that stymied his effort to form a new Turkish gov-
ernment last week.
Party leaders continue to reject a coalition
of Turkey's two major parties--the Justice Party
and the Republican People's Party--or a right-wing
coalition. There is a slim chance that Irmak may
be able to put together a coalition by grouping ?
Bulent Ecevit's Republican People's Party and the
conservative Democratic Party, Military leaders
continue to exert pressure on the government to end
the political stalemate, now in its sixth month. A
"precautionary" alert is still in effect, although
the military appears willing to give Irmak every
chance to form a government.
(continued)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Ethiopian government forces yesterday report-
edly captured Tadessa Biru, the leader of an anti-
government group of Galla--the country's largest
tribe.
Tadessa and his followers have been organizing
insurrections in the provinces and have recently
attacked police stations to obtain weapons. The
arrest of Tadessa, the dissidents? most important
and able leader, will set back Galla efforts to
oust the ruling military council. At the same time,
however, numerous other tribal groups also are
sponsoring uprisings in the countryside.
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