THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 APRIL 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014781
• 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 25, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
April 25, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 58(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
*
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
April 25, 1975
Table of Contents
South Vietnam:, Most communist combat initiatives
remain concentrated on the western and south-
western approaches to Saigon. (Page 1)
USSR-Somalia: A new airfield is under construction
in Somalia within two miles of the Soviet missile
storage and handling facility at Berbera.
(Page 4)
Ethiopia: The ruling military council has arrested
some of its members for allegedly plotting a
coup. (Page 5)
Notes: Philippines; South Korea; USSR-Cambodia;
Portugal; World Grain; West Germany (Pages
6, 7, and 8)
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0 30
MILS
557770 4-75
MR 4
?Vung Tau
CAPITAL SPECIAL ZONE
MR 3
gelVNang
SOUTH
VIETNAM
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SOUTH VIETNAM
Most communist combat initiatives
remain concentrated on the western and
southwestern approaches to Saigon,
Communist units yesterday captured several gov-
ernment outposts in Hau Nghia Province. To the
south, in Long An Province, the North Vietnamese
8th Division continued driving north, overrunning a
number of government positions. These forces could
reach the outskirts of Saigon within a few days if
they maintain their present rate of advance.
The important port of Vung Tau at the mouth of
the Saigon River, which has been considered an evac-
uation site, could fall within the next one or two
days. The newly arrived North Vietnamese 325th Di-
vision, which helped capture Ham Tan several days
ago, has moved west and is fast approaching the port
city. Another division may be converging on the
city from the north. The government has shifted the
Airborne brigade and a regiment from the 18th Divi-
sion extracted from Xuan Loc into Phuoc Tuy Province
in an attempt to block North Vietnamese forces mov-
ing against the city, but these units and the forces
closer to Vung Tau are no match for the communists.
Refugees have poured into Vung Tau each day
this week--as many as 65,000 reportedly arrived in
one day. Government officials are transferring
many refugees by ship to the delta to relieve the
crowded conditions and to prevent another panic
situation such as developed at Da Nang.
Despite these actions, large numbers of people
are likely to continue to head for Vung Tau in the
belief that this is their best hope of escape. At
last report, the road from Saigon was still open
and civilian and military traffic was heavy.
The level of fighting is low in the delta.
With the movement of some communist forces closer
to Saigon, the balance of forces is now more in
favor of the government in the delta, but some mil-
itary officials now admit that the fate of the delta
will be decided in Saigon. The defeatist attitude
(continued)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
prevalent in the military hierarchy at Saigon and
Bien Hoa is now spreading to Can Tho, where the main
topic of conversation among the military staff mem-
bers is what to do when the communists win.
.11i-LIEWEEL
The North Vietnamese may be trying to use sev-
eral types of US-built aircraft captured from the
government in recent weeks. One intercept noted
that North Vietnamese pilots would be engaged in
"training exercises" in which they would fly from a
number of airfields in southern North Vietnam be-
ginning April 23. The next day, "five A-37s" were
noted "firing their cannons" and "dropping explo-
sives."
the communists would use their aircraft as well as
captured aircraft in the final assault on Saigon,
although no MIGs have been detected flying into
bases in South Vietnam..
The South Vietnamese are now able to fly about
two thirds of their 1,500 aircraft, mostly from Bien
Hoa, Tan Son Nhut, and Can Tho. Official estimates
conclude that at the current rate of usage, there
is enough ordnance remaining for 15 to 20 days.
Negotiations between General "Big" Minh and
President Huong to organize a new government have'
hit at least .a temporary snag.'
Huong is unwilling to relinquish
the presidency to Minh but instead wants him to
serve as prime minister with "full civil and' mili-
tary powers." Minh, in turning down the offer, ar-
gues that the communists will continue to refuse to
negotiate while Huong. remains as president.
Minh apparently has picked up some. powerful
support from among former members of the Thieu gov-
ernment. In a conversation with an American offi-
cial yesterday, Minh said-that Joint General Staff,
chief Vien agreed that Huong should resign. Former.
prime minister Khiem will also support Minh's bid
and try to persuade Huong to step down. Khiem feels
that with his and Vien's support, the military'can,
be persuaded to accept.Minh as president.
-
(continued)
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A Viet Cong commentary broadcast. over Libera-
tion Radio today hardened earlier communist demands
for a, new government and appeared to support Minh's
argument that he is the only South Vietnamese na-
tionalist of prominence with whom the communists
might agree to negotiate; The commentary stated
that any new. government in Saigon must "not consist
of those who have closely associated with Thieu."
Such a government must demand that the Americans im-
mediately withdraw personnel and support and remove
"all US warships and Marines." The commentary also
reiterated earlier communist concern about the US
evacuations of South Vietnamese and implied that
some action might be taken to stop them.- It warned
that the. US would "be held fully responsible for
all consequences" if it insisted on continuing its
"present policy."
3
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USSR-SOMALIA
a new airfield under construction at
Berbera, SomaZia, within two miles of
the Soviet missile storage and handling
facility. The runway will apparently
be long enough to accommodate modern
Soviet aircraft0
a gravel-like
base material is being spread at one end of the
runway. If the Soviets move ahead vigorously with
the project, aircraft could use the field within a
year. The Soviets, however, have taken two years
to build an airfield for the Somali air force near
Mogadiscio.
Access to an airfield in Berbera will signi-
ficantly improve the support capabilities of this
port for Soviet naval forces in the Indian Ocean
area. In addition to providing a capability for
rapid resupply from the USSR, the new airfield adds
to the growing complex of facilities at Berbera
that support Soviet naval units.
The Soviet aircraft that flew reconnaissance
missions over the Indian Ocean during the recent
worldwide Soviet naval exercise operated out of an
airfield at Hargeisa, some 100 miles inland from
Berbera. When the new airfield is completed, the
USSR's capability to conduct naval air operations
over the Indian Ocean area will be improved.
4
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ETHIOPIA
The ruling military council has ar-
rested some of its members for allegedly
plotting a coup. The number in custody
is not positively knownj
The plotters apparently believed that a coup
effort would be supported by most of the armed
forces. The council in recent weeks has encoun-
tered increasing discontent in the military ranks,
mainly because it has resisted repeated demands
that the military be exempt from the revolutionary
land reform decree. At least two of the army's
four divisions have strongly protested the ban on
private ownership of land, which would deprive mil-
itary personnel of the land grants promised them
under the Haile Selassie regime in lieu of retire-
ment pensions.
The dispute and the arrests may bring to a
head several other contentious issues between the
council and armed forces units. These include
grievances over pay and allowances, the living con-
ditions in some garrisons, and the council's fail-
ure to consult the units on important decisions.
The US embassy reports signs of rising tensions
in Addis Ababa. Guard forces at key buildings have
been increased this week and additional checkpoints
established on major roads.
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NORTH
VIETNAM
PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA
?
Gulf of Tonkin -
HAI-NAN
SOUTH'
VIETNAM.,
5 ,
SOUTH ,
CHINA PHILSPPINES
\
SEA
II
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e HONG KONG
(U.K.)
MACAO
(PORT.)
. ,
TAIWAN
('LUZON
0 MILES 200
Spratly islands,
--- --
MALAYSIA
(EAST)
BOR E0
INDONESIA
BRUNEI
(1J.K.2?,/-
'1)
/
L._
N
ii
0,91e
557774 4.75
,
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NOTES
Philippine President Marcos is seeking reaffirm-
ation of US security commitments to the Philippines
because of recent reports alleging a North Vietnam-
ese attack on one of the Spratly Islands.
The Spratlys, located in the South China Sea,
are claimed by several countries including the
Philippines. Manila has stationed troops on some
of the islands, while Saigon and Taipei have garri-
sons on others. Peking also claims the islands.
Although it is still not clear what really happened
in the area recently, Marcos hopes that he can use
this occasion to elicit from the US a clarification
of the scope of existing security agreements with
the Philippines. The Philippine President is also
miffed because recent public statements in Washing-
ton designed to reassure US allies have not specif-
ically cited Manila.
South Korean President Pak Chong-hui, in the
wake of developments in Indochina and Kim Il-song's
visit to Peking, is concerned that the North Koreans
may soon attempt a test of US military intentions
in Korea.
A recent conversation with Ambassador Sneider
was essentially a plea that the US do nothing at
this time that might lead Kim Il-song to miscalcu-
late the firmness of US reactions to such intrusions.
Specifically, Pak requested indefinite postponement
of a longstanding joint plan to deactivate the com-
mand, under which US generals have directly control-
led a major portion of South Korea's combat forces.
-Pak also requested additional military equipment.
(continued)
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Soviet
Cambodia
The Portuguese government has pledged to re-
spond quickly and forcefully to any attempt to dis-
rupt the constituent assembly election today.
The left-wing fringe parties have made clear
their distaste for this exercise in "bourgeois
democracy" and may try to cause trouble at the
polls. Public opinion samples, meanwhile, showed
that even late in the campaign a large percentage
of the electorate had not yet made up its mind.
Should a significant proportion of the ballots be
blank, the Armed Forces Movement will be encouraged
in its claim that Portugal is not ready for democ-
racy. Official election results are not likely to
be released for several days.
(continued)
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Tentative government and private forecasts of
the 1975/76 world grain situation point to only a
slight easing of the tight supply/demand balance
that has prevailed for the past two years.
World production of grain (excluding rice) is
now projected at a new high of 997 million tons,
up 9.7 percent. Total grain consumption is ex-
pected to increase to a record 972 million tons.
While this is 43 million tons more than the low
level of the current 1974/75 year, when cutbacks
in grain feeding of livestock in the US were signif-
icant, it is only 5 million tons more than the pre-
vious peak year of 1973/74. Bumper harvests are
predicted for the US, the USSR, and Canada, but
weather remains a key factor in any grain produc-
tion forecast made this early in the crop year.
Chancellor Schmidt probably enhanced his do-
mestic political stock by the way he handled the
terrorist attack on the West German embassy in
Stockholm yesterday.
His tough stand against giving in to the ter-
rorist demands has countered accusations that his
government is unable or unwilling to preserve or-
der and safeguard public security. He broadened
responsibility for his decision by consulting with
leaders of the four major political parties.
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Top Secret
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