THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 2 JUNE 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014813
• 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 2, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
June 2, 19 75
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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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June 2, 1975
Table of Contents
Laos: Anti-American sentiment resurfaced in Vien-
tiane again over the weekend. (Page 1)
Portugal: The Socialists have papered over their
differences with the Armed Forces Movement, at
least for the moment. (Page 3)
Lebanon: The cabinet crisis shows no sign of end-
ing soon. (Page 4)
Panama: The Torrijos government has placed tough
restrictions on the media in an effort to
stifle domestic critics. (Page 5)
Notes: Cambodia; USSR; North Korea (Page 6)
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LAOS
Anti-American sentiment resur-
faced in Vientiane over the weekend.
Late Saturday, an estimated 50 to 60 Pathet
Lao policemen and local teenagers gathered at the
US Marine Guard residence to demand the arrest of
one of the Marines. They alleged he had beaten a
Lao youth earlier in the evening. The timely arri-
val of the US charge, along with one of communist
Deputy Prime Minister Phoumi Vongvichit's top aides,
helped to defuse tensions and disperse the crowd.
The Marine in question has denied allegations
of misconduct, explaining that the charges stemmed
from efforts by himself and several colleagues to
investigate a burglary at a nearby American resi-
dence.
Deputy Prime Minister Phoumi initially indi-
cated that he wanted the Marine turned over to the
city's joint police force for "une petite interro-
gation." Extensive discussions between Phoumi and
the US charge yesterday have brought cancellation
of the police inquiry, and the Marine, by mutual
agreement, will leave the country as soon as possi-
ble.
Phoumi also told the charge that he has directed
the joint police to ensure that no "embarassing in-
cidents" occur during Assistant Secretary Habib's
official visit, which begins today. Despite Phoumi's
assurances, anti-US demonstrations could occur dur-
ing Habib's stay.
The Pathet Lao are continuing efforts to block
the exodus of Meo tribesmen from northern Laos.
Pathet Lao troops
late last week fired on "several thousand" Meo who
broke through police cordons at the town of yang
Vieng. After five tribesmen were killed and at
least 20 wounded, the Meo decided to return to their
villages.
The Meo had been attempting to march from yang
Vieng southward along Route 13 to Vientiane, where
they had planned to demand an audience with Souvanna.
They intended to lodge a protest with the
Prime Minister over Pathet Lao activities in their
(continued)
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home areas and to demand that General Vang Pao be
permitted to return from exile in Thailand to resume
active leadership of the Meo people.
Meanwhile, the regime in Bangkok has somewhat
clarified its policy toward the growing numbers of
Meo seeking refuge in northern Thailand. According
to Secretary General of the Thai National Security
Council Sitthi Sawetsila, who was aware that his
remarks would reach US officials, Prime Minister
Khukrit has agreed to resettle the bulk of Meo ref-
ugees who have already arrived in Thailand and who
cannot safely return to Laos. The US, however, will
be requested to pay for the resettlement.
At the same time, Khukrit and other senior Thai
officials are said to be "extremely worried" over
the possible influx of thousands of additional Meo.
In their view, the flow of refugees can only be
stopped by speeding up yang Pao's departure from
Thailand. They believe he acts "like a magnet" in
drawing the Meo.
Prime Minis-
ter Souvanna plans to turn over his nominal control
of the coalition government and "go abroad." The
date most frequently cited for the "turnover" is
June 5.
The timing fits
that Pathet Lao forces would "occupy" Vientiane on
June 5 and that communist leader Souphanouvong--who
has been in Sam Neua since the anti-rightist, anti-
US campaign began more than a month ago--would also
return to the Lao capital on that date.
Lao
Communist Central Committee leaders Kaysone Phomvi-
han and Nouhak Phomsavan--not Souphanouvong--would
enter Vientiane on June 5 as heads of the city's
"liberation forces."
Although Souvanna continues to voice optimism
that recent events in Laos will somehow speed up
realization of his long-cherished goal of national
reconciliation, he isdeeply
disturbed over the communist-orchestrated campaign
of anti-American demonstrations and harassment.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly tried to persuade
his Pathet Lao deputy, Phoumi, to end the campaign.
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PORTUGAL
The agreement of the Socialists to
end their boycott of cabinet meetings
will ease political tensions in Lisbon.
The solution appears to be temporary at
best, however, and major differences
remain unresolved.
An important factor in the Socialists' decision
to back down from their challenge to the Movement
was probably the military's promise to pressure Com-
munist printers to accept the reopening of the So-
cialist newspaper Republica. Party leaders believe
the paper will resume publication within a few days.
Military leaders also agreed to safeguard the
activities of the constituent assembly--which opens
today--removing last-minute doubts that the Move-
ment would cancel or postpone an assembly dominated
by moderate parties.
The Socialists believe there are several impor-
tant areas of work for the assembly despite bounds
set by the Armed Forces Movement. They plan to
concentrate on human rights, justice, and munici-
pal government--areas where policy has not been
dictated by the Movement.
One of the Socialists' demands for continuing
in the government was for new elections of municipal
councils, many of which are now dominated by Commu-
nists. The assembly is empowered to set the dates
for such elections, as well as for elections to the
legislative assembly.
? A "unitary action" rally was held last night
to welcome Prime Minister Goncalves back from the
Brussels NATO summit. The rally was part of the
Movement's new policy of strengthening the relation-
ship between the "people" and the military govern-
ment and deemphasizing the political parties. A
similar demonstration held last week was organized
by the Communists, but the one last night was under
the sponsorship of a "committee of democrats and
antifascists with no party affiliations." One mem-
ber of the committee is reportedly a close associate
of Admiral Coutinho, who has advocated the creation
of a parallel civilian movement to collaborate with
the ruling Armed Forces Movement.
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LEBANON
The cabinet crisis shows no sign of
ending soon.
Socialist leader Kamal Jumblatt is promoting
what he calls a compromise under which representa-
tives of his party and of the right-wing Phalanges
Party would be excluded from the government. He
wants the new cabinet to be composed of civilians
who are neither members of parliament nor retired
military officers.
Phalangist leader Pierre Jumayyil, predictably,
has rejected any suggestion that his party be left
out of the government. He has won valuable support
from former president Shamun, who has declared that
his National Liberal Party will not join any govern-
ment that excludes the Phalangists.
Under ordinary circumstances, prime minister -
designate Rashid Karami might be tempted to endorse
Jumblatt's proposal, since it would create a weak
cabinet that Karami could easily dominate. As a
result of the continuing civil unrest, however,
Karami almost certainly will continue to seek a
solution that will have the backing of Jumayyil and
Shamun; their withdrawal of support forced Prime
Minister Rashid Sulh to resign last month.
Karami, counting on time to cool tempers and
bring both sides to compromise, told newsmen on
Saturday that he intends to take his time in form-
ing a government. In the meantime, he is working
closely with the outgoing military government to
create buffer zones in Beirut between those areas
controlled by the Phalangists and those controlled
by the radical fedayeen.
Sporadic shooting continued in Beirut over the
weekend, despite somewhat more aggressive patrol-
ling by the joint Lebanese-Palestinian security
units. Barricades remain in many parts of the city,
and the main road from Beirut to the southern port
city of Sidon was closed for several hours.
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PANAMA
The Torrijos government has placed
tough restrictions on the media in an ef-
fort to stifle domestic critics:
The government is concerned over the impact re-
cent criticism by certain student groups, business
organizations, and communications media may have on
canal treaty negotiations. For the past several
years, prohibition of political activity has left
the government largely free from criticism by organ-
ized groups. During the last month, however, ele-
ments of the business community who have never
trusted Torrijos have aggressively attacked the
government's economic policies.
Criticism by ultranationalist students is even
more worrisome. Although they are only a small mi-
nority of the student population, these antigovern-
ment students have effectively used demonstrations
and radio broadcasts to attack the government's
educational policies and treaty negotiation strategy.
The government, not wanting to use open repression,
apparently has decided to rely on pro-Torrijos stu-
dents to silence such criticism. A group of high-
school students, possibly acting on official in-
structions, recently seized an offending radio sta-
tion, charging that it was a mouthpiece of "reac-
tionary" businessmen and the CIA.
Torrijos fears that signs of disunity may be
used by those who claim that his regime does not
represent the Panamanian people. Government spokes-
men are almost certain to become more forceful in
their attacks on the opposition and to label the
government's critics servants of foreign interests
who want to sabotage the canal treaty negotiations
and topple Torrijos.
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NOTES
A major conference of Cambodian communist offi-
cials is scheduled to begin in Phnom Penh on Thurs-
day.
Intercepted messages disclose that civilian
and military officials from all over the country are
already on their way to the capital and that the
conference will probably last three days. The na-
tional-level gathering will be the third this year.
The first, in late February, resulted in some general
domestic and foreign policy statements. The second,
held in the chaotic days following the surrender of
the Lon Nol government, announced that Prince Sihan-
ouk would stay on as "head of state."
The USSR has declared an area in the northern
Pacific cTO7Td to navigation between June 3 and
June 30 because of "carrier rocket impacts."
The large size of the closure--130 nautical
miles in radius--and the presence of many Soviet
monitoring ships suggest that a MIRVed payload will
be tested. The area is the same as that used in
February and March 1974 for SS-X-17 and SS-18 fir-
ings and in October 1974 for SS-X-17 launches.
North Korean President Kim Il-song continues
to tour African and East European capitals, but a
Soviet official has said that Moscow is not on
Kim's current itinerary.
Since May 22, Kim has been welcomed enthusias-
tically in Romania, Algeria, and Mauritania. He may
vist Bulgaria and Yugoslavia before heading home.
Kim's main objective has been to strengthen politi-
cal support for North Korea in anticipation of the
nonaligned conference this summer and the UN General
Assembly's consideration of the Korea question this
fall. Moscow will probably be willing to receive
Kim at a later date when it judges the timing to be
more opportune.
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