THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 6 JANUARY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976547
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: January 6, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700020001-1
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The President's Daily Brief
-rorSefget.._ 6 January 1969
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
6 JANUARY 1969
1, Middle East -
Israel
Danger of another major military
clash is still high, even though there
has been a decrease inarmed Conflict
along ,Israel's borders during the past
few days.
The Lebanese Government is con-
vinced that Israel will attack Lebanon,
and perhaps Jordan too, prior to 20 Jan-
uary. Many Lebanese believe the Is-
raelis are deliberately stirring up Arab
terrorists in order to create a pretext
for an invasion.
Lebanese authorities are discour-
aged. They. know they cannot defeat the
Israelis and they cannot guarantee com-
plete control of the terrorists. .4or-
danian authorities, nevertheless, man-
aged to head off a terrorist shelling
of the Israeli port of Eilat Which had
been planned for early January.
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General De Gaulle yesterday offered
France's "total support" for Lebanon,
but
De Gaulle has enough problems at home to
preclude any French military commitment
as part of an offer to sell arms and to
give psychological support.
The Lebanese foreign minister has
again appealed for a gesture of support
from the US,
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2, Middle East
3. Soviet Union
The Soviet "timetable" proposal for
an Arab-Israeli settlement has generated
considerable diplomatic activity.
In Cairo yesterday, the Egyptian
Foreign Ministry briefed all Arab ambas-
sadors on it and on world reaction to it.
At the same time, in Moscow, United
Nations mediator Gunnar Jarring told
Ambassador Thompson that after confer-
ring with Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister
Semenov, he is convinced that the pro-
posal is a serious one. He said that
the Soviet Union intends to inform other
governments about its proposition in an
effort to mobilize worldwide support.
The French plan to have their posi-
tion on the paper ready by this coming
weekend. Foreign Minister Debr?ill
?discuss it with Soviet Deputy Premier
Kirillin this week.
The first Soviet interplanetary
probe toward Venus during this current
favorable launching period is apparent-
ly designed to descend gently onto the
planet in mid-May. Unlike Venus-4,
which in October 1967 was the first So-
?viet shot to hit the planet, this probe
probably has improved instruments to
insure transmission of Venusian atmos-
pheric data during its descent.
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4. Czechoslovakia
5. Nigeria
The army will probably maintain
the combat alert begun yesterday until
11 January.
During this period the political
future of Josef Smrkovsky, the popular
President of the National Assembly,
will be decided. Smrkovsky's retention
as chief of the parliament is opposed
by the party's conservatives and by the
Soviets. Both object to his liberal
politics.
On 5 January, Smrkovsky hinted in
a nationwide televised speech that he
might be downgraded. He said he would
abide by the results of discussions by
ranking party leaders in the next few
days, which could mean that a formal
announcement of his removal is close at
hand.
The military alert is almost cer-
tainly a precautionary move, in view of
well publicized threats of strikes and
demonstrations by workers and young
people if Smrkovsky should be forced
out. So far there have been no reports
of trouble. Today we expect to see a
mushrooming of popular support for
Smrkovsky.
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6. Guyana
The revolt in the backwoods has
turned into a fiasco, leaving in its
wake ten dead, a number of rebel ring-
leaders arrested in Guyana and in Bra-
zil, and the Venezuelans proclaiming
their innocence.
Despite a plethora of conflicting
information, it seems clear that the
-rebellion was directed from Caracas,
and that the original scenario called
for the -rebels to seize some key towns
and request Venezuelan troops to move
in and occupy:the territory. Venezuela
has laid claim to over half of Guyana
for many years and has been trying to
manufacture an excuse for taking it
over for some time.
Brazil also has territorial claims
on Guyana, but has not made any move to
press them. Instead, the Brazilians
have sealed the border(
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
.) North Vietnamese Reflections of US
Political Attitudes
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? 16
6 January 1969
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
6 January 1969
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
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War Mentality Wanes: The North Vietnamese
regime is continuing to have trouble maintaining
the population on a war footing. Despite the offi-
cial policy forbidding the return of evacuated
adults and children to the city except for visits,
recent travelers to Hanoi have reported encounter-
ing growing numbers of people of all ages on the
streets. A Westerner who visited Hanoi in late De-
cember observed a group of school children carry-
ing school books coming out of a girls' school in
Hanoi. The same observer reported that the authori-
ties are continuing the production and distribution
of one-man concrete air raid shelters--an attempt
to remind the people that the country is still at
war. The source also observed an increase in the
supply of consumer goods available to the public--
bicycle parts, clothing, and fabric.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
day.
There is nothing of significance to report to-
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