THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 20 JUNE 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976211
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: June 20, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
-Mr-Sec-gel. 20 _June 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
20 JUNE 1968
1, North Vietnam
2, Berlin
There is no confirmation of press
speculation that the North Vietnamese
have been ferrying Styx coastal defense
missiles into the Demilitarized Zone
by helicopter. Hard evidence is lack-
ing, but there are several reasons to
doubt that this analysis is correct.
If in fact Styx missiles are in
North Vietnam, they could be fired
from less vulnerable positions farther
north along the coast. In addition,
the North Vietnamese in the past are
known to have brought heavy artillery
and equipment into the Demilitarized
Zone by land; moving Styx missiles this
way would be considerably less risky
than by helicopter.
We also doubt that the North Viet-
namese would want to expose their big
helicopters (they have only four large
enough for this kind of operation) in
an area where the US has air and naval
superiority.
Willy Brandt's lengthy talk with
Soviet Ambassador Abrasimov two days
ago contained no surprises, according
to Embassy Bonn. In briefing allied
diplomats, the West German Foreign Of-
fice claimed that the Russian offered
no compromises, and defended the East
German measures in much the same tone
as had other Soviet ambassadors in West-
ern capitals. Abrasimov stressed, how-
ever, that Moscow wants no aggravation
of the situation.
The Foreign Office also confirms
that Bonn does not want to take counter-
measures in interzonal trade at this
time.
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3. Soviet Union
4.
Pravda yesterday carried a detailed
reply to President Johnson's recent
statements on improving US-Soviet rela-
tions. In essence, the article says
that the US must first act to solve out-
standing problems--above all the "aggres-
sion" in Vietnam. Then there are other
obstacles:
--US support for Israel;
--Trade discrimination against the
Soviets and their allies; and
--"Further militarization" of the
US and its allies.
The article claims that the Presi-
dent's appeals are indicative of grow-
ing public sentiment in the US which
must be reckoned with by those now in
office and those running for office.
It implies that the Soviets would re-
spond favorably if the US shows that it
is "really interested."
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5. Israel
6, Iraq
7. Panama
8. Mexico
Moshe Dayan claims that 108 Israeli
soldiers and 20 civilians have been
killed by the Arabs since the end of
the Six Day War. By comparison, about
700 Israelis were killed in the war it-
self. This steady drain can only but-
tress the case Dayan and other "hawks"
have been making for punitive raids
across the cease-fire lines.
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Top Secret
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
16
20 June 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
20 June 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Front Says Local Governments are Mushrooming:
The Communists continue to lay the groundwork for
claiming extensive new territorial control since
their Tet offensive. Liberation Radio claimed on
18 June that local "people's governments" are being
set up "everywhere." The commentary maintained
that these "governments" developed spontaneously in
both urban and rural areas, in the wake of current
Communist offensives. The broadcast makes no effort
to tie these local organizations into either the
Liberation Front or its new partner, the National
Alliance. A wide variety of nomenclature is used
for the "governments," and the movement is portrayed
as having no direction. This recalls the way Libera-
tion Radio talked about local chapters of the Al-
liance in the period of the Tet fighting.
The commentary highlights the development of
such groups in Saigon and the delta, but claims
that they are coming to life all over Vietnam. In
Saigon, the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth pre-
cincts all reportedly have "self-management commit-
tees," and in the delta ?the people allegedly are
electing "people's councils" and "people's revolu-
tionary committees" at a rapid rate.
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Front Claims South Vietnamese Desertions: The
Liberation Front, in a statement summarized in English
on 19 June over Hanoi's international service, claimed
that 1,200 South Vietnamese troops, militiamen, and
other members of the "puppet army" have gone over to
the Viet Cong. The mass desertion allegedly took
place in the delta after "thousands" of local civil-
ians visited government forces to paint a rosy pic-
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ture of life on the Communist side. 50X1
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account may be intended to counter the surrender of
about 120 Communist troops north of Saigon on Tuesday.
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II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
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McCarthy Welcome: The North Vietnamese delega-
tion in Paris expressed willingness to meet with
Senator McCarthy if he comes to Paris in July, accord-
ing to a Reuters report of June 18, A North Vietnam-
ese press spokesman said McCarthy is welcome to call
on the delegation and added that the North Vietnamese
have so far received everyone who has wanted to see
them.
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