THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 8 JANUARY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976551
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: January 8, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
The President's Daily Brief
---D61-Seri4g1,8 January 1969
23
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
ouX1
THE TRESIDENT1S
DAILY BRIEF
8 JANUARY:1969
1, Soviet Union
2. Israel-France
The Soviets appear to be getting
ready for another manned space flight.
Judging by the movement of the space
support ships, the launch will-prob-
ably occur within the next week. The
pattern of the ships' deployment indi-
cates the flight will stay in earth
orbit and not go circumlunar. The
last Soviet manned flight was Soyuz-3
in late October.
Another Venus mission may also be
coming up.
The Israelis recently took unau-
thorized "delivery" on two French-built
patrol boats. De Gaulle's irritation
at this action undoubtedly contributed
to the latest French embargo on arms
deliveries to Israel.
The 147-foot fast patrol boats
were being tested
by Israeli crews who apparently kept
going without bothering to clear their
departure with French authorities.
The French embargo will handicap
the Israeli Air Force more than the
other services and may lead to reduced
flying within a short time. Of Is-
rael's current inventory of 258 fight-
ers, 228 are French built. The effect
of the embargo on French delivery of
the MD-620, a 270-mile range surface-to-
surface missile, is not known.
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
3. South Vietnam
4. Czechoslovakia
5. Lebanon
A "very urgent" message was sent
on .4 January by the North Vietnamese
high command in Hanoi to virtually all
major Communist headquarters in South
Vietnam. Although this sort of trans-
mission does not invariably foreshadow
widespread attacks, the last time one
was observed was on 16 November--just
before a period of stepped-up enemy
activity throughout much of the country.
The party presidium has done Some
artftil dodging. To mollify the conserv-
atives, the presidium recommended Na-
tional Assembly President Smrkovsky, a
liberal, be dropped back one notch to
become first vice president of the new
federal parliament. This move, the
presidium probably hopes, will not be
viewed as a serious political eclipse
by Smrkovsky's backers.
The nomination of a moderate, Dep-
uty Premier Peter Colotka, to be presi-
dent of the federal parliament also
represents a move to ease tension be-
tween the contending camps.
When Prime Minister Yafi offered
his government's resignation on Monday,
he was going through a typically Leban-
ese political maneuver designed to
dampen growing public criticism in
times of crisis. The cabinet, however,
has fallen to squabbling over who was
responsible for the airport debacle,
and its work has come to a standstill.
?A .national coalition cabinet will prob-
ably emerge from all this.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
_ .
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24: CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of US
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
16
8 January 1969
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
50X1
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
8 January 1969
50X1
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
More Chinese Engineers May Be Leaving:
Communist China may gradually be withdrawing en-
gineer units from the northeastern area of North
Vietnam as they complete their construction projects--
a pattern observed earlier in the northwest. Since
September the number of radio terminals controlled
by the Second Railway Engineer Division at Kep has
dropped from eight to four.
The new railroad between Kep and Hon Gai is in
the latter stages of construction. In addition,
other transportation improvements probably are near-
ing completion. Also, the North Vietnamese are re-
ported to be bearing a larger share of the work.
The five division-size engineer units that were
in North Vietnam at the peak of Chinese involvement
.probably have now dwindled to no more than two.
There are, in addition, an estimated four Chinese
antiaircraft divisions in North Vietnam, whose pri-
mary mission is to protect the engineering projects.
These units have not been -reduced thus far.
More Domestic Planning: Hanoi has turned its
attention to still another domestic problem not di-
rectly related to the war--developing the mountainous
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
00X1
border areas of the country. Politburo member and
economic specialist Le Thanh Nghi in a speech given
prominent publicity by the local press in mid-Novem-
ber (only recently available) has indicated that the
regime has resurrected plans for a priority project
that was shelved during the bombing years. Nghi
said the initial emphasis in these areas will be on
agricultural development designed to get the nomadic
tribes to settle down on state-supervised reclamation
projects. This will be accompanied by efforts to
improve communications and open transportation routes,
thus permitting more intensive geological exploration
of the region.
Although Hanoi spokesmen traditionally talk in
terms of economic objectives when discussing the de-
velopment of these areas, there are strong defense
and security reasons for improving.the regime's con-
trol.there. These areas,.with,their long, insecure
border with Laos and China,.are inhabited by minority
peoples who harbor a traditional enmity not only to-
ward the ethnic Vietnamese but also tOward the regi-
mentation of the Communist regime.
* * *
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
There is nothing of significance to report today.
-2-
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9
? N.
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2015/07/24 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006700040001-9