THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 SEPTEMBER 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976347
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: September 9, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
?TrIrz-f4g? 9 September 1968
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
9 SEPTEMBER 1968
1. Czechoslovakia
2. Soviet Union -
Czechoslovakia
Soviet First Deputy Foreign Minis-
ter Kuznetsov is continuing his talks
with Czechoslovak officials. The Czechs
have tried to put his visit in the best
light, hoping that a Prague-Moscow dia-
logue will develop and that Soviet strong-
arm tactics can be avoided. There is
evidence, however, that Moscow sent
Kuznetsov to check on how Moscow's de-
mands are being met, rather than to ne-
gotiate their acceptability.
Czech leaders put heavy
blame for the Soviet invasion on the
misleading reporting of Moscow's ambas-
sador to Prague, a holdover from the
Novotny days.
Dubcek has asked for the Soviet
ambassador's replacement, according to
press reports. The Soviets, as well as
?the Czechs, have good reason to be dis-
satisfied with his performance.
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3. Soviet Union
4. Rumania
5. Portugal
We are getting indications that
a full-scale stocktaking of the Czech
situation by the Soviet leadership may
be in the wind.
During a recent talk with Ambassa-
dor Davis, Foreign Minister Manescu
said the "danger is not entirely over,"
but his remarks and manner suggested a
calmer view of the situation. Manescu
stressed the point that Rumania's lead-
ers considered President Johnson's 30
August statement as having had a "cool-
ing" effect on a dangerous trend.
The Bulgarian military exercise
near the Rumanian border ended last
Friday. Rumania and Yugoslavia, how-
ever, apparently have not reduced the
alert status of their armed forces.
It may be several days before the
outcome of Salazar's brain surgery,
following his accidental fall, is known.
Initial reports are optimistic, and there
is no plan to appoint an acting prime
minister.
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6. Israel-Egypt
The heavy exchange of artillery
fire yesterday along a major portion
of the Suez Canal is reported to have
caused a number of deaths on both
sides. An incident at the southern
end of the canal, in which Tel Aviv
claims Egyptians opened fire on Israeli
troops removing a mine along the water-
way, apparently sparked the wider duel,
which lasted for several hours.
Tensions are likely to increase
further if the Israelis carry out
their plans ?to hold a military, exer-
cise "shortly" near the canal.
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Top Secret
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
1.) Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
2.) North Vietnamese Reflections of U S
Political Attitudes
Top Secret
17
9 September 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
9 September 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Propaganda on the Military Situation: Recent
propaganda on the fighting in South Vietnam has
avoided unfounded optimism and relied heavily on
the Communist contention that the situation is a
"stalemate" which makes allied "defeat" inevitable.
This was the approach in a Hanoi press agency
item on 6 September summing up military action in
August. It was laced with the usual claims of Com-
munist military successes but was relatively modest
in assessing the over-all situation.
An even more sober tone is apparent in a mes-
sage from Ho Chi Minh to Communist forces in South
Vietnam which was broadcast by Hanoi on 8 September.
Ho praised recent Communist military actions, say-
ing they have "increasingly firmed up our position
and strengthened our force." His final words con-
tained more admonition than optimism, however. The
southern comrades, Ho said, are determined to "over-
come all difficulties and hardships and to bravely
and perseveringly fight, and (they) will certainly
score greater achievements."
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Conference on Vietnam: The special three-day
anti-American Afro-Asian conference on Vietnam opened
Saturday in Cairo with the usual speeches condemning
US policy./
/ Vietnamese Communist
groups representing both North Vietnam and the Libera-
tion Front were to be in attendance.
-Ho Chi.Minh's message to the gathering was car-
ried by the North Vietnamese press agency on 8 Sep-
tember. It described the meeting as a sign of "great
encouragement." Ho spelled out Hanoi's usual demands,
including the formulation used by Pham Van Dong last
week that the US must "recognize" the Liberation
Front and "enter into talks" with it on problems of
concern to South Vietnam.
* * *
Delegation to North Korea: The Hanoi delegation
to the North Korean 20th anniversary celebration is
headed by Foreign Minister Trinh. It is Trinh's first
foreign trip since he attended the Soviets' 50th anni-
versary celebrations last fall.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
More on US Elections: North Vietnam's coverage
of the US election campaign continued over the week-
end. Hanoi Radio beamed a commentary to South Viet-
nam on Saturday entitled, "The Platform of a Donkey
and Johnson's Pony." The treatment was the same as
in other propaganda forums: the Democratic convention
underscored the cleavages in the US over Vietnam policy
but the results offered no grounds for optimism.
The broadcast characterized the Democratic party
platform as "reactionary" and Vice President Humphrey
as a loyal "disciple" of President Johnson. The com-
mentary charged that Humphrey was "pretending to be
politically independent of Johnson," but it chalked
this up as an attempt to "deceive" public opinion.
In conclusion, the commentary lumped the President,
Vice President, and Mr. Nixon all in the same "aggres-
sive" camp and promised that the Communists would
fight on unless the next US president "gives up his
aggression."
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