THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 30 AUGUST 1968

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1961-1969
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976331
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: September 16, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2015
• Publication Date: August 30, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
Tor-Steicet_ 30 August 1968
23
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THE PRESIDENT'S
DAILY BRIEF
30 AUGUST 1968
1. Czechoslovakia -
Soviet Union
2, Guatemala
Two versions of the "complete"
Moscow agreement were passed to the US
Embassy in Prague yesterday. Both con-
tamn. references to a gradual troop with-
drawal; an end to anti-Soviet propaganda,
and an annulment of the special party
congress called after the invasion. One
version
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states Moscow will control imple- 50X1
mentation of the Cierna and Bratislava
agreements, that Soviet advisers will be
assigned throughout the defense estab-
lishment, and that Prague's foreign poli-
cy must be coordinated with the "Warsaw
Five." This report looks plausible.
.Ambassador Mein's killers are still
at large, although the government is
conducting a massive manhunt. House-
to-house searches are continuing in
Guatemala City, police are rounding up
known extremists, the country's borders
have been closed, and a curfew imposed.
A state of siege has been declared, sus-
pending .political and some civil liber-
ties for 30 days.
The Communist terrorists responsible
for the murder issued a bulletin yes-
terday stating the ambassador had been
"executed" during.a kidnap attempt. The
Communists said they, had planned the kid-
naping in retaliation for the capture of
their leader, Camilo Sanchez. The bulle-
tin warned Ambassador Mein's death "is
only the first of a series of measures"
unless Camilo is produced alive and in
court.
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3. Israel-Egypt
4. Panama
Moshe Dayan is now threatening
."the most severe retaliation" unless
?Egypt apologizes and makes amends for
the Monday night raid across the Suez
Canal,
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Cairo is not likely to ac- 50X1
cept Dayan's terms. The chances are
considerably better than even that the
Israelis will hit Egypt or Jordan or
both within the next few weeks.
Both Egypt and Jordan have in-
creased their alert measures. A fir-
ing incident yesterday ?in the northern
Suez Canal area probably has made the
Egyptians even more nervous.
Arias leaves tomorrow on a trip
that will take him to Germany, France,
and the US before his inauguration on
1 October. He is likely to bring up
the subject of more US aid--in the $40
million range--and he may also sound
out the French on economic assistance.
* * *
The United States Intelligence
Board has just approved A National In-
telligence Estimate entitled .Panama.:
Prospects for Relations with the US.
This estimate concludes that Arias ap-
parently is convinced that reasonably
harmonious relations with the US are
essential. He is committed, however,
to renegotiating, the present canal
.treaty drafts. The Major areas of
contention during these negotiations
will probably.be'over issues of Pana-
manian sovereignty and the size of the
?US presence.
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5, Philippines
Relations with Malaysia will sour
even more if Marcos Signs a bill tossed
in his _lap yesterday.by the Congress.
This bill has a rider describing Sabah
as "territory over which the Republic
of the Philippines has acquired domin-
ion and sovereignty." The Malaysians,
Who hold this disputed portion of north7
'ern Borneo, are .already saying the bill
puts the lie to Manila's claims of
friendship. If Marcos ignores or vetoes
the bill, he becomes the target of wrath
at home.
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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
30 August 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
30 August 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Artilleryman Describes Air Defense: Excerpts
from a recently captured document have provided fur-
ther insight into enemy antiaircraft tactics used
against US aircraft bombing in the Hanoi area during
1967.. The document apparently belonged to an artil-
leryman previously attached to a light antiaircraft
battery near Hanoi.
According to the document, US Air Force planes
"attack fiercely" but their raids are "quite short."'
They tend to fly a tight formation as they approach
the target, but then fan but into small groups in R
perpendicular line for their final attack
On the other hand, US Navy planes break off in
many directions when approaching their targets and
use "diversionary tactics;" launching simultaneous
strikes at both primary and secondary targets. Such
tactics; according to the document, are confusing and
make it difficult to differentiate between the attack-
ing and the diversionary aircraft.
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The document indicates that the enemy makes exten-
sive efforts to instill a strong sense of discipline in
antiaircraft troops, bOth in regard to firing tactics
and in the necessity to stick to their guns even when
their position.has been hit by US flak suppression at-
tacks. One passage, for example, states that "no mat-
ter how great the losses are, the company should be de-
termined to fight until the ,:end, even if only one or
two guns are avallable.".
Tactics vary with the clock. In daytime, batteries
apparently open up after receiving a signal, even be-
fore they see or hear approaching enemy aircraft. This
creates What is commonly referred to as a "flak trap"
by US pilots. Batteries are allowed to fire at de-
parting enemy aircraft only if they are within range of
their guns. :Antiaircraft crews Operating during dark-
ness are instructed not to fire until they actually
observe the enemy.
These same notes provide the first tenuous indl-
cation that the North Vietnamese may be transferring
some experienced antiaircraft personnel from Hanoi's
air:defense system to SouthNietnam. They appear to
have been written by,a first-line field officer, and
were captured in western-Thua Thien Province on 28 May,
when the bombing restriction was two months old.
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t.))(1
Havana and Hanoi Sign Economic Pact: The govern-
ments of Cuba and North Vietnam have signed an economic
cooperation agreement in Hanoi--winding up North Viet-
nam's annual economic aid campaign. No details of the
protocol were given in the Hanoi Radio announcement.
* * *
* * *
:NORTH 'VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
-Hanoi on-American Politics: Further comment on
the US political scene was broadcast on 28 August by
Radio Hanoi in Vietnamese to South Vietnam. The radio
quoted anarticle by ,"Commentator" in the party daily
charging that "violent" eruptions at the Democratic
convention had forced the Johnson administration to
"step,up its deceitful propaganda" to "soothe" public
opinion and defend US policy on-Vietnam. Citing the
"growing indignation" of US and world opinion at US
"stubbornness," the article predicted that the Johnson
:administration would encounter continually stiffening
opposition if it persists in its refusal to end uncon-
ditionally the bombing and all other acts of war against
North Vietnam.
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Top Secret
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