THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 FEBRUARY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976624
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 18, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006800120001-9
The President's Daily Brief
18 February 1969
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
19 February 1969
LATE NOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF OF
18 FEBRUARY 1969
I. MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
Three of the Arab guerrilla organizations, including Al
Fatah, announced today formation of a joint military command.
Notable for its absence from the combine, however, was the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) which
quickly accepted responsibility for yesterday's attack on an
El Al airliner in Zurich as well as the hijacking of an El
Al plane last summer and the attack on an El Al craft in
Athens in December. The PFLP reportedly stayed out because
it did not want to give up independent political action.
The announcement of the joint "armed struggle command" came
after a two-day meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organi-
zation in Amman and "left the door open" for other organiza-
tions such as the PFLP to share in it.
EUROPE
There is nothing significant to report.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
The East Germans continued their harassment of Berlin
traffic today but apparently switched their attention from
the Babelsberg checkpoint at the Berlin end of the autobahn
to the Marienborn checkpoint opposite the West German control
stop at Helmstedt. The delay this time lasted only two hours
(midnight to 2:00 AM) but backed up traffic, mainly trucks,
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for more than two miles. Border officials said the delay
was to check identification papers. Yesterday traffic
passed through this checkpoint normally.
VIETNAM
There is nothing significant to report.
II. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
PAKISTAN
The meeting between Ayub and his opposition leaders,
scheduled to begin today, has been postponed. The leader
of the coalition group known as the Democratic Action Com-
mittee (DAC) said this decision was reached after a confer-
ence with his colleagues. They decided the opposition
needed more time to confer among themselves and were plan-
ning another meeting for later today. Their action was
largely based on the decision of the leader of the Awami
League, largest and most important component of the DAC,
not to attend unless the conspiracy case against him is with-
drawn; Ayub had agreed to parole him to attend the talks
but has not yet agreed to withdraw the case, and the pros-
pects for holding a conference unless he does are bleak.
Five other major leaders who do not belong to the DAC joined
ex-foreign minister Bhutto in declining to attend the ses-
Press, 19 Feb 69)
USSR-GHANA
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MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
An Israeli response to the latest attack on its
airline should be expected after the identity and place
of origin of the attackers is established.
EUROPE
Demonstrating once again their disdain for the franc,
Frenchmen pushed the Paris price of the 1-kilo ingot
to 4 record $46.32 (per-ounce, dollar equivalent) on
17 February, a rise of $0.91 over the previous day's
price. The rise in the Paris gold price was not matched
outside France (the London price rose only ,$0.15 to
$42.65). The fundamental 'reason for the sharp increase
in the Paris price is the continuing weakness of the
French franc. Frenchmen continue to flee from francs
to goods, real property, and gold?access to other cur-
rencies having been made costly-by the French exchange
controls currently in force. The Paris gold pride is
one of the important barometers of the franc's health,
and its erratic upward jump yesterday could be the
first unsettling sign of renewed, serious troubles
for the franc.,
SOVIET AFFAIRS
Berlin traffic today returned to a more or less
normal pace by early afternoon, after delays which
lasted from midhight to noon. During that time, only
ten trucks an hour were cleared through the checkpoints.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A006800120001-9
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
compared to a normal rate of 40-50. Private cars and
buses were held up leaving Berlin, but incoming vehicles
were processed without delay. The US mission in Berlin
comments that the delays appear deliberate. The East
Germans have not given the heavy snow of last weekend as
the reason for the slow-up; on other occasions recently
they have been careful to pass the word if they antici-
pated an unavoidable delay.
VIETNAM
North Vietnamese infiltration activity has picked
up markedly in the past few days.
If the current
rate.is sustainedthis month's total will far exceed that
of February 1968
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