THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 MARCH 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014754
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 25, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
March 25, 1975
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4 ?zt
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category, 580
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
March 25, 1975
Table of Contents
South Vietnam: The situation in the north is de-
teriorating rapidly; the defense of Da Nang
appears questionable. (Page 1)
Cambodia: The US airlift continued without inter-
ruption yesterday; Tokyo has decided not to
extend a formal invitation to President Lon
Nol to visit Japan. (Page 3)
Middle East: The future of US-Israeli relations
appears to be Tel Aviv's main preoccupation.
(Page 4)
USSR: The submarine salvage story was mentioned
briefly last Friday by a member of the Soviet
SALT delegation in Geneva. (Page 6)
Italy: The Italian Communist Party is on the de-
fensive because of its failure to condemn the
role of the Communist Party in Portugal.
(Page 7)
Note: China-USSR (Page 8)
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ion
Demilitarized Zone
a INng
MR 1
THAILANR,_
ui Nhon
CAMBODIA
Ban Me
Thu 01
Afekon
TAY
NINH
Tay Nin;
Gulf of
Thailand
104
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MR 4
R3
Capital Special Zone
196 ,c3
110
MR 2
ha Trang
South
China
Sea
SOUTH VIETNAM
MILES
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
The military situation in the
northern provinces continues to de-
teriorate rapidly, and the govern-
ment's ability to make a strong de-
fense at Da Nang appears increasingly
questionable. This morning, the US
embassy in Saigon ordered the evacu-
ation of some American personnel from
the city. Three of the government's
infantry divisions are trying to fight
their way out of communist traps to
reach Da Nang.
The 1st Division is moving from Hue, while the
2nd and 3rd divisions are battling toward the air-
field at Chu Lai from the cities of Tam Ky and
Quang Ngai, respectively. Many of these divisions'
units have taken heavy casualties and others are
reported in a serious state of disarray.
The principal government unit now guarding
Da Nang is the marine division. There are reliable
indications that President Thieu may shortly order
its withdrawal to shore up government defenses along
the central coast. If the marine division is re-
moved, the defense of Da Nang probably will collapse.
An equally serious problem confronting the
city is the large number of refugees. The latest
government estimates place the number at close to
a million; thousands more jam the roadways from all
directions. Centers have been set up in the open
in Da Nang to try to cope with minimum needs. Plans
are being made to evacuate as many refugees as pos-
sible to points farther south to relieve the burden
they impose on the defense of Da Nang.
In the central provinces, government forces
must regroup if they are to protect coastal cities,
such as Qui Nhon and Nha Trang. The South Vietnam-
ese are trying to break communist roadblocks that
are preventing remnants of government forces from
reaching the coast. The heaviest fighting contin-
ues to be concentrated south of Tay Ninh City, where
control of the major highways is being contested.
The fighting has resulted in heavy casualties on
both sides. Some senior officers in Saigon now ap-
pear to have serious doubts about an all-out stand
in Tay Ninh Province.
(continued)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Yesterday, Saigon itself was put on more of a
war footing. With the re-establishment of the Cap-
ital Military District, its new commander, General
Nguyen Van Minh, controls a 15-mile circle of de-
fenses around the capital. Minh is a better com-
mander of ground forces than was his predecessor,
a navy vice admiral.
The lack of clear orders from Saigon report-
edly is affecting government forces and causing
unnecessary losses of territory. Military leaders
in the delta provinces are expressing anxiety about
which areas President Thieu may consider expendable.
One commander claimed that the recent fall of Duc
Hue District, to the west of Saigon, was a direct
result of uncertainty about whether the district
would eventually be declared expendable; some
troops refused to fight.
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Ba ambang
Moung Ru
stun Chin ii
Banam
Neali
...9AIE DO
IfOMPONG SOM
Kampang
e Som.
557539 3-75
Kampot
e
SOUTH
MILES 25
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CAMBODIA
The US airlift into Phnom Penh's
Pochentong Airport continued without
interruption yesterday. Rockets again
fell near military facilities on the
southeastern side of the airfield, where
most airlift cargo is unloaded.
The rocket attacks are not likely to end soon.
Government units near the "rocket belt" continue to
mark time while parts of the task force try to re-
gain positions south of Tuol Leap that were lost
over the weekend. Other nearby communist units have
increased attacks near Route 4, and the highway re-
mains closed between Phnom Penh and the provincial
capital of Kompong Speu.
Analysis of recent intercepts indicates that
the communists have committed all their reserves
north and west of the capital to battlefronts in
these areas.
Government defenders at Banam and Neak Luong
held their ground yesterday. In the far northwest,
however, insurgent forces are edging closer to Bat-
tambang City, and local government commanders are
bracing for possible attacks against the city and
the nearby air force base.
The Japanese government has decided not to ex-
tend a formal invitation to Cambodian President Lon
Nol to visit Japan, so Lon Nol's departure from
Phnom Penh may consequently be delayed. Prime Min-
ister Long Boret told Ambassador Dean over the week-
end that Tokyo--citing "security problems" and pos-
sible adverse domestic press reaction--had vetoed
the offer of a formal invitation made by the Japa-
nese ambassador in Phnom Penh last week. As of
Saturday, Boret had not yet informed Lon Nol of the
Japanese refusal and was apparently still trying
to work out some arrangement to allow for Lon Nol's
"honorable departure."
Lon Nol has gone so far as to sign a statement
of his willingness to leave and to ask that funds
be set aside for his use while abroad. He appears
sold on the idea of visiting some Asian country.
Boret claims that he "vaguely" raised the possibil-
ity of Lon Nol's going to Hawaii for medical treat-
ment, but that the President did not appear inter-
ested. In relating these latest developments to
Ambassador Dean, Boret stressed the need to arrange
a graceful exit for Lon Nol.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MIDDLE EAST
The future of US-Israeli relations
appears to be Tel Aviv's principal pre-
occupation at the moment.
the government's first task is
to ensure that relations with Washington
remain satisfactory.
The Israeli press reports that Tel Aviv will
lasunch a major campaign in the US to explain its
position to the American public. It speculates
that Prime Minister Rabin or Foreign Minister Al-
ion will ask to visit Washington to "clarify ques-
tions that might harm US-Israeli relations." Is-
rael's ambassador to Washington cut short his
stay in Tel Aviv and flew to New York yesterday to
brief hurriedly assembled American Jewish leaders
and reportedly to enlist their help in the infor-
mation campaign.
Rabin told a special session of the Knesset.
yesterday that cooperation with Washington remains
a cornerstone of Israeli foreign policy, but added
that Israel must "clarify" its position on the ne-
gotiations with Egypt. The Knesset, by a vote of
92 to 4, passed a resolution blaming Egypt for the
"suspension" of the talks.
In Cairo yesterday, Egyptian Foreign Minister
Fahmi reiterated at the opening session of the
Arab League foreign ministers' meeting that Israeli
"arrogance" was to blame. He called for a con-
certed Arab effort to isolate Israel in the world
community "like South Africa and Rhodesia."
In an initial Syrian reaction, Damascus radio,
citing "official quarters," yesterday said that
the convening of the Geneva conference as soon as
possible is now the only alternative.
Soviet media reaction has been sparse and low-
key. Pravda yesterday merely replayed excerpts of
official US and Egyptian statements. Moscow's
reticence probably indicates the Soviets have not
(continued)
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yet sorted out the latest developments. A commen-
tary in Arabic broadcast by Radio Moscow alleged,
"The time spent in seeking partial solutions was
lost." It added that the US has the "necessary
driving forces," by stopping "trans-Atlantic assist-
ance," to keep Israel from making "unacceptable de-
mands." The commentary endorsed quickly reconven-
ing the Geneva conference, maintaining that it "is
capable of" achieving a solution. This idea was
also included yesterday in the communique marking
the end of French Prime Minister Chirac's visit to
the USSR.
Egyptian and Israeli, and perhaps Syrian, armed
forces remain on alert.
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USSR
The submarine salvage story was
mentioned briefly last Friday by a
member of the Soviet SALT delegation
in Geneva to support Moscow's current
negotiating position that the US is
underestimating its technical intel-
ligence capabilities.
In conversation with an American official, the
Soviet delegate said that the reported ability of
the US to locate a Soviet submarine at such depth
and distance from the coast indicates the potential
capability of "national technical means of verifi-
cation."
The complete text of the conversation is not
yet available, but it is evident that the Soviet's
reference to the submarine recovery operation was
made in a relaxed fashion. Given the specialized
context in which his remarks were made, we doubt
that they reflect any detailed guidance from Mos-
cow. The fact that the subject was raised at all
indicates there is no blanket prohibition on the
Soviet side against discussing it.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ITALY
The Italian Communist Party is on
the defensive because of its failure to
condemn the events in Portugal that Zed
to the banning of the Portuguese Chris-
tian Democratic Party.
The Italian Communist Party had hoped that the
conciliatory tone of its recently concluded national
congress would undercut arguments of the Christian
Democratic Party against Communist participation in
the government. Communist Party leader Berlinguer
emphasized at the congress that only a government
coalition including the Communists would have the
"force and authority" to deal with Italy's problems.
He asserted that if included in the government, the
Communists would not "bring up" the subject of Ital-
ian withdrawal from NATO.
The party's failure to criticize the role of
the Communists in Portugal, however, has given the
Christian Democrats a reason for refusing any con-
cessions to the Italian Communists. The Christian
Democrats are preparing to use the issue to test
the claim of the Italian Communists to be an inde-
pendent national party when local elections are held
throughout the country in June.
During closing sessions of the
gress, speakers seemed to be moving
ward a more critical line about the
munists. Berlinguer may yet decide
posture of outright criticism.
Communists' con
cautiously to
Portuguese Com-
to assume a
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NOTE
The Sino-Soviet border negotiations evidently
have made no progress since the return of chief
Soviet negotiator Ilichev to Peking in mid-February.
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the major obstacle to progress continues to be the
Chinese demand that the USSR remove its forces from
those areas designated as disputed by Peking ?and
from areas contiguous to the disputed regions. Mos-
cow has consistently rejected this precondition to
formal negotiations, regarding it, in Brezhnev's
words, as "absolutely unacceptable." Moscow evi-
dently sees no possibilities for progress in the
talks until this condition is removed, or at least
drastically modified. The talks, in the meantime,
are continuing on a twice-weekly basis with dis-
cussions focusing on minor points of contention.
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Top Secret
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