THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 APRIL 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977407
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 17, 1970

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The President's Daily Brief
17 April 1970
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
17 April 1970
PRINCIPAL,DEVELOPMENTS
There are some suggestions that the Communist powers
may be moving toward a new initiative for a confer-
ence on Indochina. (Page 1)
In Laos, the Communists are becoming more active
in Cam-
bodia there has been little military activity re-
ported along its border with South Vietnam. (Pages
2 and 3)
Juan Bosch was upstaged in his return to the Domini-
can Republic yesterday by the accord reached between
President Balaguer and the opposition parties.
(Page 4)
Bolivian President Ovando's problems are outlined
?on Page 5.
Chancellor Brandt and his entourage seem generally
well pleased with their talks in Washington. (Page 6)
Soviets
(Page 6)
In Colombia, it still looks like a close race in the
presidential election Sunday. (Page 7)
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INDOCHINA
Soviet Ambassador to the UN Malik appeared to
be testing the diplomatic atmosphere in his remarks
in New York yesterday. Without saying that the USSR'
would join with the UK in calling for a Geneva-like
conference, Malik noted that the Soviet Union was
"paying the closest attention" to the recent French
proposal for such a meeting.
This formula jibes with Soviet
comments that seemed to give the French proposal
tacit support. His suggestion that "only a new
Geneva conference can bring about a correct solution
-and a relaxation of tension in the Indochina penin-
sula," however, appears to carry Moscow beyond its
previous public position. It may foreshadow some
move to substitute a larger conference for the un-
productive Paris talks.
This more positive Soviet position almost
certainly has been coordinated with Hanoi.
Moscow has been most reluctant to get too
far ahead of the North Vietnamese on ques-
tions of this nature. Le Duc Tho has been
in the Soviet capital consulting with the
Russians for the past six days, and other
Vietnamese are due to join him in time for
the forthcoming Lenin centennial.
One of these may be Le Duan,
the party first secretary may
be en route to Moscow. Two North Vietnamese air-
craft flew to Peking on 14 April.
Chou En-lai met one
of the planes and hustled a passenger away in his
private car without the usual Chinese arrival fan-
fare. The passenger could have been Le Duan, but
in any case, whoever it was had an opportunity to
explore the question of a possible new conference
initiative with the Chinese.
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AREA OF
MAIN MAP
Vientiane
LAOS: Current Situation
LAOS
\---- - \ Bouam ' J
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Longo
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Nam KO? \ (
71
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n Khouang
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ang Vieng
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Government-held: location
Cernmunist-heldl,loCatiori,
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LAOS
Long Tieng came under enemy mortar fire yester-
day, forcing a temporary closure of the airstrip.
The nearby government base at Sam Thong was also
shelled, and one of its supporting outposts was at-
'tacked and overrun by North Vietnamese infantrymen.
In addition, guerrilla defenders of a position just
north of the recently recaptured government base at
Tha Tam Bleung beat off a sharp ground attack by a
company of enemy regulars.
yang Pao is not sitting still in the face
of this growing North Vietnamese buildup.
Plans are under way to saturate the entire
sector with company-sized patrols which
will have artillery and air support readily
available to them.
In the meantime, Communist forces are beginning
to operate in larger numbers west of the Plaine des
Jarres. Analysis of communications intelligence in-
dicates that as many as two new enemy battalions have
moved into the Na Muong area, some 20 miles west of
the Plaine and just a few miles south of Route 7.
Their presence suggests that the Communists may at-
tempt to. drive government forces from this area, pos.--
sibly as a prelude for a move into the Sala Phou
Khoun area, where Routes 7 and 13 intersect. :
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CAMBODIA: Current Situation
THAILAND
Ban Hot Hoi .
Siem Piong.
RATANAKIRI
e
PREA1-1\V STUNG
IHEAR TRENG
% , ?, Se,
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_ .1MONPOLKIRI?
etz'
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KOMPON CHAM
Shoun
r -
..,-.1(ompong -porn
Recent westward shift
Communist r irnents
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PHNOM
SOUTH VIETIVAIK?
KOMPONG
TAY.,T4iNti
' Toy Ninh
?
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CAMBODIA
The press reports that several hundred Viet
Cong troops attacked the town of Takeo, some 40 miles
south of Phnom Penh, yesterday. There is as yet no
confirmation, but if the report is true, it would be
the first Communist attack on a provincial capital.
Otherwise, little activity was reported along the
border. Government forces are continuing to with-
draw from border positions, and jittery Cambodian
officials are reporting some Communist activity
deeper inside the country, but so far this is uncon-
firmed.
Several Vietnamese Communist regiments have
filtered across the border into Cambodia recently.
This better enables the Communists to defend their
base areas from Cambodian harassment or to attack
Cambodian border posts. The deepest confirmed pen-
etration has only been about 12 miles, however, sug-
gesting that the Communist posture is still largely
defensive.
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Two people are reported to have been killed and
several wounded in an incident in Santo Domingo be-
tween police and crowds awaiting Juan Bosch's arrival
yesterday. Otherwise Bosch's return was unaccompa-
nied by the fireworks some had expected. In fact it
was overshadowed by the agreement reached between
President Balaguer and the opposition parties ending
the latter's threatened boycott of the presidential
elections on 16 May.
As part of the accord, Balaguer temporarily re-
signed last night, as did Vice President Lora. Both
men are candidates. President of the Supreme Court.
RuizTejada, a respected political neutral, will as-
sume provisional control over the government. The
agreement permits Balaguer to reassume power on 22
May, by which time the election results presumably
will be validated, or at any time in the interim
should there be a threat to public order.
Bosch's plans now that he is back are none
too clear. He has expressed no interest
in public office, and in any event, the
deadline for filing is past. His party--
the major opposition Dominican Revolution-
ary Party (PRD)--apparently is still plan-
ning to abstain from the elections.
What Bosch and th PRD might do is to work
toward a tactical alliance supporting an-
other party's candidate. The other parties,
however, although willing enough to cash
in on PRD support at the polls, are likely
to hold Bosch himself at arm's length.
They are well aware that-Balaguer would
like nothing better than associate the op-
position in the public's mind with Bosch's
extremist image. Balaguer had little trou-
ble defeating Bosch in a two-man race four
years ago.
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BOLIVIA
President Ovando will have his hands full
in the next few weeks trying to maintain.
governmental stability in the face of mill,-
tary.restlessness and pressures from radi-
cal students. His task will be all the
more. difficult becaupe in many cases he
will have to deal with rumors and innuendo
rather than with insoluble problems
The military high command has been swept by ru-
mors of impending changes, and is especially edgy
about one that claims that Commander. of the Army
Miranda, a popular general, is one of 40 top officers
to be reassigned..
notes that,, true or not., the currency given this-par-
ticular rumor, and the adverse reaction to it, have
caused considerableloss of confidence in Ovando and
may be the beginning of the final' rift between the.
President and. the military'.
The military leaders are also concerned about
Ovando's apparent permissive attitude toward spread-
ing student disruptions and toward growing labor
problems. The government's mild reaction to recent
student violence has not placated the student radi-
cals, but it has left the military itching to restore
law and order.
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NOTES
Romania? Warsaw Pact:
HtEL2tEmaay: Chancellor Brandt and his en-
tourage seem generally well pleased with their talks
in Washington. In private conversations with US of-
ficials in Bonn, however, Brandt's aides have pro-
fessed,some misgivings over the dialogue on the
chancellor's eastern policy. His personal assist-
ant, Wolf-Dietrich Schilling, claims, for instance,
that Brandt got the impression the US is being de-
liberately cautious in its endorsement of ostpolitik
and is skeptical of its chances for success. On
another matter of prime interest, Brandt is des-
cribed as being heartened by assurances ofour in-
tention to maintain a strong military presence in
Europe beyond 1971.
USSR:
(continued)
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Colombia: As we? noted in The President's
Daily Brief of 6 April, the presidential election
will be on Sunday. We still expect a photo finish
between the government's candidate, lackluster
Misael Pastrana, and
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. Pastrana appeals to most
educated voters, a rather small group in Colombia,
and he benefits from the National Front's political
machine in rural areas. Rojas Pinilla derives his
strength from some elements of the military and po-
lice,
and from the poor in
the cities, who recall the munificence of his self-
aggrandizing public works projects.
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