THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 2 DECEMBER 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977173
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 2, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007800020001-9
The President's Daily Brief
2 December 1969
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
2 December 1969
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
9
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South 50X1
Vietnam. (Page 1)
A member of Hanoi's Paris delegation has hinted
that David Dellinger will be getting more names of
American prisoners in North Vietnam. (Page 2)
In Belgrade the regime is casting about for ways
to bring news and cultural media under better con-
trol. (Page 3)
The Romanians expect the imminent Warsaw Pact meet-
ing in Moscow to focus primarily on Bonn's new east-
ern policy. (Page 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH V I ETNAM
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NORTH VIETNAM
According to our Paris delegation, a western
newsman recently received oblique confirmation
from a member of the North Vietnamese delegation
that the names of 59 American prisoners released
by peace activist David Dellinger came "straight
from Hanoi." The official insisted that North
Vietnam will "never" supply names of prisoners
directly to US Government representatives, but he
said that he thought Dellinger "will be getting
more names."
Hanoi has been under pressure from non-
Communist quarters to ease its prisoner
policies, at least to the extent of pro-
viding a full list of names and allowing
regular correspondence with relatives.
Mindful of the potential the prisoner is-
sue has for fostering sentiment against
the war in the United States, the Commu-
nists may now want to give critics of
American policy an example of their al-
leged concern for victims of the war.
Such a move might seem'especially appeal-
ing to them at a time when alleged US
atrocities in South Vietnam are making
headlines.
Beyond these propaganda motives, North
Vietnam considers American prisoners use-
ful bargaining capital that will not be
given up easily or soon. The Communists
have long made it clear that they regard
the prisoner issue as essentially a post-
war matter, which they will not discuss,
much less resolve, before the main is-
sues of the war are settled. Even at that
point, the North Vietnamese probably would
hope to extract a price for returning
Americans captured during the bombing
years. There is evidence, for example,
that they will try to Zink the prisoners
with a demand for reparations for damage
caused by US air attacks.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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YUGOSLAVIA
The regime is embarked on'an effort that could
lead to Communist Party censorship of news and cul-
tural media. Up to now, Yugoslav media have been
subjected only to loose post facto party controls,
but on 26 November the party's executive bureau
adopted a "special document" recommending that "dem-
ocratic social machinery" be created to regularize
the presentation of information. The document also
calls for passage of a law laying down precise pol-
icy lines to be followed by censorship authorities
at various levels.
The party feels obliged to take this ac-
tion because of embarrassing articles and
a play which in Tito's view went beyond
constructive criticism and aroused his
ire. The debates leading to the accept-
ance of this document indicate there is
much concern about the idea of formal
censorship. Adoption of a new laws in-
corporating more stringent guidelines is
likely to be accompanied by controversy.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
RHODESIA
The new constitution, approved by referendum
last June and passed by Parliament recently, was
signed into law over the weekend. General elec-
tions will be held early next year, and Rhodesia
will then become a republic without formal declara-
tion. Final action on the constitution provides a
measure of the confidence Rhodesia's leaders have
that the country's economic and political isolation
is nearing an end. Their optimism has been buoyed
by the healthiness of the economy and the likeli-
hood that the effects of UN sanctions will grow even
weaker as time passes.
Under these circumstances, the Rhodesians
see no need for any settlement with the
UK. For its part, the British Government
will issue appropriate expressions of dis-
may and may retaliate in token fashion.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Albania-USSR: Whatever hope there may have
been for a reconciliation between Albania and the
USSR was destroyed last Friday by party chief Enver
Hoxha. In a speech marking the 25th anniversary of
Albania's "liberation," Hoxha excoriated the Soviet
leadership, denounced the occupation of Czechoslo-
vakia as "the starting point for even bigger adven-
tures" against Romania, Yugoslavia, and Albania,
and decried "armed provocations" against Communist
China. Thus far, the USSR has taken no public no-
tice of Hoxha's remarks.
Romania - Warsaw Pact: Foreign Minister Manescu
told Ambassador Meeker yesterday that he and Ceausescu
would be leaving for Moscow today for the Warsaw
Pact meeting. Although the meeting was ostensibly
called to deal with the broad question of European
security, Manescu thought it actually would be cen-
tered more narrowly on Brandt's eastern policy.
Manescu also called to Meeker's attention Romania's
refusal to participate in the recent Warsaw Pact
statement on the Middle East, commenting'that he
saw no utility in condemning Israel.
(
5
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Top Secret
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