THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 27 MAY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993322
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 27, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDF79T00936A010700250001-1
The President's Daily Brief
27 May 1972
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
27 May 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The major fighting in South Vietnam has been around
Kontum and north of Hue.
(Page 1)
The President's visit to Moscow has received exten-
sive coverage in Polish media, but since 19 May
nothing has been published about his visit to Warsaw.
(Page 3)
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VIETNAM
The Communists mounted a heavy, tank-led assault
on Kontum City on 26 May, but the South Vietnamese,
aided by air strikes, drove them back. Government
troops spent the rest of the day clearing sappers
from the city's airfield, and by late afternoon were-
conducting limited clearing operations outside of
town.
Most of theNorth-Vietnamese 320th Division has
shifted south, away. from Kontum City, although one
of its regiments may still be involved in the fight-
ing north. of town-along, witheleMents-of the 2nd
Division. Theshift-puts units of the 320th.in
sition to aid, other enemy forces currently blocking
the government's effort to.reopen Route 14 between._
Pleiku and Kontum. It'will also give the division
a chance:to recover from the heavy lbsses-it_appar-
ently suffered north of Kontum.
The-Communists also attacked with tanks and in-
fantry along the My Chanh River defense line north
of Hte. One enemy spearhead nearly captured a key
bridge on Route 1, but the South Vietnamese have now
driven this force back.
President Thieu has asked the South Vietnamese
senate to postpone the debate and vote on his re-
quest for emergency decree powers until sometime af-
ter 29 May. A pro-government senator has told US
Embassy officers that the President has agreed to
accept an amendment that would limit his decree
power to specific fields, including defense and the
economy. This move, however, appears to have pro-
, duced only a few extra votes for the bill, and its
passage remains in doubt.
(continued)
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NOTES
' Poland-US: POlish media have given extensive
coverage to President Nixon's visit to the Soviet.
Union. Although emphasis primarily is ona factual
recitation of each day's events, commentary has .
stressed the working nature of the visit and the
summit's contribution toward world peace. Since 19
May, however-, there has been no mention of the Pres-
ident's visit to Warsaw. His itinerary in Warsaw-
has not been published, presumably because thePoles
wish to avoid large crowds,
West Germany: A group of anarchist students,
the "Baader-Meinhof Gang," claims responsibility
for most of the recent bombings in West Germany and
says they were gestures of support for the "revolu-
tion" in Vietnam. The gang, which now calls itself
the "Red Army Faction," promises more action against
US installations on 2 June, the anniversary of the
founding of the Viet Cong's Provisional Revolutionary
Government. The Bonn government, which has been try-
ing to round up this group for two years, is taking
special precautions to guarantee the security of the
NATO ministerial meeting in Bonn on 30 and 31 May.
Peru-Cuba: Peru has called a special OAS meet-
ing for 31 May. The Peruvian delegation intends to
propose a formal study of whether Cuba still poses
a threat to the hemisphere. No matter what the OAS
decision, Peru is expected to proceed thereafter
with the reestablishment of diplomatic ties with
Cuba.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010700250001-1
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Top Secret
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