THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 MAY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993305
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 18, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010700160001-1
The President's Daily Brief
- 18 May 1972
46
Top Secret
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
18 May 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Soviet leaders appear to be preparing the Soviet
public for President Nixon's visit and providing
a justification for their policy of restraint in
Vietnam. (Page 1)
The USSR's ambassador to China is reported to have
suddenly left for Moscow. (Page 2)
in South Vietnam. The fighting remains at a rela-
tively low level. (Page 3)
Following yesterday's favorable vote in the Bundestag,
Bonn's Eastern treaties still face the final hurdle
of approval by the upper house Bundesrat. (Page 5)
The latest satellite photography of Soviet ICBM
launch cOmplexes shows no new silo construction.
(Page 6)
(Page 7)
The candidacy of former Cambodian deputy prime min-
ister In Tam will add credibility to the presiden-
tial elections next month but Lon Nol should have
little difficulty winning. (Page 8)
Syria
yeen
feda-
(idage V)
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USSR
Major Soviet newspapers on 16 and 17 May carried
lead articles emphasizing the wisdom of negotiating
solutions to problems. Izvestia, for example, al-
though it did not mention the US directly, called
for a settlement of international problems through
negotiations, "not confrontation." The articles re-
iterated support for North Vietnam, but in such a
way as to suggest that negotiations offer the best
way of ending the war.
On the Moscow evening television news on 16 May,
the commentator, V. Sharagin, declared that "despite
the stormy course of events," the USSR seeks the
solution of international problems at the negoti-
ating table. In noting that the President will be-
gin his visit next week,?he explained that the talks
will review all outstanding questions with the aim
of improving bilateral relations and strengthening
the outlook for peace.
Soviet leaders appear to be preparing the
Soviet public for the President's visit
and providing a justification for their
policy of restraint in Vietnam. In fact,
Sharagin's commentary invoked party chief
Brezhnev's authority in defending this
policy, thereby perhaps warning critics
of the imprudence of continued carping.
Apart from possible misgivings at higher
levels, Soviet propagandists have been
confronted in recent days with questions
from their audiences about the propriety
of receiving the President while the US
is attacking North Vietnam.
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USSR
According to the AFP correspondent in Peking,
Soviet Ambassador to China Tolstikov has suddenly
left for Moscow.
The most obvious explanation for Tolstikov's
return would be that he is to participate
in last-minute deliberations regarding the
President's visit to Moscow. He might also
have been recalled to provide an up-to-
date reading of how China intends to han-
dle the issue of overland supply of North
Vietnam.
2
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VIETNAM
The North Vietnamese, meanwhile, are continuing
to move substantial volumes of supplies to various
battlefronts in South Vietnam. Intercepts
show a heavy flow of
supplies on routes through the DMZ, as well as from
Laos, into northern Military Region 1 and the central
highlands. To handle this flow, the North Vietnamese
recently moved one logistic unit from Laos to the
Hue area and have now deployed two more such units
to the two northern provinces of South Vietnam.
South Vietnam's major battlefields are rela-
tively quiet as both sides get ready for increased
activity. The Communists have interdicted Route 1
3
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?
108
al Van Pass
a Nang
MR 1
Gulf of
Thailand
174
176
Capital Special Zone
118
110
MR 2
South
China
Sea
SOUTH VIETNAM
MILES
170
16--
14-
12-
10--
553092 5-72
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between Hue and Da Nang by damaging a large bridge
just north of the Hai Van Pass. Government forces
are conducting operations west of Hue and have re-
captured three positions.
Enemy pressure on Kontum City during the past
two days has included shellings of the airport that
destroyed three transport planes and two helicopters.
With overland routes to Kontum frequently being in-
terdicted, attacks against the airfield and aircraft
trying to use it will complicate operations to re-
supply the city.
The government task force that is trying to
open Route 13 to An Loc has so far made little prog-
ress. Late on 16 May, however, two 155-mm. howitzers
were set up about five miles from the city, thus
providing the defenders with the first direct artil-
lery support they have had since the enemy siege be-
gan in early April.
4
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WEST GERMANY
Following yesterday's favorable vote in the
Bundestag, Bonn's Eastern treaties still face the
final hurdle of approval by the upper house Bundes-
rat. Christian Democratic leader Barzel, however,
has given assurances that his party will not pose
any difficulties for the treaties there. This vote
was originally set for Friday but may be delayed
for a week.
In yesterday's Bundestag vote, the Soviet and
Polish treaties passed with massive abstentions by
the opposition. The voting came after a marathon
opposition caucus on 16-17 May, in which Barzel
failed in his attempt to get a majority of the depu-
ties to vote for the treaties. He had to settle
for a Compromise that, while assuring ratification,
appeased party conservatives by allowing the depu-
ties to show their, dislike of the treaties by ab-
staining.
Although Barzel managed to convince most
of his deputies that the party could not
afford to defeat the treaties, his maneu-
vering has exacerbated disagreement within
opposition ranks over Eastern policy. He
is likely to face further trouble from
party conservatives on this score.
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USSR
The latest satellite photography, which covered
portions of 17 of the 24 ICBM launch complexes,
shows no new silo construction. Work on the last
new ICBM silo began in July 1971.
Work continues on the 60.small and six large
new-type silos at Pervomaysk and Derazhnya. The
first group of these new small silos probably will
be externally complete in late 1972, but installa-
tion of internal equipment will not come until
after that.
Construction of the 25 large new-type silos at
five SS-9 ICBM complexes is also continuing, but at
a slower pace. The first group of these large new
silos probably will not be externally complete be-
fore early 1973.
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CAMBODIA
Former deputy prime minister In Tam has an-
nounced that he will be a candidate in the presiden-
tial elections scheduled for 4 June.
Of the four individuals who have filed to
run against Lon Nol, only In Tam seems
likely to gain much support, and his can-
didacy will add to the credibility of the
elections. It seems unlikely, however,
that he could beat Lon Nol or even, in
combination with the other three candidates,
prevent Lon Nol from getting the majority
necessary to prevent a runoff election.
Lon Nol has already obtained the important
endorsement of the military establishment,
and efforts are under way to ensure that
the troops and their dependents get out
and vote.
In what may be a bid to obtain the backing
of Sink Matak's supporters in the elec-
tion, Lon Nol has managed to persuade
Matak to accept a post as "special adviser"
to the president. The duties of this new
position have yet to be defined, but Matak
will have the same rank and privileges as
prime minister. The appointment may also
have been made in order to pave the way
for Matak's eventual designation as vice
president. In any case the move to bring
Matak back into the government will be un-
popular with Phnom Penh's disgruntled stu-
dents, whose protests forced Matak to
quit in March.
8
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NOTE
Svria-Fedaveen:
9
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