THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 19 MARCH 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976677
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 19, 1969

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The President's Daily Brief
19 March 1969
14
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b
20 March 1969
LATE NOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DRIP( BRIEF OF
19 MARCH 1969
MAJOR PROBLEMS
VIETNAM
The number of MIG-19s to arrive in North Vietnam from
China has risen from six reported last ni.ght to 10. Ten
additional aircraft_ Flew from unidenliried Chin( 'iii 11(1(15
to Rep this morning. Pive were flown by North vielnamese
pilots and five by Chinese pilots.
These MIG-19s will join an inventory wh2H..h,
as of mid-March, included 49 MIG-21s (20 still in China) and
115 MIG-15/17s (87 based in China).
The military situation has remained relailvely quiet
over night.
MIDDLE EAST
There was another exchange of fire on the Israel-Jordan
border this morning. Two Israeli border patrolman were
injured. As of 7:00 AM EST the Suez Canal area was quiet.(Press)
* * *
Prime Minister Golda Meir told Ambassador Barbour that
Israel could not accept any recommendation from four power
talks which included the USSR and France. If such recommenda-
tion was acceptable to the Arabs, it would, by definition,
be so adverse to Israel's interests that its refusal would he
certain. She asked that the US hold off on substantive four-
power talks and. take a reasonable time
(som( hs) to discuss
the situation with Tel Aviv. slw rf.:11 coil
,in "nothing !err-thin"
would happen in the near future in terms ol on outbreak at. war.
i tin' Pi\T\II)4: ()'
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EUROPE
There is nothing significant to report.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
II, OTHER IvPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
SOVIET UNION - COMMUNIST CHINA
* * *
A Soviet radio broadcast has, indeed, reminded Pef.ing
of Soviet nuclear might, as an article in last evening's
Washington Star by Victor 7orza points out.
Moscow has
chosen to do so through an unofficial propaganda medium--a
radio outlet which has been consistently extreme and
scurrilous with broadcasts to China (it has compared Mao to
a monkey king and has charged that Mao's chief lieutenant
was having an affair with Mao's wife). Because thin device
was used we do noL regard the implied Soviet throat as a
serious statement of intent but the Russians will not mind if
it gives the Chinese some food for thought. (Source: Analysis)
PIO `?, I ) I (
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
I. MAJOR PROBLEMS
VIETNAM
The conversation between Ambassador Bunker and Presi-
dent Thieu on Monday shows the extent to which Thieu has
considered the problem of dealing with the Communists and
of working out a settlement with them. His statements to
Ambassador Bunker exuded confidence, but they also reflected
a sober understanding that some hard bargaining lies ahead.
Thieu gave every impression, however, of being ready for
some horse trading with the Communists.
On the subject of private talks with the Communists,
Thieu was most forthcoming, agreeing to bilateral US-Hanoi
talks, or four-way talks to include the NLF.
Thieu's realistic assessment of what talks with the Com-
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munists will entail was highlighted by his remark that "Hanoi
is not going to abandon the baby in the marketplace," a ref-
erence to his judgment that North Vietnam will insist on
guarantees for the status of the Liberation Front before agree-
ing to pull its own troops out of the South. Thieu told Am-
bassador Bunker that he was prepared to offer the Communists
a variety of ways to enter the political life of South Vietnam,
including not only participation in the regular elections
scheduled over the next few years, but even a special national
election in which they could participate,
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
In sum, Thieu seems, on the eve of the opening of
private discussions, to have a confident attitude and at
least a general idea of what he wants from the enemy and
what he is prepared to give in return.
The North Vietnamese will probably respond to our bid
for opening bilateral private talks by demanding three-way
talks, excluding the GVN. There is no way of telling how
long they might stick on the three-way demand. Eventually
they will probably fall back to a four-way formula. They
probably will not budge from their four-way demand or take
up substantive issues until they have nailed down a solid
role for the Front as the prime representative of the Commu-
nist side on matters affecting South Vietnam.
,Thus, they are unlikely to agree at first to any scenario
in which US-DRV talks are being held on such matters as with-
drawal, while GVN-NLF talks are going on regarding political
issues in South Vietnam. This sort of an arrangement might
be worked out later, after four-way talks have been held and
the competence of the Front to deal with political matters re-
lated to South Vietnam has been acknowledged by the US.
According to recent intercepts, the USSR is still send-
ing rail shipments to North Vietnam via China. The press
report on 15 March that the Chinese had closed their borders
to such shipments clearly was an exaggeration. Any holdup
at the time may have been temporary or a localized problem.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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There are persistent signs that major Communist forces
may soon begin coordinated attacks throughout the II Corps -
Saigon area, unless pre-empted by intensified allied spoil-
ing operations. Prisoners taken on 18 March say they were
scouting approach routes in preparation for a multibattalion
attack on Saigon's outskirts slated for 22 March. In addi-
tion, communications intelligence reflects enemy preparations
for a new phase of combat. Except for an isolated incident
of terror which wounded some US servicemen, Saigon itself
remained fairly quiet. Six large rockets fell on a Vietnam-
ese military training center near the Tan Son Nhut Air Base
causing light casualties.
The rocket attack at Da Nang yesterday highlighted co-
ordinated Communist harassing attacks throughout the south-
ern three provinces of I Corps. Casualties were relatively
light, however, except where a sharp battle developed several
miles south of Da Nang. There was little action nearer the
DMZ, and reports that another North Vietnamese regiment had
recently moved into Quang Tri Province have proved to be
erroneous.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MIDDLE EAST
Israel will reject the US proposals on the Middle East
which Secretary Rogers recently discussed with Foreign Minis-
ter Eban, according to an article published today in Tel Aviv
by a well informed Israeli journalist. The journalist noted
that the proposals had' been "softened after Eban objected to
them but that "Israel is not prepared under any circumstances
to accept that softened position."
EUROPE
The Gallup poll for March published today shows that
the lead of the Conservative Party (52.5 percent) over the
Labor Party (34 percent) declined by four points since Feb-
ruary. This marked the fourth straight month in which Labor
has risen. Furthermore, Prime Minister Wilson's personal
performance in the poll showed an increase of 3 percent
while Heath's declined from 34 to 32 percent.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
II. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
PAKISTAN
Pakistan moved closer to the imposition of martial law
today with the home minister's announcement that governors
in East and West Pakistan are to take "preventive and puni-
tive" measures to quell disorders. Since the army is the
only force strong enough to implement such orders, the
pronouncement has a hollow ring unless the government in-
tends to back it up with troops.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Top Secret
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