THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 11 MAY 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977448
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 11, 1970

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
The President's Daily Brief
11 May 1970
48
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
11 May
1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Communists are keeping
up
the pressure on
Cam-
bodian Government forces in
a
number of areas.
(Page 1)
50X1
50X1
50X1
The weekend saw little fighting in Laos, but this
respite did little to ease the government's bad
case of the jitters. (Page 3)
North Vietnamese Party First Secretary Le Duan has
finally left Moscow for home. (Page 4)
The chiefs of government and perhaps the defense
ministers of the Warsaw Pact states are likely to
assemble in Warsaw on 15 May. (Page 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Cambodia: Current Situation
THAILAND
tung Tr ?
1.Battambang
Communists
destroy bridges
10 ?
K OM PONG
( , PEU Rt lIne ?.111 Governm nt
regains co ral .
- , I (7k S
a
Communist ttac
.. , ..-..?, Neak Luong
Ferry
?I'
Angt TAKEO
1 liTak:o
K-k2tM P or Co Artist attack
%
;
? KomgonOgra
(Sihanoukvale)
Kam pot
a igon
, .014
NAM
.0
Communists Order
Aaridges`'dotroyed
GULF
OF
SIAM
50
MILES
? 104
106
SOUTH
CHINA SEA
98503 5-70 CIA
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RbP79T00936A008300090001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
An intercepted Cambodian Army message reports
that the provincial capital in Takeo Province came
under an all-night attack on 10 May. Government
forces in Takeo town and in the nearby town of Ang-
tassom have been harassed by enemy elements for over
a week, and recent reports have indicated that both
towns are surrounded. On 9 May an estimated 500 Com-
munist troops were reported to be regrouping just
south of Takeo in order to cut main roads leading
to the town.
There has also been a rise in Communist activity
in Kompong Cham Province. In the past few days the
Communists have destroyed several bridges and en-
gaged in a series of skirmishes with government units.
Moreover, local reports of increased Communist in-
filtration in the province apparently caused govern-
ment forces to abandon two more towns on 8 May.
In the southwest, the Communists-are becoming
more active in Kompong Speu Province. On 9 May a
force of several hundred attacked a road-work camp
near Route 4, destroying several pieces of road-
maintenance equipment. In addition, communications
intelligence indicates that unidentified elements
of the North Vietnamese 95th Regiment recently were
ordered to destroy bridges around the capital of
Kampot Province. This is the first sign of any mil-
itary activity by a Communist main force unit in this
area.
Communist forces suffered a setback of their
own, however, when South Vietnamese Marines regained
control over the Neak Luong ferry south of Phnom
Penh yesterday in the face of light enemy resistance.
In Peking, Sihanouk has' hinted that his return
to Cambodia is being postponed. During a television-
interview Friday, he said.that his "resistance
fighters" had told him to wait for "better political
and diplomatic conditions" before he joins them..
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM - CAMBODIA
The communications of the various
staffs under COSVN still reflect some disarray, but
they are becoming more active and are resuming some
routine functions.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Laos: Current Situation
BURMA
VIETNAM
Oak
788q
THAILAND
, :A4'
,414
? nEmyl,ae
,) . rit . -4 .Pie/.?
i0?ii. ' C " .Er,(4,.
,,,,Perre
' ,Irgral INHi
, f
r'35-47t'EllontriIe?ri
g1": - g
fr
GI'LF
OF
TONKIN
Communist-controlled territory
SOUT
V ETNA Mt
Limit of area claimed under
CommuniSt and Neutralist
. control, June 1962: .
THAILAND
98504 5-70 CIA
CAMBODIA
?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
There was little military activity over the
weekend, but Lao officials are still extremely nerv-
ous about the possibility of enemy attacks on Sara-
vane and other key points in the south. Prime Min-
ister Souvanna has asked in writing for US assistance
in evacuating about 4,000 Lao dependents from Sara-
vane. An initial batch of 500 was flown out yester-
day.
//it is
estimated that the Communists do have up-
wards of 1,000 troops in the area. The
government garrison at Saravane numbers
less than 600.
Paksel ill be hit
again soon. The most recent attack on I May did
little physical damage, but it certainly contributed
to the government's bad case of the jitters about
enemy military intentions in the south. Government
irregular troops have reoccupied the main guerrilla
base near Attopeu, but the regular army battalion
that decamped, allowing the Communists to take the
base on Saturday,, is still to be heard from.
In the north, the position around Long Tieng
continues to improve. Government forces have found
two unoccupied company-sized bivouac sites north of
Sam Thong and what appears to be a battalion head-
quarters northwest of Tha Tam Bleung.,
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NORTH VIETNAM
Party First Secretary Le Duan is on his way home
from Moscow after three weeks of consultations. He
received no new public gestures of support from his
hosts, and TASS referred to conferences with Brezhnev
as "an exchange of opinions." That phrase is fre-
quently used as a euphemism for talks that produce
no results.
Hanoi must have considered the mission very
important--Le Duan is the Party's top man,
and no ordinary errand could have kept him
away during the past three hectic weeks.
The minimal treatment TASS gave Le Duan's
departure suggests that the consultations
may not have produced results satisfactory
to both parties.
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
WARSAW PACT
At a dinner in Warsaw on Friday night the
that the chiets ot government ot the Pact countries
would meet in Warsaw on 15 May to celebrate the
Pact's 15th anniversary. The Pact countries may
also send their defense ministers, and "important
developments" can be expected.
We believe such a meeting
is a logical sequel to the meeting of
CEMA, the Bloc's economic organization.
It will be held in Warsaw three days
earlier, and will be attended by the
chiefs of government. We can only spec-
ulate about what could be done at the
Pact meeting. The anniversary commem-
oration is expected, of course, but the
leaders- might also issue a statement on
the proposed Conference on European Se-
curity. The defense ministers in par-
ticular might attempt to upstage the
NATO ministers who are to meet later
this month.
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A00830009000.1-6
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6
1
Top Secret
\
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008300090001-6