THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 24 OCTOBER 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977055
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 24, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007600210001-0
The President's Daily Brief
24 October 1969
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
24 October 1969
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Arab states are still in an uproar, about the
Lebanon-fedayeen crisis, but thus far President
Hilu retains control. (Page 1)
Ambassador Castro reports from La Paz that Ovando
is badly shaken and perhaps is no longer in control.
(Page 4)
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ARAB STATES - ISRAEL
By rescinding an earlier order for security
forces to disarm the occupants of Palestinian refu-
gee camps in Lebanon, President Hilu has kept his
crisis generally under control. He met yesterday
with .a number of local dignitaries and represent-
atives of other Arab states, but achieved no evi-
dent progress toward a solution to the problem.
In a wrap-up of the situation yesterday,
Ambassador Porter pointed out that Lebanon
has shown great resilience and capacity
for political survival in the past and
stated that it could happen again, but he
added that in the process Hilu will have
to back down on the fedayeen issue. Vitt's
real problem is how far to give in to do-
mestic and foreign pressures to regain a
semblance of stability and yet avoid an
ignominious cave-in.
In Syria, large anti-Lebanese, anti-Husayn, and
anti-US demonstrations took place yesterday, but
there have been no more reports of armed incursions
from Syria into Lebanon. Anti-Lebanese demonstra-
tions also continued in Jordan, but Husayn remained
generally noncommital, in public at least.
Husayn's problems with the fedayeen have
thus far been less acute than Hilu's, but
Husayn must be increasingly concerned at
the influence of the guerrilla organiza-
tions on the loyalty of the Jordanian
armed forces. There seems to be no threat
to the king--involving either his personal
safety or his overthrow--but his authority
becomes more limited as the fedayeen be-
comes stronger.
In Israel, Prime Minister Meir blamed "Arab in-
filtrators" for the recent bombing of apartment
houses in Haifa.
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LEBANON-EGYPT-USSR
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BOLIVIA
Ambassador Castro met with President Ovando on
22 October, and reports that the general appeared
"tired, discouraged, tattered and torn," and gave
the impression that he was no longer the "master of
his ship." Although outwardly friendly, Ovando was
noncommital on every question raised and gave the
appearance of a man unable to redeem even the few
commitments he had made.
It appears that the leftist and extremely
nationalistic civilians Ovando originally
appointed to the cabinet to give himself
greater appeal to the masses have taken
the initiative and are now directing the
government's actions.
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NOTES
Vietnam:
Japan:
Sweden:
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(continued)
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Mexico: Minister of Government Luis Echeverria,
nominated Tuesday to be the presidential candidate
of the ruling party and thus destined to become
president, is now the de facto leader of Mexico.
Although his inauguration is more than a year away,
party chiefs and bureaucrats are maneuvering for
position in his six-year administration. Ambassador
McBride describes Echeverria as a powerful person-
ality who will head a government as strong as any
since the Revolution of 1910; his antipathy toward
demonstrations will lead him to be tough on any
students or others who disturb Mexican calm and se-
renity. Echeverria's basically, favorable attitude
toward the US will enable him to be an effective
friend, but Ambassador McBride warns that future in-
cidents such as those caused by "Operation Intercept"
would produce a stronger reaction than that of Pres-
ident Diaz Ordaz.
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Top Secret
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