THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 7 OCTOBER 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977724
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 7, 1970

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The President's Daily Brief
7 October 1970
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
7?October 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The situation in Bolivia following President
Ovando's ouster is discussed on Page 1.
JordanI
/(Page 2)
The South Vietnamese Army has begun an offensive
against long-time Communist base areas in the delta
provinces. (Page 3)
assessment of the military situation on
Cambodia's Route 6 and around the capital appears
on Page 5.
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BOLIVIA
Military officers who ousted President Ovando
yesterday are facing a serious challenge from forces
led by General Juan Jose Torres. Operating from El
Alto Air Force Base just outside La Paz, Torres yes-
terday demanded that he be recognized as president
of a "revolutionary government" to succeed Ovando.
Torres, who was removed as armed forces commander
last July because of objections to his leftist,tend-
encies, has the support of the air force, most of
the 800-man presidential guard regiment, and a bat-
talion of elite paratroops flown in from Cochabamba,
Bolivia's second city. He has also gained the sup-
port of leftist student and labor leaders, who have
called for a general strike to begin today. Yester-
day Torres directed a token bombing and strafing of
the presidential palace to show that he could and
would use force.
Earlier in.the day General Miranda, who led
the ouster of Ovando, stepped down as army commander
after naming a junta. composed of the chiefs of the
three services in an apparent attempt to pacify
troops opposed to his assumption of power. The army
junta member, Efrain Guachalla, appointed a predomi-
nantly military cabinet-, indicated that the new gov-
ernment would not retract measures taken by Ovando,
and announced that elections would be held by the
end of 1972. Late last night, however, the air force
commander reportedly resigned his position on the
junta, placing the longevity of this government in
serious doubt.
The balance of power appears to favor the
Miranda forces. They control most of the
military units in the La Paz area, have
brought in reinforcements from outside
the capital, and reportedly are moving
into position for an attempt to seize El
Alto. Torres' hopes for winning out ap-
pear to depend heavily on the success of
the student and labor leaders in attract-
ing active, massive support for his cause.
1
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JORDAN
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SOUTH VIETNAM
GVN MR-4
Major Enemy Base Areas
CAMBODIA
III CORPS
'? GULF
Vi Thanh ?
'BAC iIEU _ .(D(vBianchLLioeui1
SOUTH CHINA SEA
550145. 9-70 CIA
25
25 5.0 Kilometers
. CON SON
(Ad,ni,,it,ed from Saigon)
5,0 Miles
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SOUTH VIETNAM
The South Vietnamese Army has begun new offen-
sive operations against long-time Communist base
areas in the delta provinces south of Saigon. Sen-
ior officers of the army's 7th and 9th divisions
report that they have already begun implementing
some of the aggressive tactics of the new Military
Region 4 commander, General Truong, who was recently
transferred from the northern provinces. Employing
Truong's fire support base concept, two regiments
of the 7th Division have been tasked with establish-
ing permanent positions deep within the Communists'
Base Area 470 in the swampy region of western Dinh
Tuong and eastern Kien Phong provinces. In Chau
Doc Province, the 9th Division has also sent up-
wards of three regiments into the Seven Mountains
area with the objective of driving the North Viet-
namese 18B Regiment and supporting units from this
key enemy safehaven on the South Vietnamese - Cam-
bodian border.
Although Communist forces are not up to
full combat strength and food and supply
shortages have increased in recent months,
the terrain offers a defensive advantage
for the enemy. The South Vietnamese com-
manders, including General Truong, ac-
knowledge that these operations will be
costly, but believe that aggressive opera-
tions will boost the morale of government
forces in the area.
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CAMBODIA
--The government column in the Chenla operation
on Route 6 may soon come under heavier enemy pres-
sure. The column is well spread out, with troops
deployed to its front, rear, and flanks. If it
tries to move beyond Tang Kouk, it is likely to en-
counter Communist forces equipped with antiaircraft
weapons. Unless suppressed by close air support,
the enemy could use such weapons to rake the gov-
ernment column along an area where lateral movement
is difficult because of flooding on both sides of
the road. An attack from the rear, or on its flanks
with its rear blocked, would also put the column in
"serious difficulties." The movement of elements
of the North Vietnamese 174th Regiment into an area
east of the column, reports of increased enemy sup-
ply movements, and various unconfirmed reports of a
buildup south of the column, all indicate that the
enemy may be taking steps to isolate the column,
perhaps before making a flank attack in force against
it.
--The approximately 3,000 enemy troops in the
general area probably are not enough to overrun the
column, however. The morale of the Cambodian sol-
diers is still high, and they reportedly are getting
good intelligence on Communist movements from local
villagers. The column itself probably will hold its
positions, which, on balance, are better than the
enemy's. A heavy firefight could develop and bring
substantial losses on both sides.
--There are still no signs that the Communists
will make an assault on the capital itself. Enemy
forces continue to move with relative ease around
Phnom Penh, but Cambodian estimates of the strength
and intentions of these forces probably are quite
exaggerated. The most likely enemy actions against
the city include continuing harassment in its out-
lying areas, the initiation of occasional incidents
within the city proper, and possible mortar or
rocket attacks.
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Soviets Have Problems with Swing-wing Flogger Fighter Aircraft
Length
Wing span
53 ft
46 ft extended,
26 ft swept
Speed 1,400 knots
Combat radius 350 nm
Combat ceiling 60,000 ft
Payload 4,400 lbs
lOperatio
where Flog
550197 10-70 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR
two of the new
Flogger swing-wing fighters crashed recently on
separate test flights near the Ramenskoye test
center outside Moscow. Deployment of the Flogger
to operational units had already begun prior to
the crashes, after an unusually short developmental
period. The loss of two aircraft flown by experi-
enced test pilots suggests problems of a magnitude
beyond the sort normally encountered after a new
aircraft has gone into service. The wing of one
of the planes apparently failed after engine prob-
lems resulted in excessive speed.
The Flogger is expected eventually to
supplant the MIG-21 Fishbed as the So-
viets' primary tactical fighter and ex-
port aircraft. The Mach-2.3 aircraft
is faster and is estimated to perform
better at low altitudes than the MIG-21.
The swing-wing design gives it the capa-
bility to operate from airstrips shorter
than those required by fighters now in
service.
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NOTE
Egypt: Cairo's announcement of its willingness
to accept a three-month extension of the cease-fire
suggests that Egyptian leaders are seeking a breath-
ing period in which to adjust to their new circum-
stances without Nasir. Foreign Minister Riad indi-
cated that the extension depends upon continued
efforts to implement the UN Security Council reso-
lution on the Middle East of 1967, and on the re-
sumption of UN mediator Jarring's mission. Many
Egyptians are not anxious for a renewal of active
hostilities with Israel. Moreover, an extension
of the .cease-fire would put off having to decide
whether or not to resume Nasir's war of attrition
until the political situation in Cairo is somewhat
stabilized.
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