THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 AUGUST 1970

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977645
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 26, 1970

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27: CIA-RDP79T00936A008600240001-6
The President's Daily Brief
26 August 1970
27
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A008600240001-6
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
26 August 1970
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Egypt
Israel
Page 1.
In Cambodia, the enemy is maintaining pressure on
Phnom Penh's eastern defense perimeter. (Page 2)
North Vietnam leaders are calling for greater man-
power mobilization. (Page 3)
The Soviets are building a new deep water port on
Egypt's Mediterranean coast. (Page 4)
Japan is leaning toward a more liberal trade policy
with Cuba. (Page 5)
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EGYPT-ISRAEL
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CAMBODIA: Current Situation
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
The second enemy attack in the past week against
the village of Prek Tameak, some 12 miles northeast
of Phnom Penh, was repelled by government forces dur-
ing heavy fighting on 24-25 August. Late press re-
ports indicate that scattered clashes occurred again
today around the village, but according to a Cambo-
dian Army spokesman, the fighting was on a smaller
scale.
The recurring attacks on Prek Tameak under-
score the importance the Communists attach
to disrupting the government presence on
the east bank of the Mekong across from
the capital. The enemy's strategy appears
to call for the piecemeal reduction of
Phnom Penh's eastern defensive perimeter.
At the same time they were hitting Prek
Tameak, for example, other Communist units
were attacking two government battalions
dug-in along the Mekong River some 15
miles south of the capital. Large numbers
of enemy troops have been reported in this
area for the past several days.
The military situation elsewhere in Cambodia
continues to be relatively quiet. Government posi-
tions at Tonle Bet, across the Mekong from Kompong
Cham city, came under mortar fire yesterday, but no
losses were reported. The Cambodians have been an-
ticipating a major attack on Kompong Cham for sev-
eral weeks, but so far the only significant enemy
actions have been at Skoun and Prey Totung, west of
the city on Route 7.
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NORTH VIETNAM
Regime leaders are calling for greater manpower
mobilization. Party First Secretary Le Duan told
high-ranking army officers early this month to go
"all out" to strengthen the armed forces in order
to carry on and intensify the Indochina war, accord-
ing to a Radio Hanoi report. In mid-August, Defense
Minister Giap reminded party leaders at a conference
on local military affairs that Hanoi's "people's
war" strategy implies universal mobilization, i.e.
that "all of the people" should belong to some kind
of military organization. The conference report
urged that the militia and reserves be enlarged and
maintained in readiness even while their personnel
continue to carry on their day-to-day civilian tasks.
We have also noted increased propaganda in recent
weeks urging young North Vietnamese from the prov-
inces to join the regular army.
Recruitment drives of this kind are not
new, but this one is receiving greater
than usual attention. Although the North
Vietnamese could be expanding their mili-
tary manpower base in anticipation of a
more intense level of fighting over the
short run, it seems more likely that their
concerns are longer-range. They probably
expect that the personnel needs implicit
in their commitment to a protracted strug-
gle could become quite heavy at some point.
By bringing more people into reserve or-
ganizations and the militia, they help in-
sure the availability of suitable manpower
for the military over the long haul without
significantly reducing the present size of
the civilian labor force.
The regime may .also be counting on increased
mobilization to benefit the civilian sector
by producing a tighter and perhaps more ef-
ficient organization of the labor force.
Hanoi frequently uses various military or-
ganizations to assist in economic projects,
particularly in agriculture and public
works. In July, the government called for
more activity of this kind.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-EGYPT
A deep water port for Soviet use is under con-
struction at Mersa Matruh west of Alexandria. Sat-
ellite photography since 1968 shows that gradual im-
provements have been made in the port, including
dredging to permit the handling of deep draft ships.
Since 17 August, ships of the Soviet Mediterranean
squadron?including a missile supply ship--have been
using the port.
The development of this harbor into a
naval port capable of supporting cruiser-
sized ships will permit the Soviets to
carry out sensitive naval support func-
tions away from the congested and more
vulnerable facilities at Port Said and
Alexandria.
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JAPAN-CUBA
The, Japanese Government has approved an export
license and deferred payments for a substantial sale
of buses to Cuba.
Tokyo may soon permit major sales of other
commodities under similar terms. It has
been interested in liberalizing trade with
Cuba in nonstrategic goods for some time,
but had avoided such a move out of defer-
ence to the US. Japan recently polled
its ambassadors in Latin America on the
issue and they apparently recommended that
these restrictions be lifted.
Current US-Japan trade problems have
strengthened Tokyo's desire to diversify
its export markets. In addition, Tokyo
probably was influenced by the belief that
sanctions against Cuba have lost support
in some Latin American countries. In-
creased sales to Cuba will also offset
large Japanese purchases of Cuban sugar.
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Middle East:
NOTE
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