THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 22 JULY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976891
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: July 22, 1969

Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007300190001-6
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The President's Daily Brief
22 July 1969
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MAJOR PROBLEMS
VIETNAM
During the private meeting between Ambassador Lodge and
Xuan Thuy on Friday, the North Vietnathese showed themselves
to be seriously interested in getting a better understanding
of US thinking, particularly on the subject of troop withdrawals,
but they were careful to hew closely to their qw4 previously
established positions.
Xuan Thuy's questions during and after Ambassador Lodge's
presentation were focused mainly on US thinking, about troop
withdrawals, giving somewhat less attention to the problems
of a political settlement. Thuy took .especially careful notes
on Ambassador Lodge!s statement that the US does not believe
that an enduring settlement is feasible without arrangements
for withdrawal of all non-South Vietnamese forces, He wanted
to know whether the US is more interested in the method of
withdrawal or the results.- He wanted the exact meaning of the
words "substance," "ends," and "results" as_they.relate to US
thinking on withdrawals. Thuy also asked for. further clarifi-
cation of US thinking on the timingof withdrawals and on the
anticipated functions.of any supervisory body.
Thuy indicated interest in continuing_the private ex-
changes when he suggested that he and Ambassador Lodge desig-
nate some of their colleagues to meet occasionally between the
private meetings of Thuy and Lodge.
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In his summation,. Thuy stated that.if_the US_maintains
its present positions on troop. withdrawals_and.on the Thieu
administration, it would be "difficult"_to settle the Vietnam
question. He did not say "impossible."
Conflicting versions of what Thieu and Huong are planning
in the way of cabinet changes have reached the press in the
last few days apparently as a result of a decision in Huong's
office to issue a public statement before.Huong had his lines
straight with Thieu.
EUROPE
The chief of the West German trade mission in Warsaw,
Heinrich Boex, recently had a talk With Polish Deputy Foreign
Minister Winiewicz from which he came away with the definite
impression ?hat Poland is interested...in reaching accords with
Bonn in both the political and economic fields.
On political issues, Winiewicz seemed to react positively
to the suggestions that a renunciation-of-force agreement be
negotiated.. Boex foresees a chance for rapid progress on
this score (he has a reputation for overstating prospects at
times, however).
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Like Mayor Schuetz, who visited'Poland in June Boex dis-
cerned a willingness on the part of the Poles to be flexible
on the question of how an agreement on the Oder-Neisse line
should be expressed. Winiewicz did not insist on a treaty but
suggested merely an exchange of declarations between Bonn and
Warsaw.
In the economic field, Winiewicz made a pitch for a long-
term "treaty" which would upgrade the trade missions, grant
them visa-isSuing?power, triple trade over a five year. period
and provide for new West German credits to Poland. Boex ex-
pects authorization to negotiate such an accor&
SOVIET AFFAIRS
The'Soviets apparently tried a soft landing on the moon
with Luna 15 ?and failed.
There is nothing significant to report on_the Middle East.
II 0 OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
LAOS
The Laotian Government is sounding out Bangkok about the
possible useof Thai troops in Laos,
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LAOS ?
CHINA
NORTH
VIETNAM
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
-22-
BURMA
NORTH
VIETNAM
Samneua.
458
,Luang
Praban.g
0
VI EN I AN E
Vientiane
-18-
Communist controlled
territory
?
Contested territory
THAILAND
. , 5P
MILES
95633 7-69. CIA
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The military situation in Laos, meanwhile, is relatively
quiet. No new major Communist attacks have been reported, and
there are signsthat North VietnameSe troops in the Muong,
Soui area are regrouping,--,possibly as a result of heavy US
airstrikes.
INDIA
Mrs. Gandhi with great ruthlessness and superb timing,
has dealt her Congress Party enemies a decisive defeat Un-
able to agree among themselves about her bank natiohalit4tion
decree and intimidated by her aggressiveness, they have re-
tired from the field to await a better day.
They remain formidable foes; and the demagoguery she
showed in the recent crisis could give them an issue to use
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against her if she makes any missteps. At the moment, however,
she has the initiative and seems determined to keep it.
EL SALVADOR - HONDURAS
El Salvador apparently will defy the OAS resolution order-
ing troop withdrawal by midnight tonight. Salvadoran officials
claim public enthusiasm is so high they fear a coup if they
back down. They apparently are thinking of taking the issue
to the UN as a further delaying tactic.
OAS officials, meanwhile, are predicting that other OAS
countries will come to the aid of Honduras if the Salvadorans
remain intransigent. Sentiment in favor of declaring El Sal-
vador an aggressor is on the rise.
The US Embassy in Tegucigalpa reports that the Hondurans,
desperate over their military situation and bitter at what
they consider the ineffectiveness of the OAS and the US, are
getting close to the boiling point. The embassy fears that
the rising animosity could lead to a breakdown in public order.
(
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