THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 APRIL 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976742
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 25, 1969

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The President's Daily Brief
25 April 1969
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26 April 1969
LATE NOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF OF
25 APRIL 1969
I. MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
President Hilu is reported to have accepted the resigna-
tion of Prime Minister Karami, who still maintains he cannot
retain the support of his fellow Muslims if he accepts Hilu's
decision to confront the fedayeen. Hilu, however, is con-
vinced that, if he does not come to a showdown with the
fedayeen, Lebanon's sovereignty and freedom of action will be
destroyed. He believes any concessions to the fedayeen would
only preserve their presence for a later confrontation at a
less favorable time. If he cannot find another Muslim leader
willing to take on what Karami has rejected, Hilu, as a last
resort, is prepared to turn the government over to the army.
(Central Intelligence Bulletin, 26 Apr)
VIETNAM
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There is nothing significant to report on other areas.
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MAJOR PROBLEMS
EUROPE
In a short, emotion-charged TV appeal to the nation
today, De Gaulle defended the substance of the reforms he
has proposed and made clear that he would resign immedi-
ately if the referendum on them failed. He warned that a
negative vote would lead to "disastrous upheaval" and told
Frenchmen that they held the "destiny of France" in their
hands. De Gaulle neither lectured nor threatened but spoke
in a fatherly tone.
His performance was impressive, but he is fighting an
uphill battle. Polls released on the eve of his speech by
the French Institute of Public Opinion, which has a very
good record, show that 51 percent of those who have made up
their minds will vote "no" in the referendum. The percentage
of those who either are undecided or plan to abstain has
dropped sharply from 44 percent last week to 21 percent in
the current poll. Since the abstention rate in past refer-
enda has run over, that, it would appear that most of the 21
percent do not plan to vote and there remain very few un-
decided voters.
If De Gaulle loses the referendum, Alain Poher, the 60-
year-old president of the Senate, will take over as interim
president until new elections are held, not sooner than 20
and not later than 35 days after the office is vacant. Poher,
an anti-Gaullist centrist who was a political unknown until
his recent election to the Senate presidency
He supports Britain's bid
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for entry into the Common Market and has called for an ac-
celerated pace of economic and political integration in
Europe.
Speculation that De Gaulle may resign pushed the dollar
value of the franc last week to its lowest level since Novem-
ber, despite stringent exchange controls. These pressures
were reinforced on 16 April by the rise in the West German
discount rate which triggered a round of increases in Ger-
man interest rates.
The Bank of France has lost over $400 million in foreign
exchange during the past two weeks in its efforts to support
the franc. As during the financial crisis last November, the
British pound also suffered, but coordinated action by the
major central banks substantially reduced pressure on the
mark and sterling.
VIETNAM
Prime Minister Huong has strong doubts that South Viet-
nam's politicians will be able to join together with Thieu
to form a stable and cohesive nationalist political organi-
zation. He told Ambassador Bunker Thursday that since
Thieu made his appeal for national unity, the politicians
have been showing the same old interest in the spoils of
office. On the other hand, he does not believe these poli-
ticians and their coteries are likely to play a critical
role in the coming political competition with the Commu-
nists. Rather, he believes, the contest will be decided by
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the actual performance of the government on behalf of the
people.
Despite Thieu's current attempts to lure some politi-
cal leaders into a new progovernment confederation, he
probably is depending primarily on the government's own ap-
paratus of cadre at the village and district level to get
the job done in the coming months.
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SOVIET AFFAIRS
MIDDLE EAST
There is nothing significant to report. Tensions in
Lebanon, along the Israeli-Jordanian border, and along the
Suez Canal are all unusually high.
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LAOS: Plaine des Jarres Military Activity Increases
?
/ r
uang Prabang
,
Na Khan
?
?
61
CHouei
ga Ane
gotran?.?-1---7_btkmmunist troops
Long hit gperril --base
LAINE
( MENG
MSuoUni g s KHOUANG -
JAR ES Government interdicts,
z?
- supply line
'Xiang Kheuangville NORTH
Phou Khes
13,fthet-L. o driven out; VIETNAM
am Thong toivri-feirel b a irstrilies
? --
Ta Vien
?
)
VIENTIANE.?P"'
_
,BGRIKHANE \ /:\
orikhane,
THAILAND
THAILAND
ST?TUTC MIL.E5
? Government-held location
? Communist-held location ,
?
1I AP
THAILAND
94784 4-69 CIA
CAMBODIA
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II. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
LAOS
The government's counteroffensive south of the Plaine
des Jarres continues to make progress. Government forces
have interdicted traffic along Route 4, a critical Commu-
nist supply line in southern kieng Khouang Province, and
have driven Pathet Lao military and civilian elements from
Xieng Khouangville. The town itself has been leveled by
US and Lao air strikes.
The enemy, still reacting cautiously, has so far made
only a desultory effort to force the guerrillas from posi-
tions near Route 4.//
Although the counteroffensive has caught the enemy off
guard and has helped bolster the morale of government
forces, it has not achieved its principal purpose, forc-
ing the enemy to divert troops from operations in northern
Xieng Khouang. The Communists there are applying fresh
pressure.
North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao troops hit the gov-
ernment guerrilla base at Bouam Long on three consecutive
nights but were unable to dislodge the defenders.//
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COMMUNIST CHINA
A preliminary assessment of the new central committee
list suggests that it is a compromise product, with diver-
gent interest groups well represented. There are no im-
portant.casualties among strong supporters of the Cultural
Revolution; on the other hand a few victims of Red Guard
attacks have been resurrected. Provincial military and
political leaders are on tha list in force, but officials
from the central government ministries also are fairly
well represented.
The increased size of the new committee suggests not
only that it is the result of compromise but that it will
be too unwieldy to play a major political role. The pres-
ence of a number of political nonentities will tend to re-
duce further the political significance of the committee.
The new central committee should meet shortly to
name a reconstituted politburo. At that time a new sec-
retariat and other important administrative appointments
may be announced.
JAPAN
With the approach of "Okinawa Day" on Monday, the
police have made elaborate preparations to contain coun-
trywide disorders planned by extremists. It is by no
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means certain they will be able to keep the lid on com-
pletely, particularly in Tokyo. Several student groups
are said to be planning to use more violent tactics than
usual in attacks against government offices and the US
Embassy over the next few days.
PAKISTAN
The Yahya regime is doggedly pursuing the line it
laid out for itself after the coup: no provocative secu-
rity measures, a campaign against the rampant corruption
of the Ayub days, and conciliatory gestures toward some
opposition groups, notably labor. It is now allowing a
Certain amount of political activity; politicians and
students, especially in East Pakistan, are beginning to
find their voices again. But the regime clearly intends
to monitor their efforts closely, and the muzzle it has
imposed on the press makes their pronouncements all but
inaudible to most of the region's inhabitants.
There is some indication that Yahya is serious when
he says he does not want to remain president for more
than a year or so. It is still questionable, however,
whether his low-key efforts to set Pakistan on its feet
again could accomplish their aim in any time frame, much
less in one or two years. Yahya has made no discernible
progress with the problem which overshadows all others,
the alienation of East Pakistan.
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