THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 MAY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976775
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 15, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100120001-5
The President's Daily Brief
15 May 1969
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100120001-5
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
I. MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
The Israeli raid late last month deep into Egyptian ter-
ritory did not achieve much in terms of physical damage, but
it apparently drove Nasir once again into a state of depres-
sion. He was already unhappy for a number of reasons: the
duels on the Suez Canal were damaging the Egyptians far more '
than the Israelis, reports of Israeli nuclear developments
were again surfacing in the world press, the four-power talks
seemed to be making very little progress, and in Nasir's eyes
at least, the policy of the new US administration did not seem
all that different from its predecessor. On top of this, the
Israeli raid rubbed Nasir's nose in one aspect of his coun-
try's very discouraging military situation: the vulnerabil-
ity of Upper Egypt.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
What this means for Egypt's foreign policy is hard to
predict.
We still believe he
is not inclined to mount any offensive action against the Is-
raelis, since he almost certainly knows such action would be
repulsed. In this connection we note that there have been
no Egyptian commando raids across the canal since the Naja
Hamadi action.) He obviously is hoping that someone-the US.
or the four powers, for instance?will save his neck. He re-
mains in a tight spot, however, and he shares the deep streak
of fatalism common to most Arabs. A time could come when he
decides that "he must do what he must do," regardless of the
-Consequences.
EUROPE
Interim President Alain Poher's decision to run for the
presidency in the 1 June election will offer a sharp challenge
to Pompidou. A recent poll by the reputable Institute of Pub-
lic Opinion, taken before Poher's announcement Monday, gave
him 45 percent against Pompidou's 36 percent on a second run-
off ballot. Nineteen percent expressed no opinion. Poher
has become the front-runner, not only by rallying most of the
left and center, but also by cutting into the Gaullist seg-
ment of the electorate.
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Pompidou's advisers claim that they doubt the poll's ac-
curacy
/Not the least of the Pompidou camp's worries is
that Poher is proving a difficult target to hit. He had no
national following when he took over as interim president,
but his careful political tactics in office have paid off in
gaining him support as an acceptable alternative to Pompidou.
He also represents the kind of "normalcy" for which many
Frenchmen yearn after 11 years of De Gaulle.
The final list of official candidates, to be published
today, will also include Socialist Deferre, Communist Duclos,
and at least two other minor leftists. The campaign itself
opens tomorrow.
VIETNAM
The tempo of enemy-initiated action has tapered off
throughout South Vietnam, but there are new signs of impend-
ing attacks, especially in I Corps. The Communists have been
moving in large quantities of arms and supplies
for this effort.
in preparation
The initial reaction among officials in Saigon to Presi-
dent Nixon's speech was overwhelmingly favorable, according
to press reports.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
II. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
MALAYSIA
Serious rioting by Malay and Chinese mobs continued to-
day in Kuala Lumpur. At last report Malay youths and govern-
ment troops were engaged in a pitched battle in the city's
university section, according to the press. Casualties ap-
parently are high.
The Indian component of the triparty government Alliance
has implied that, unlike its Chinese counterpart, it will re-
main in the cabinet'. The Indian group is the smallest of the
three Alliance parties. Prime Minister Rahman doubtless wel-
comes its support, but the Indian stand is far from adequate
compensation for the departure of the Chinese from the Al-
liance.
LAOS
Communist forces in the northeast have been the object
of heavy air strikes, but there are fresh signs that the en-.
emy is preparing to move against certain government positions
there. There are only a few weeks left however, before heavy
rains begin to make ground operations difficult. It thus
seems doubtful that the Communists at this late date intend
to undertake major and wide-scale offensive action.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100120001-5