THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 30 APRIL 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976750
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 30, 1969

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The President's Daily Brief
30 April /969
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1 May 1969
LATE NOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF OF
30 APRIL 1969
I. MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
Fighting between Lebanese troops and fedayeen is reported
to have occurred yesterday in southern Lebanon near the Israeli
border. The clashes are likely to have been with the Syrian-
inspired fedayeen that have been flowing into Lebanon recently.
(Press, 30 Apr)
A military spokesman in Tel Aviv says five Israelis were
killed by Egyptian gunfire yesterday at the southern end of
the Suez Canal. (Reuters, 1 May)
There is nothing significant to report on Vietnam, Europe,
or Soviet Affairs.
II. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
IRAQ - EAST GERMANY
Iraq yesterday became the first non-Communist state to ac-
cord full recognition to East Germany. Pankow, which has long
centered its efforts to obtain diplomatic recognition in the
Arab world and among other third world countries, probably will
launch a major propaganda campaign and such pressure as it can
exert on other states to get them to follow Baghdad's example.
There presumably will be no great rush among other states to
recognize East Germany, however, in part because West Germany
would regard such action as an unfriendly act. Baghdad prob-
ably was not concerned about Bonn's reaction because Iraq does
not have diplomatic or trade relations with West Germany.
(Central Intelligence Bulletin, I May)
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BOLIVIA
President Siles' position seems increasingly precarious.
The powerful Bolivian National Peasants Confederation, which
is headed by armed forces commander Ovando, has demanded that
Siles resign by 3:00 PM today. The stronghold of anti-Siles
sentiment is Cochabamba, where Barrientos' body is being taken
for burial tomorrow. As many as 30,000 anti-Si]es peasants may
be in Cochabamba by tomorrow.
The peasant federation's demand may be only an attempt to
put additional pressure on Siles to bow to Ovando's wishes.
It could, however, be the first step in a move to oust Siles
and install a completely military government. (Central Intel-
ligence Bulletin, I May)
CAMBODIA
Sihanouk also used his press conference yesterday to de-
nounce the North Vietnamese. He said that Cambodian troops
are moving against Vietnamese Communists in the remote north-
east. Sihanouk also called for an expansion of the Paris talks
to include Cambodia, Laos, and other Southeast Asian nations
threatened by American "imperialism" and Communist "expansion-
ism." (FBIS, 30 Apr)
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I, MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
An army officer, a terrorist, and three civilians died
in a chance encounter between fedayeen and Jordanian military
police in Amman yesterday. The situation is ripe for even
more serious incidents.
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The Israelis are most unlikely to regard yesterday's
clash in Amman as convincing evidence of Jordan's will or
capacity to cool off the situation. With tensions rising,
in fact, it becomes increasingly difficult for the Jordanians
to do anything effective at all. If this state of affairs
continues, some kind of Israeli military action is almost
inevitable.
Mrs. Meir called in Ambassador Barbour this morning to
warn him that the situation along the Jordan border was be-
coming "impossible." Husayn must do something "drastic,"
she said, to control both the terrorists and the Jordanian
Army.
VIETNAM
Liberation Front spokesman Tran Buu Kiem at today's
talks intimated that the Communists are now ready to engage
in private substantive discussions with the US and GVN pro-
vided the allies agree to take the Communists' four and five
points as the starting point of those discussions. Calling
the four and five points "a realistic basis fora correct
political settlement" of the Vietnam problem, Kiem affirmed
that the Front is "ready to engage in discussions with the
other parties so as to make the conference move forward."
Kiem was careful to describe the four and five points
in moderate terms, hinting that the allies would be free to
bring up whatever subjects they wish. He did however, use
the now hardened version of the Front's third point, which
calls for the "unconditional" withdrawal of US forces. The
original version made no mention of "unconditional."
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By leaving vague just which "parties" might be included
in the discussions, Kiem allowed himself plenty of room for
maneuver. The wording suggests, however, that for the pres-
ent at least, the Communists will continue to insist that
private substantive talks on the political future of South
Vietnam will have to include the US as well as the GVN.
It is not clear why the Communists chose this moment
to drop the public hint that they are ready for substantive
talks with the GVN.
the Communists have been concen-
trating their fire on the need for a "peace cabinet" to re-
place the present GVN leadership. It is possible that Hanoi
now believes there is more to gain from engaging the US and
the GVN in substantive discussions than there is from further
delay. This would be in line with the Communists' conviction
that the US and GVN will differ sharply over major issues as
the talks progress. Thus their objective in this latest move
may be to fish for just such differences where they can.
EUROPE
The dominant reaction among West Europeans over De
Gaulle's departure is one of relief and renewed hope for
unity. Most members of the European Commission recognize
that the situation has dramatically and fundamentally changed,
but that new obstacles are likely to appear rapidly to re-
place the one that has fallen away. Any changes will take
place slowly: first because the new French government, once
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chosen, will take time to settle in, and secondly because
Bonn, whose initiative would be essential to exploit the
new situation, is already feeling "the paralyzing effect"
of the elections to be held in September.
The Community will watch British policy during this
interim period critically.(
/ Prime Minister Wilson and Italian President Saragat
issued a joint declaration in London earlier this week call-
ing for a united Europe
SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
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II. OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
BOLIVIA 50X1
CAMBODIA
Sihanouk apparently is having second thoughts about
how fast he should move toward a rapprochement with the
US. He told a press conference in Phnom Penh today that
Cambodia rejects the recent US border declaration. He
said that American newspaper stories describing the gen-
eral nature of the border declaration indicated Washing-
ton had "reservations" which undermined the declaration's
utility to Cambodia.
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The account of the press conference is fragmentary,
and it is still too early to tell how serious Sihanouk
is about the "rejection." Throwing up last-minute
hurdles to a course he has already set is characteristic
of Sihanouk's political and negotiating style. In doing
so, he may hope to extract some clarification of the US
position which he can use to advantage with his neighbors
and his domestic critics. At a minimum, a show of ob-
duracy presumably would enable Sihanouk to demonstrate
to Cambodian leftists, as well as the Vietnamese Commu-
nists, that he is still his own man.
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