THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 5 MAY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976757
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 5, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100030001-5
The President's Daily Brief
5 May 1969
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93478 1-69
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MAJOR PROBLEMS
MIDDLE EAST
Embassy Beirut has provided further background on Presi-
dent Hilu's decision to take a hard line against the feda-
yeen. Hilu has told Ambassador Porter that he had no choice
but to order the army to do whatever was necessary to con-
trol the terrorists and prevent any cross-border operations
into Israel. Hilu said there was no other way to halt what
he called the "Jordanization" of Lebanon--sharing or ceding
power to the fedayeen.
Hilu claimed there were 1,600 fedayeen in southern Leba-
non and more waiting on the Syrian side of the border. He
said this amounted to a "Syrian-inspired invasion" whose ob-
jective was the takeover of all of southern Lebanon.
The army of course is the key to the success in con-
fronting the fedayeen. -Even though General Bustani, the
army's chief, has agreed to carry out Hilu's policy, a source
close to the president told Porter that the basic question
was whether Bustani's patriotism will outweigh his desire to
advance his presidential ambitions by currying favor with the
Muslims.
Whatever the army's staying Power over the long pull,
Hilu's order already has had some 'effect. The army is re-
ported ,to have fired on a group of fedayeen Saturday.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
VIETNAM
Thieu is going to have his hands full trying to whip
into line leaders of the major groups he hopes to bring into
his new political movement. Although happy enough to pay
lip-service to the need for a united front against the Com-
munists opposition politicians are making it increasingly
clear that their primary objective in forthcoming negotia-
tions with Thieu will be to ensure that the interests of
their respective groups are fully protected.
These leaders, even though they have not yet agreed on
which negotiating tactics to pursue, appear at least to be
United on two points at this time; that the "major groups"
must be given a position in Thieu's front Commensurate with
their relative importance, and that Thieu's abrasive polit-
ical organizer, Nguyen Van Huong, must go. On the first
point, the politicians have not yet settled on a particular
formula to push, but they are clearly against Thieu's pre-
liminary proposal that all of the. political parties be equally
represented in a consultative "presidium,"
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Francois Mitterand announced yesterday that he was not
a candidate for the French presidency. Mitterand's withdrawal
came after he had consulted earlier in the day with the French
Socialist party, presumably in a final attempt to assess pros-
pects for the development of a united left coalition to back
his candidacy. The Socialists early this morning nominated
moderate Gaston Defferre to be their candidate after a motion
to consult other parties of the left before voting on .a can-
didate was finally defeated.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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ILLEGIB
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
II, OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
LAOS
Government guerrilla forces have moved into the former
-Pathet Lao base of Xieng Khouangville. In a related opera-
tion they have driven the enemy from positions to the east,
capturing large amounts of supplies. The ease with which
these enemy positions have fallen has led Meo leader yang
Pao to widen his sights. He has committed additional troops
in Order to hold ground already captured and to press deeper
into enemy territory.
yang Pao May be overextending his thinly-stretched guer-
rilla troops. There are large numbers of North Vietnamese
,troops who have not yet been committed to the fighting. One
battalion, for example seems to be moving into a position
from which it could threaten yang Pao's headquarters at Long
Tieng. Furthermore, a North Vietnamese radio terminal--pos-
sibly serving a reconnaissance unit--has been in the Long
Tieng area within the past week.
The Communists also are readying themselves for heavier
action north of the Plaine des Jarres.
),- as many as five
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese battalions are being moved
into position for an all-out assault on two government out-
posts. the North
Vietnamese hope to take these positions in order to prevent
government guerrillas from using them as a base for moving
back into Samneua Province ?during the rainy season.
BOLIVIA
President Siles' chances for hanging on to his new of-
fice now look a little brighter. Army chief Ovando, doubt-
less influenced by international expressions of support for
Siles' constitutional succession, seems to be having thoughts
about an immediate bid for power. Ovando and Siles are now
negotiating a new cabinet
Ovando's course of action will be determined in the final
analysis however, by his judgment of whether he can safely
bide his time until the regularly scheduled presidential elec.-
tions next year, when he would be an almost certain winner.
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Top Secret
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