THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF - 1968/01/15

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05974224
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

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The President's Daily Brief
T ecre t 15 January 1968
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The Communists have overrun the im-
portant outpost at Nam Bac. It was the
culmination of a ten-month campaign to
reoccupy an area they lost in August
1966 after having controlled it for
nearly a decade. In another develop-
ment, a small enemy force struck the
airfield at the royal capital of Luang
Prabang early today. It was a hit-and-
run raid, possibly aimed at preventing
movement of reinforcements toward Nam
Bac.
These events do not mean that the
Communists have launched a bigger of-
fensive. The loss of Nam Bac is more
a reflection of poor leadership within
the Laotian Army. It may set off a
new round of political maneuvering
within the military for control of the
armed forces.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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15 January 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
15 January 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
Another Trinh Interview: Remarks attributed to
North Vietnam's foreign minister in a recent, but un-
dated, interview with a Bulgarian correspondent under-
score Hanoi's contention that it has been on record
for nearly a year as willing to talk with the US after
the bombing is stopped. The interview, carried by the
official Bulgarian news agency on 12 January, quotes
Trinh as saying that a year ago he had "clearly
pointed out that there will be talks" between North
Vietnam and the US after a halt in the bombing and
other US acts of war. These are not the words he
used in his original "could" formulation, but instead
are the ones of his less ambiguous statement of 30 De-
cember. The interview probably took place after
30 December, but this is not clear.
The wording in the Bulgarian interview suggests
that while Hanoi is content to have the change in
the Trinh formulation interpreted as an initiative
on its part and thus put the onus on the US for the
next move, it nevertheless wants to make clear that
the substance of its position has not changed.
* * *
Viet Cong Reiterates Tet Cease-fire: In a com-
muniqu�harging that allied forces "deliberately
distorted" Communist policy on holiday cease-fires
and tried to limit their duration, the Viet Cong's
news agency on 12 January restated the Communist de-
cision ordering a seven-day "suspension of military
attacks" during the Lunar New Year festival begin-
ning 27 January. The communiqu�aid there had been
"consistent violations" of the Christmas and New
Year truces, and asserted that the US and its' allies
took advantage of the periods to conduct "mop-up
operations" and to stage air attacks. It warned
that violations of the forthcoming Lunar New Year
truce would be "appropriately punished."
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Query to North Vietnam: Ambassador Goldberg
was informed by Emmet Hughes of Newsweek that on
6 or 7 January Hughes had sent a letter to the North
Vietnamese Foreign Ministry asking for clarification
of Hanoi's statement about its readiness to talk
with the US. The letter contains ten detailed ques-
tions asking about the North Vietnamese terms for
settlement of the conflict. Hughes said he would
inform Ambassador Goldberg if he receives even the
slightest response from Hanoi.
.It is highly unlikely that the North Vietnam-
ese will respond in any detail to Hughes' questions,
although they may, as they have with other recent
queries, repeat the foreign minister's formulation
about being willing to talk if the bombing and other
acts of war are stopped.
* * *
Hanoi Propaganda: North Vietnam's party daily,
Nhan Dan, joined Chinese Communist media yesterday
in coTTeinning the alleged air attacks on Chinese
territory near the Laotian border. The paper said
this was a deliberate provocation against China by
the US and its "Laotian henchmen," and is part of
the US plan of war escalation in Indochina. Other
aspects of this "plan," says the paper, include re-
cent bombings of foreign ships in North Vietnam
ports, strikes near the Chinese border, threats to
invade Cambodia, and stepping up of the war in Laos.
Hanoi's Foreign Ministry also issued a statement
taking this line.
Hanoi Claims B-52 Downed: Hanoi on Saturday
falsely claimed that a B-52 bomber was downed by 0
North Vietnamese air defense forces on 11 January
in the southern portion of the country. Six US .
B-52s were fired on by surface-to-air missiles on
the 11th, but they reported no damage had been in-
flicted. This is the sixth B-52 Hanoi claims to
have shot down; none in fact have been lost to hos-
tile action.
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