THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05974295
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: April 27, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: February 24, 1968

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The President's Daily Brief
/i Secret 24 February 1968
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DAILY BRIEF
24 FEBRUARY 1968
1. South Vietnam
2. Laos
3. Japan
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Saigon remains relatively quiet,
but firefights persist on all sides of
the city. Some of these doubtless in-
volve elements of the three Communist
divisions now deployed in the capital
area. More enemy troops are apparently
headed that way, and one report, at-
tributed to a Viet Cong official, says
the Communists will launch another
large-scale attack on the city before
1 March.
Several cities in the north also
appear threatened. These include Da
Nang, Quang Tri, and Hoi An. In the
delta provinces, the signs are espe-
cially bleak. The Viet Cong have over-
run many rural areas, while South Viet-
namese forces remain tied down defend-
ing the cities. The Communists have
been having such success in their re-
cruitment drives in the delta country-
side that their strength seems greater
now than it was prior to the Tet offen-
sive, despite their heavy casualties.
At last word, Communist forces
around Saravane had not yet followed up
yesterday's artillery attacks with a
ground assault on the town. A few miles
to the southwest, however, heavy fight-
ing was reported under way most of yes-
terday at the Laotian regimental head-
quarters at Lao Ngam.
however, suggests that the attackers
had been repulsed.
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4. Thailand
5. India
6. Panama
7. Cyprus
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Government forces are finding it
very rough going as they try to sweep
several hundred tribal insurgents out
of the northern mountains.
No significant change.
Makarios had expected to be un-
opposed in tomorrow's presidential
election, but he was wrong. He has
given up union with Greece as a prac-
tical objective, and the pro-unionists
have put up their own man, a promin-
ent psychiatrist. The Archbishop will
probably swamp the psychiatrist, but
Cypriot passions are quick to rise
over the union issue, and there may be
some unpleasantness.
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8. International
Communism
9. Soviet Union
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The "consultative meeting" of Com-
munist parties opening in Budapest on
Monday will be the biggest such affair
since 1960, but is not likely to come
to much. Moscow has had to water down
its objectives in order to draw a half-
way respectable turnout. Some sixty
parties have been dragooned into send-
ing representatives, but none are
coming from the Far East. The Rumanians
will go,
Soviet diplomats in various parts
of the world continue to do battle on
behalf of the US-Soviet draft nonprolif-
eration treaty.
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--ThirSete�
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FOR THE THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
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24 February 1968
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Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
24 February 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
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Limited Trade Between Singapore and North Viet-
nam Afay Be in Prospect: The North Vietnamese trade
delegation which was originally scheduled to leave
Singapore on 26 February is remaining an additional
three days
it
concluded a number of deals with Singapore business-
men, particularly for the purchase of rice and rubber.
Hanoi does not have a regular trade office in
Singapore, but may establish one there in the near
future. Trade between the two countries is likely
to remain quite small.
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Threat to Kill US Prisoners: The Communists
threatened on 22 February to retaliate for any exe-
cution of Viet Cong prisoners in Hue. According
to both Liberation Radio and Hanoi, the newly sur-
faced "Thua �Thien-Hue People's Revolutionary Com-
mittee" threatened to "adopt appropriate measures"
against US troops captured in Hue if Communist
prisoners were executed by South Vietnamese authori-
ties.
The Communists frequently have made such
threats against US personnel in order to prevent
executions of Viet Cong prisoners. The only dif-
ferent element in this threat is the use of the
new local "revolutionary committee"--an organiza-
tion which the Liberation Front claims is non-Commu-
nist and is now in "control" of Thua Thien Province
and Hue city.
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