THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 JANUARY 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992443
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 26, 1971

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The President's Daily Brief
26 January 1971
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
26 January 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The fedayeen are charging the Jordanian Government
with violations of the latest cease-fire agreement.
(Page 1)
Lon Nol and Sink Matak appear to have retained
their strong resolve despite the wave of terrorist
incidents. (Page 2)
Army dissidents led by General Amin appear to be in
control of the Ugandan capital following the coup
yesterday. (Page 3)
Tokyo's attitude on Voice of America operations in
Okinawa is another example of its growing independ-
ent approach in relations with the US. (Page 4)
The Polish Government has announced preparations
for granting the Church legal title to former Ger-
man church lands that are under regime control.
(Page 5)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
FEDAYEEN-JORDAN
The fedayeen central committee has charged that
Jordanian authOrities have failed to comply with the
terms of the cease-fire of 13 January, although it
claims the fedayeen fulfilled all their obligations
by the deadline of 23 January. The central commit-
tee accuses the government of attempting to stir up
an anti-fedayeen and anti-Palestinian campaign among
the Jordanian public and of encouraging armed attacks
on fedayeen offices in Jordan. Meanwhile, in a broad-
cast from Algeria, Yasir Arafat has claimed that Jor-
danian authorities are collaborating with the US and
Israel to crush the guerrilla movement and force it
to surrender to Israel. Arafat predicted the regime
would not honor the latest cease-fire agreement and
called for the dispatch of troops from other Arab
countries to Jordan and its borders.
These accusations appear designed mainly
to keep up morale among the frayed feda-
yeen groups in Jordan. Jordanian Premier
Wasfi Tal has adopted a tough line in re-
sponding to the commandos, claiming the
fedayeen are merely making excuses for the
failure of their guerrilla campaign against
Israel. He made it clear that the govern-
ment would again use force if the comman-
dos disrupted the present cease-fire agree-
ment.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
In a private meeting with Lon Nol and Sink
Matak yesterday, Ambassador Swank found them both
in an excellent frame of mind. Lon Nol in particu-
lar exhibited his customary confidence and did not
appear at all daunted by the incidents of sabotage
and terrorism that followed the heavy attack on
Pochentong airfield. ?Lon Nol said the enemy was
in the process of being rooted out of the environs
of the capital, and security of key installations
was "being assured." (Although the Cambodians are
making an effort to secure the capital, it is un-
likely?given their inexperience--that they can
guarantee the safety of key points.)
When Ambassador Swank asked for their reading
Of the political situation in Phnom Penh, both
agreed that the populace is more apprehensive
(Sink Matak said, "War is no longer theoretical
but real"), but they saw no weakening in public re-
solve to stand up against the enemy.
Ambassador Swank came away with the impression
that their own strong resolve has not been weakened
by 'recent events and that they remain convinced
their cause ultimately will triumph. He notes that
the hardships and the tragedy of war are now being
brought home to the average Khmer in the capital,
and that some intellectuals and the military al-
ready are searching for scapegoats. Ambassador
Swank's judgment is that these trends do not cur-
rently have serious implications for the positions
of these two leaders.
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UGANDA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
UGANDA
Army dissidents led by General Idi Amin appear
to be in control of the Ugandan capital of Kampala
following the coup yesterday against President Milton
Obote. They effectively enforced a curfew in the
capital last night and troops have closed the nearby
airport at Entebbe. Radio Uganda is broadcasting
statements claiming that Amin acted to rid the gov-
ernment of corruption and to restore public confi-
dence. Amin describes his government as merely a
caretaker administration and says he intends to re-
turn the government to civilian hands in due course.
The coup was clearly timed to coincide with
Obote's absence at the Commonwealth confer-
ence in Singapore, but little is known yet
about other circumstances of the take-over.
It is not clear how much support Amin has,
even within the army which is shot through
with personal and tribal factionalism.
Amin has been at odds with other senior
officers and he may have acted with only
a small number of supporters.
Rumors were widespread yesterday that Obote
would try to return to the country, but he
remained in Nairobi last night and there
was no firm indication of his immediate
plans. The situation could remain unstable
for some time even if Obote does not return.
Amin will be hard-pressed to handle the fac-
tionalism in the army, that only mirrors the
tribal divisions within the country's gen-
eral population.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
JAPAN-OKINAWA
The latest example of Japan's growing in-
dependent approach in its relations with
the US, as discussed in The President's
Daily Brief Annex on 23 December, comes
in Tokyo's response to the US request to
allow Voice of America operations to con-
tinue after 1972 when the island is sched-
uled to revert to Japan.
The Japanese Government informed the US late
last week that the Voice of America facilities will
have to be removed upon reversion. In conveying
this decision, a high Foreign Office official told
the US Embassy that Japan was rejecting the US re-
quest not only because of laws forbidding foreign
broadcasting from Japanese soil, but also because
of long-standing public sensitivity to such activ-
ity. He added that it would be extremely difficult
to build the political consensus necessary to amend
the laws and that the political reaction would likely
be serious if any amendments were "rammed through."
The official also cited fear of offending Com-
munist China at a time of what he termed "delicate
change" in the international situation. Every pos-
sible alternative had been considered, he claimed,
but no formula had been found that would not create
insurmountable domestic political problems.
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NOTE
Poland: The government announced preparations
yesterday for granting the Roman Catholic Church
legal title to former German church lands that are
under regime control. Title would not revert to the
church before the Vatican has recognized Poland's
western border--a move.that is unlikely until. rati-
fication of the Polish - West German treaty--but the
announcement is an important gesture by the regime
toward reconciliation with the church-. It will help
the government to enlist the support of the Polish
episcopate and is designed to improve'in.general its.
standing with the strongly religious population.
Normal work appears to have resumed in areas
along the Baltic coast following the visit of party
leader Gierek and Premier Jaroszewicz to Szczecin
and Gdansk.
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