THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 AUGUST 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993485
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 26, 1972

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The President's Daily Brief
26 August 1972
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
26 August 19/2
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
South Vietnamese troops are making progress in the
coastal lowlands of Quang Nam Province. Yesterday,
lead elements of the counteroffensive met only light
opposition when entering Que Son District town.
(Page 1)
In Cambodia, enemy elements appear to be strengthen-
ing their hold-Over a_14.-mile stretch of Route 5
A combined Cambodian and South Vietnamese force,.,
however, has retaken the town of Kompong Trabek on
Route 1. (Page 3)
In Laos, the Communists arecontinuing to take a
hard line on possible peace talks. (Page 4)
Prime Minister Gandhi is going to delay withdrawing
troops from Pakistani territory in the hope of
pressuring Pakistan's President Bhutto to recognize
Bangladesh. (Page 6)
Argentine President Lanusse has reaffirmed his de-
cision to hold elections next March. (Page 7)
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?EMIL ITA RIZED ZONE
o MILES 25
SOUTH
VIETNAM
SAIGON
a
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6.4e? 'QUA
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ken b lovernment
ta 17.5
SOUTH .
CHINA
SEA
uang Ngai
Attopeu
553513 '.8-72
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VIETNAM
Government troops are making progress in the
coastal lowlands of Quang Nam Province. Yesterday,
lead elements of the counteroffensive met only
light opposition when entering Que Son District
town, but encountered stiff Communist resistance
about two miles east of the town,
two regiments of the North Viet
namese 711th Division have been tasked with holding
off Saigon's moves in Quang Nam, while the divi-
sion's third regiment conducts operations against
the government's staging area at Fire Support Base
Baldy and against nearby villages and lines of com-
munication.
Fighting has intensified around Quang Tri City
Several clashes occurred north of the city and near
the southeastern corner of the citadel, although
Marine units have not yet succeeded in reaching the
citadel's wet wall. The government advance con-
tinues to be hampered by intense enemy artillery
fire. On 24 August the Communists directed almost
5,000 artillery and mortar rounds at Marine posi-
tions around the city. Considering the volume of
fire reported, Marine casualties have been fairly
light.
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CHINA
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CAMBODIA
THAILAND
BATTA
Pursaf
ba
Damrel
Kompong
Pe ley
Government forces
amog
ompong Cham
Retaken government
Kom on
Tr4bek
GULF
OF
THAILAND
SO
MILES
55'3512 8-72 CIA
r.%
CHINA SEA
;?-?
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CAMBODIA
Enemy elements appear to be strengthening their
hold over a 14-mile stretch of Route 5 which they
seized a week ago. In the past, the Communists have
made only minor hit-and-run attacks along the high-
way, but this time they seem to be preparing for a
protracted campaign.
Thus far, government efforts to clear Route 5
have been thwarted by heavy enemy resistance. Gov-
ernment commanders in the area have said that the
road cannot be reopened without heavy air support
and massive reinforcements from Phnom Penh.
Enemy pressure against the highway comes
at a bad time. Phnom Penh receives most
of its rice supplies from Battambang Prov-
ince via this route. The government is
seeking increased rice imports from the
US, Japan, and Thailand.
Elsewhere; a combined Cambodian and South Viet-
namese force has retaken the town of Kompong Trabek
on Route 1. The highway is now open from the Cambo-
dian capital to this point.
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LAOS
TheCommunists-are continuing to take a hard
line on possible peace talks. Lao Communist leader
SOuphanouvong's response earlier this week to Prime
Minister SOuvanna'sletter of 24 July consists
largeyof a. reiteration of preconditions for peace'
talks, including a total and unconditional US bomb-
ing halt throughout Laos. Souvanna dismissed the
message as "nonsense," but he nevertheless intends
to try to sustain his prepent:dialogue with the Lao
Communists. In his draft response,which is to be
reviewed by the cabinet next week, Souvanna makes
no new proposals and reiterates his call for a gen-
eral ceasefire with adequate controls.
These messages indicate that the prospects
for substantive talks on peace in Laos re-
main poor. Well before he received Sou-
phanouvong's letter, Souvanna told the
US Embassy in Vientiane that he was mind-
ful of the need to continue the interdic-
tion of the Ho Chi Minh trail. Souvanna
has also indicated that he intends to take
as much territory as possible before peace
talks begin. The Communists may also see
Vang Pao's current offensive in this light.
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USSR
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INDIA-PAKISTAN
Prime Min-
ister Gandhi is going to delay withdrawing Indian
troops from Pakistani territory--in contravention
of the Simla Agreement--in hopes that President
Bhutto, who is under considerable domestic polit-
ical pressure to regain most of this occupied ter-
ritory, will move toward recognition of Bangladesh.
Their understan ing at Sim a was
that the two sides would simply pull back their
troops.
Bhutto has refused to recognize Bangladesh'
until he has had a chance to meet with
Prime Minister Mujibur Rahman. Mujibur,
however, insists that recognition must
come first. In light of Bhutto's domestic
political pressures, he may decide that he
will be best served by allowing the pres-
ent stalemate to continue. Indian and
Pakistani delegates are meeting now in
New Delhi in an attempt to reconcile their
differences.
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ARGENTINA
President Lanusse has reaffirmed his decision
to hold elections next March. In a speech on 24
August Lanusse promised ?the nation that the elec-
tions would be completely fair. He said that Juan
Peron had excluded himself by not returning to Argen-
tina by 25 August, the deadline the government has
imposed for all candidates to be in the country.
At the same time he declared that neither he nor the
other two armed services commanders would stand for
election. Lanusse announced a reform of the consti-
tution to reduce the presidential term from six to
four years and to allow for the direct popular elec-
tion of the president and congress.
President Lanusse also defended the action last
Tuesday of the military guards in Trelew who, during
an alleged escape attempt, gunned down 16 of the 19
terrorists recaptured after a prison break and air-
liner hijacking a week earlier. The so-called mas-
sacre has prompted public demonstrations against the
government, but the military has moved quickly to
put down disorders. The army has taken control of
several interior cities to prevent the trouble from
spreading.
The President's speech demonstrates his
determination to maintain control despite
mounting problems. There is some indica-
tion that his tougher approach to terror-
ism will, temporarily at least, mollify
some of his critics in the military. The
Peronists and many other civilian politi-
cians, however, are likely to become even
tougher in opposing Lanusse 's political
and economic moves. The political parties
have been nearly unanimous in opposing any
military tinkering with the constitution.
The Peronists, furthermore, argue that the
arbitrary setting of the 25 August dead-
line was a deliberate attempt to prohibit
Peron's candidacy. They claim they will
not accept such an exclusion and that
Peron is pZanning to return to his home-
land by 17 October--the date on which
marching crowds of workers forced the re-
lease of Peron from military detention 27
years ago. Because Peron knows he would
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be a target for-assassination should he
return home in October, we,do not put much
stock in the Peronist claim.
On the international scene, the good rela-
tions between Argentina and Chile?care-
fully nurtured by both presidents?could
be in jeopardy. Last night, Allende an-
nounced that the ten Argentine terrorists
who escaped to Chile on a hijacked plane
will be permitted to travel on to asylum,
presumably in Cuba.
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NOTE
Nationalist China:
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Top Secret
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