THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 7 APRIL 1975

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0006014765
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RIPPUB
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T
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13
Document Creation Date: 
August 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 24, 2016
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Publication Date: 
April 7, 1975
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A01260001-0002-5 The President's Daily Brief April 7, 1975 5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 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 I., Of IL A Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A01260001-0002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY April 7, 1975 Table of Contents South Vietnam: President Thieu's intention to stay in power has produced mounting dissatisfaction, but there is no firm evidence of a serious move to force him out. (Page 1) Cambodia: Acting president Koy has made an impas- sioned plea for supplemental aid as government officials now realize that any hope of a com- promise solution has vanished. (Page 4) Nationalist China: President Chiang Kai-shek's death will not lead to any immediate or dra- matic policy changes by the Taipei government. (Page 6) Notes: USSR; International Oil (Page 7) FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY SOUTH VIETNAM President Thieu's obvious intention to stay in power has produced mounting dissatisfaction in both military and ci- vilian circles, but as yet there is no firm evidence of a serious move to force him out. After taking a limited opinion poll, the em- bassy in Saigon reports that most Vietnamese are taking a wait-and-see attitude. They welcome the departure of Prime Minister Khiem, but doubt that lower house speaker Can is capable of forming a new cabinet. Although Can is a respected and intelli- gent politician, he is a close associate of Thieu and has few contacts among the military. As a na- tional leader, most question whether he can to join the government. The reactions may best reflect the general political situation in the country. ef- forts to persuade-Thieu to step aside in favor of an "executive council" headed by General Ky had failed. Moreover, despite universal dissatisfaction with Thieu, the President still had the trump cards and "he is playing them coolly." persuaae an impressive group Military men are reluctant to move against Thieu, because failure would bring disgrace to them and reprisals against their families. Religious groups, especially the Catholics, do not want to take any action that would help the communists. Thus, so long as Thieu retains the loyalty of a few high-level military officers and the police, his removal will not be easy. The attitudes of South Vietnam's military lead- ers will of course be crucial in determining the government's and Thieu's durability. Former prime minister Khiem's actions will also be important. Although there are no reliable indications that sen- ior military commanders or Khiem--a former military commander and by rank South Vietnam's senior gen- eral--are ready to move against Thieu, the feeling seems to be growing that some way must be found either to force Thieu from office or to persuade him to step aside. (continued) 1 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 25X1 25X1 25X1 225Xl 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY We have comments from three separate sources, all made to US officials with the knowledge that their remarks would be passed to Washington,.sug- gesting that moves against Thieu could develop quickly.' South Vietnam's press director, Nguyen Ngoc Bich, told a US official on Saturday that reac- tion to President Thieuls speech the day before among "many air force officers" was one of extreme anger and that there wastalk of a."bloody solution." Bich interpreted these comments-to mean that -a bomb- ing of the palace or an assassination attempt might be made .shortly. He claimed that "all armed forces" are now beginning to rally around former vice presi-. dent.Ky,. but that Ky himself.is,not.among those plotting violence. Bich also stated that Military Region 3 com- mander General Toan hadttried unsuccessfully all day Saturday to get an appointment with Thieu. Toan reportedly wanted to assure the President of his personal loyalty, but intended nevertheless to ask him to step down for the good of the country. There are also indications that General Nam, Military Region 4 commander, may be ready to end his support for Thieu. According to Nam's chief of staff, General Quay, Nam would support Joint Gen- eral Staff. chief Vien in a power struggle against Thieu. Quay emphasized, however, that Nam would not take the initiative in such a move, but that his support could prove decisive in any confronta- tion between Thieu and the generals. An initial survey of reactions to Thieu's speech by the.embassy'reflects widespread agreement with Thieulsscharges'of.US.abandonment... On-Thurs- day, moreover,.a.special assistant in the ministry of national- defense, Major General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, warned that some attempts would be made to prevent Americans.from-leaving.South Vietnam. There was practically no fighting in the provinces near-Saigon over the weekend, but the' level of communist- initiated military action increased somewhat in the delta. Officials in the delta are pleased with their newly adopted blocking tactics, however, and with the increased and more effective air support. Some officials feel that if the communists do not take Can Tho in the next few days, they will have to fall back. (continued) 2 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 10(4 106 NORTH VIETNAM 168 lin Demilitarized Zone Hue'-} Phu Bai Airfield ?16 Da Nang. THAILAND LAOS MR 1 ?14 CAM BOD Mekong ?12 PHNOM PENH* Moc? Hoe Can The' ? IS Gulf of Thailand 1r4 MR 4 s9- MR 3 (*Phan Thief Vung Tau \Capital Special Zone 103 MR 2 Trang han Rang South China Sea Communist controlled territory 110 MILES 16- ? 12 .. 10. - 1110 557634 4-75 CIA I , ? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY The South Vietnamese have reinforced their forces defending Moc Hoa, a tiny provincial capital just south of the Cambodian border in the northern delta. Here too, the communists have been slow in getting under way and their forces are being struck hard by government air and artillery. The balance of forces there now favors the government, and some officials feel this battlefront could be the first big test of the resolve of Saigon's forces in the remaining third of the country. The commander of the South Vietnamese marine division, which was recently evacuated from Da Nang, is-now regouping his units at Vung Tau along the coast. One of the three brigades being reassembled and rearmed will soon move closer to Saigon to bol- ster the confidence of the population in the capital. Parts of the airborne brigade that were brought out of the northern provinces have been restingand refitting at Long Binh. One battalion was sent on April 4 to reinforce government units at Phan Rang in Ninh Thuan Province. The government is still holding small enclaves at Phan Rang and Phan Thiet, largely because the North Vietnamese have been slow to occupy these weakly-defended-areas of southern Military Region 2. There have also been reports' that the communists have not yet moved into Nha Trang in force, but Saigon's military presence there is weak. Much of the South Vietnamese 2nd Division, which fled from Quang Ngai and Quang Tin provinces in Military Region 1, is now in Binh-Tuy Province. The commander is encountering difficulties in reor- ganizing the division's 4,000 or so troops because they have been reluctant to turn in their weapons. Some troops have been stealingand looting in the provincial capital of Ham Tan, a seacoast city del- uged with military personnel and civilians arriving by boat from the northern provinces. Hanoi, meanwhile, has begun flying transport aircraft into the recently. captured Phu Bai air- field between Hue and Da Nang. The North Vietnam- ese have been flying helicopters into northern South Vietnam for several weeks, but this is the first time transports have flown into this area. Hanoi is probably trying to move in additional administrative and technical personnel to stabilize the civil situation in the northern provinces. 3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY CAMBODIA Acting president Saukham Koy met with US Congressional staff members yesterday and made an impassioned plea for supple- mental aid. Khmer communist forces are now reported to be about three miles from Pochentong Airport. President Koy said that a favorable vote on the aid question would buy him time to arrange an orderly surrender. He said that under the present circumstances the "best feasible solution" would be for the government to give in to Sihanouk's demands and invite the Prince back to Phnom Penh. He en- visioned tying the "invitation" to an agreement pro- hibiting communist forces from entering the city and allowing the continued delivery of relief sup- plies. Koy warned that the government would have no choice except to surrender unconditionally if the supplemental aid is not provided. Undoubtedly try- ing to shock his guests, Koy spoke of the possibil- ity of a "bloodbath" if the insurgents are allowed to enter Phnom Penh. His comments indicated, how- ever, that government officials now realize the severity of the situation and that any hope of a compromise solution has vanished. Ambassador Dean reduced the US mission staff in Phnom Penh to 58 persons over the weekend. An- other 102 private US citizens remain in the city, and the embassy has advised them to leave. So far, none of the over 600 Cambodians on the embassy's evacuation list has left. Ambassador Dean believes that the departure of significant numbers of govern- ment officials and Cambodian employees of the US mission would be read as a sign of defeat and make it difficult to complete evacuation plans. The am- bassador is also deeply concerned over the possibil- ity of major insurgent artillery attacks against the capital in the near future and warns that the "final extraction" may have to be carried out under "hostile fire." (continued) 4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 CAMBODIA: Phnom Penh Area ?Ar. eig OS ? Cm Oudong MEKONG ? Prat P h n'o'u PHNONI PENH o , Kompong mmunition Spe \ dum ---Gbv-ernment .1.- positions lost lost 557633 4-75 0 5 Miles .Banam Neak Luong Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY The Khmer communists kept steady pressure on Phnom Penh's outer defenses over the weekend. West of the capital, insurgent ground attacks forced gov- ernment troops to withdraw from two positions on Route 4. Much military equipment was lost in the withdrawals and 200 government troops are missing. The front lines in the sector are now only six miles from the army's main ammunition dump. Fighting also increased on the Route-5 front north of Phnom Penh. Government troops have given up some ground, and US defense attaches report that defenses along the highway and on the peninsula just across the Tonle Sap River are very porous. The communists also launched new ground attacks against army units directly north of Pochentong Air- port where they gained ground. The US airlift operations continued uninter- rupted over the weekend, although communist rocket and artillery attacks damaged four Khmer air force aircraft and wounded a number of pilots. Intercepted messages continue to reflect communist preparations for increased artillery attacks against the airfield or Phnom Penh itself. 5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5'"' FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY NATIONALIST CHINA President Chiang Kai-shek's death on Saturday will not result in any im- mediate or dramatic policy changes by the Taipei government. Vice President Yen Chia-kan was sworn in as president yesterday, but he will be largely a fig- urehead. Real power will rest withy the late presi- dent's eldest son, Premier Chiang Ching-kuo, who gradually assumed leadership after his father be- came seriously ill in 1972. The main points ofPremier Chiang's domestic and foreign policies have closely paralleled those of his father and there is little reason to expect dramatic-changes now. Since the younger Chiang assumed effective control-of.thergovernment, there has been no weakening-of the-Nationalists' staunch anti-communist stand or their claim-to represent all of China.- Chiang has shown.no-sign of willing- ness to reach-an accommodation-with Peking, and there is little likelihood that his attitude will change in the near future. Premier Chiang, however, has placed less em- phasis in recent:years on the."return-to-the-main- land" theme with which his father was so closely identified. He also has attempted to--obtain-greater participation in the government by- native Taiwanese. Taipei's ties with the US are-still a key. con- cern to the Nationalists. -Premier Chiang. can be- expected to try to. gain reassurance of US commit- ments to Taiwan,-especially in the light of recent developments in Indochina. Foreign Minister Shen Chang-huan, in fact, approached the US ambassador in Taipei on Sunday with a "private" request for "some reassuring gesture" from you regarding US "solidarity" with the Taipei?government. 6 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY NOTES A Soviet attempt early Saturday morning to orbit a Soyuz spacecraft with two cosmonauts aboard ended in failure The mission was aborted when a problem devel- oped with the booster shortly after the third stage was ignited. A Tass announcement yesterday con- firmed the failure and said that the cosmonauts were recovered in good health. ine spacecratt was expected to rendezvous and dock with the Salyut 4 space station, after which the crew would have boarded the space station for an? extended stay in orbit. The meeting in Paris of oil ''producing? arid 0011- SUMitig '' states that begins today seems likely to be a fairly successful affair. Representatives of industrialized states, developing countries, and major oil producers at- tending the week-long session will probably make some progress on both the agenda and the list of participants in a major conference later this year. A successful meeting in Paris, in fact, could be a watershed in relations between the oil producers and consumers and open the way to broader interna- tional recognition of the economic interdependence of oil importers and exporters. 7 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 25X1 25X1 mu- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010002-5