THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05974307
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: April 27, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2019
• Publication Date: March 2, 1968

Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
The President's Daily Brief
Top Secret 2 March 1968
23
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
3.5(c)
TOP SECRET
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
DAILY BRIEF
2 MARCH 1968
1. Vietnam
2. Laos
3. Panama
4. Soviet Union
�TOP 8ECRE-T
-
Enemy military activity is down
almost to the pre-Tet pace at the moment,
but there are mounting indications that
attacks are planned against cities in
the western highlands. Pleiku, Ban Me
Thuot, and Kontum appear to be key tar-
gets for an offensive that could begin
as early as tomorrow.
Fighting remains at a relatively
low level. Recent Communist gains, how-
ever, have rekindled southern separatist
tendencies.
Prominent southerners are jumpy
about the way the government is handling
the threat. They are talking about go-
ing on their own to ask the Thais for
help. Ambassador Sullivan has proposed
instead that friendly guerrilla units be
brought down from the north. The ambas-
sador also has urged the southerners not
to talk with the Thais behind Souvanna
Phouma's back.
The move to impeach Robles may be
gaining some ground. A special session
of the National Assembly is expected to
convene on Monday to hear charges.
Arias and his allies probably control
enough votes to swing an impeachment.
Robles could dissolve the assembly,
but, if he does, there is a good chance
for a clash between Arias backers and the
National Guard.
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
3.5(c)
Tor SECRET
. Budapest
Conference
6. Egypt
Approved for Release 2019/04/17 005974307
-
The Soviets have adopted a stand at
the conference that amounts almost to a
demand that the parties present accept
Moscow's position on the issues dividing
the Communist movement or get out. The
Rumanians chose to get out.
The Soviets are ready to press their
position knowing full well this will fur-
ther alienate the Rumanians and others.
Suslov, who heads the Soviet delegation,
called for the creation of a temporary
commission to prepare draft documents
for a world conference next November or
December. This is the first time Mos-
cow has publicly committed itself to a
specific time schedule since Khrushchev's
abortive campaign four years ago.
The sharpened split between the So-
viets and Rumanians will raise more un-
certainties in Eastern Europe and inten-
sify factional differences in East Euro-
pean parties. Moscow's iron-jawed stand,
in short, is tending to open, not heal,
the sores besetting world Communism.
There is no doubt that the Soviets
are actively involved in Egyptian air de-
fense activities and that some Soviet pi-
lots are now flying with operational EgVD-
tian units.
but we have no clear evidence on
this point. We also cannot find any evi-
dence that ferrying of more Soviet fight-
ers is imminent.
We doubt that Moscow wants its pi-
lots eyeball to eyeball with the Israelis.
Indeed
the Soviet presence is
likely to act as a brake on any wild Egyp-
tian schemes to reconquer lost territory.
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
3
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
7. France-Canada
8. Cuba -
Soviet Union
Tor SECRET -
Growing nervousness on the part of
speculators led to a rise in the price
of gold yesterday. Sales rose to about
$20 million. Normal sales have run
around $5 million a day, but on peak
days during the November-December gold
rush, daily sales on the London market
exceeded $100 million. The European
gold markets are closed for the weekend.
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
3.5(c)
.3(h)(2)
.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
Tor SECRET
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
. Soviet Union
Tor sECRET -
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
'71
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
FOR THE THE PRESIDENT'S EYES ONLY
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
�Top-Setret-
1 6
2 March 1968
3.5(c)
-TOP SECRET
TOr
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
Special Daily Report on North Vietnam
for the President's Eyes Only
2 March 1968
I. NOTES ON THE SITUATION
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
3.5(c)
 Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
Hanoi Seeks Reaction to Pilots' Release:
Tran Ngoc Duc, the North Vietnamese
press officer in Laos, claimed he was interested in
learning about popular reaction to the release of
the three American flyers.
Duc
replied that the release was a "generous gesture"
by Hanoi on the occasion of Tet and that it was de-
signed to demonstrate that the North Vietnamese are
"peace loving" and have nothing against their pris-
oners as individuals.
In addition, Duc denied that flying the pilots
from Vientiane by military plane had prejudiced the
chances for more releases. (The two US pacifists
to whom the prisoners were released had made this
charge.) He said that the pilots had been released
unconditionally and that the transportation ques-
tion would not affect the release of others.
Hanoi's treatment of the release has been un-
usually low-keyed, suggesting that the North Viet-
-namese wished to avoid charges that they were making
a major propaganda play with it.
TO SECRET -
Approved for for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
TOP C
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
Hanoi has not taken public note of Cambodian
charges of Communist subversion, nor has it responded
to Sihanouk's public attacks on both the North Viet-
namese and Viet Cong for "threatening" his regime.
Vietnamese Communist propaganda concerning Cambodia
has dropped off sharply since interest in the "hot
pursuit" issue has waned.
* * *
Winter-Spring Crop Problems: The Hanoi party
daily on 25 February discussed current agricultural
work in generally pessimistic terms, although it
did not present any data usable for estimating what
shortfalls may, have developed. The journal stated
that the war, cold weather, labor problems, late
transplanting, and "some shortcomings in directives"
had all affected crop prospects. The piece strongly
suggested that rice acreage had not met the current
goals.
* * *
Liberation Front Warns of Retaliation Against
Captured Americans: The Liberation Front has ac-
cused the US and Saigon governments of "exceedingly
savage acts" against the people and property of the
Vietnamese people, and has warned that such actions
will be answered with "appropriate measures against
the US aggressors captured by the Liberation Armed
Forces." The statement was issued by the Saigon -
Gia Dinh Liberation Front Committee and broadcast
by the Front radio on 29 February.
* * *
II. NORTH VIETNAMESE REFLECTIONS OF US POLITICAL
ATTITUDES ON THE WAR
Nothing of significance to report at this time.
TOP SECRET -
-3--
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 C05974307
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307
-n-r-serptat._
Approved for Release: 2019/04/17 005974307