THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 DECEMBER 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977209
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 23, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007800200001-9
The President's Daily Brief
23 December 1.969
46
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
23 December 1969
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Poland is ready for political negotiations with
West Germanli. (Page 1)
Libyan and Sudanese leaders are eager for some kind
of union with Egypt but Nasir is cautious. (Page 2)
Communist China is releasing some foreigners, hold-
ing others. (Page 3)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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POLAND - WEST GERMANY
After four weeks of study, Warsaw has res onded
o Bonn's call for political ne otiations.
The Poles have ignored the sensitivities
of the East Germans, who believe border
recognition is unnecessary and a slight
to their sovereignty. In a speech last
week, party boss Ulbricht reminded the
Poles that the Zgorzelec treaty between
Poland and East Germany established the
Oder-Neisse Zine as the border in 1950.
Ulbricht's subsequent demarche to West
German President Heinemann calling for
talks on outstanding issues, including
recognition of the Oder-Neisse lines
probably was intended to undercut the
Poles on this issue.
Warsaw and Bonn are already talking of
economic matters. This is another fac-
tor that may rankle the East Germans,
whose special Interzonal Trade Agree-
ment now gives them certain advantages
in trade with West Germany not enjoyed
by other Eastern European countries.
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ARAB STATES
Nasir, Qaddafi of Libya, and Numayri of Sudan
are to meet in Tripoli after the Arab summit to
discuss some form of union.
the meeting is bping held at the
Libyans and the Sudanese.
the
request
Of
With traditional Arab radicals such as
Algeria losing their enthusiasm, the new
military regimes in Tripoli and Khartoum
have become the most active advocates of
Arab militancy and unity. Their current
efforts are likely to get pro forma sup-
port and not much else from Egypt, which
has bee ri wary of such schemes since its
"union" with Syria between 1958 and 1961.
Cairo will be willing to discuss economic
and military cooperation, but not even
the prospect of mores direct access to (
Libya's oil revenues is likely to lure
it into union with its inexperienced and
unstable neighbors.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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NOTES
Communist China: On 20 December, Peking an-
nounced the release of a prominent Japanese journal-
ist who had been detained for 18 months under suspi-
cion of espionage. Since the release of Reuters
correspondent Anthony Grey last October, Peking has
acted on several similar cases. Thus fare six Brit-
ish citizens, six Japanese, seven Germans, and two
Americans have been freed. The Chinese appear to be
making a distinction between aliens they believe have
engaged in serious espionage and those who have al-
legedly committed minor offenses or were victims of
the antiforeign feeling of the past three years. On
22 October, for example, Peking announced that a Ger-
man technician accused of being a US spy had been
sentenced to ten years in prison.
South China Sea: Analysis of additional data
from overseas seismic stations indicates that the
underwater disturbance south of Hainan Island on 19
December was an earthquake. This suggests that the
seismic event in that area on 17 December, for which
less information was available, probably was also an
earthquake. If the Chinese had set off an explosion
so near international shipping lanes, they probably
would have restricted the area to all shipping. The
Chinese are showing concern over the possibility of
additional earthquakes, and they are warning the
coastal regions and fishing craft of the possibility
of tidal waves.
Peru: The controversial investment contract'
between the Velasco government and the US-owned
Southern Peru Copper Company was signed Friday. A
high official of the company told the US ambassador
that the firm still must find financing for about
$200 million of the $355-million project, but he
claimed this could be done easily in Europe, Japan,
or the US.
USSR: Key space support ships have moved out
of their monitoring positions, indicating that Soviet
plans for an unmanned lunar mission this month have
been abandoned. Continuing problems with the SL-12
space booster are probably a major reason.
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Top Secret
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