THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 24 DECEMBER 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005977211
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 24, 1969

Declassified in Part --Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007800210001-8
The President's Daily Brief
24 December 1969
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/04/27 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007800210001-8
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
24 December 1969
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The final session of the Arab summit turned into a
shambles yesterday. (Page 1)
Israel, claiming that the fedayeen are firing rockets
from Lebanese territory at Israeli settlements
(Page 2)
Further evidence that more North Vietnamese units
have moved into IV Corps has been uncovered in cap-
tured documents. (Page 3)
Peking has stepped up its anti-Soviet propaganda.
(Page 4)
The European Communities' milestone agreement on fi-
nancing arrangements is assessed on Page 5.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ARAB STATES
Self-interest, mutual distrust, and an in-
ability to cover up the gap between rhet-
oric and performance turned the final ses-
sion of the Arab summit yesterday into a
shambles. The meeting was boycotted by
Syria, Iraq, and South Yemen, and the con-
ferees could not even agree on a final
communique. As the participants return
to their capitals and begin to issue their
own versions of what went on, the follow-
ing is our preliminary reconstruction of
the events leading up to the breakdown.
All reports indicate that the conference was
proceeding reasonably well until the participants
began to debate an Egyptian call for all Arab coun-
tries to commit troops and provide weapons to rein-
force Egypt, Jordan, and Syria along the cease-fire
lines. The Egyptian plan may have been a genuine
reflection of what Cairo thought was necessary to
defeat Israel', but it apparently made very steep
demands on some of the contributors.
Thus, although everyone supported the plan in
principle, most potential contributors found reasons
not to come through with the required amounts of
support. The Saudis and Kuwaitis claimed they had
no troops to spare, although they did agree to pro-
vide the financial assistance demanded in the Egyp-
tian plan. The Libyans said they were re-equipping
their own army and could not provide much money;
they did offer the fedayeen some of their cast-off
weapons. Morocco's King Hassan pleaded a paucity
of resources and reserved his position. On the
other hand, Algerian President Boumediene, a long-
time critic of the Egyptian military, told Nasir,
"We are prepared to give you anything you want if
we are going to war with Israel, but if we are not
going to fight then we are not prepared to give."
ne point that is still not clear is the
amount of support the conferees agreed to
give the fedayeen. According to early
press reports, Yasir Arafat was being
granted most of what he had asked for,
but there is no indication whether this
decision survived the final hassle, or
whether the conference came to any con-
clusions at all.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
J11.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LEBANON-ISRAEL
Israel is claiming that fedayeen fired rockets
from Lebanese territory at Israeli settlements near
the border on both Sunday and Monday nights.
If Israel carries out its threat, Lebanon
would find it hard to resist demands by,
other Arab states to station their troops
on Lebanese territory.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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NORTH
VIE TNA
108 110
Demilitarized Zone
AVERAGE STRENGTH
OF ENEMY UNITS
Battalion: VC 200-400
NVA 300-500
Regiment: VC 1,000-1,500
NVA 1,200-2,000
Division: VC 5,000-7,000
NVA 5.000-8,000
I CORPS
THAILAND
CAM BOD A
Aleirong
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LONG
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;QUANG 4. ?AA
u Prang,..
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00C
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KIEN
PHONG
AN
G1ANG
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TUONG
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NGHI
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LONG
KHAMH
AM
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BIEN
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aigo
'THUAN
r
GULF OF '
SIAM
104
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e MIEN
GIANG
PH ON
DINH
PH UOC
TUT
' III CORPS
'Capital Special Zone
16-
14?
II CORPS
.-.SOUTH
CHINA
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AN
XUYEN
VIN?H\
BINH \
NA XUVEN
'BAC LIEU
IV CORPS SOUTH VIETNAM
116
MILES
1 15)0
12-
10-
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
VIETNAM
Enemy documents captured recently in Chau Doc
Province provide further evidence that another large
North Vietnamese unit has shifted from the III Corps
area to the delta. It now appears that between Oc-
tober and December the 101D Regiment moved some 80
miles southwest from its former position in Tay Ninh
Province to Chau Doc. The 101D would be the fourth
regular enemy regiment to shift from III to IV Corps
since early last summer.
This shift is reflected in the pattern of
sharp clashes in the delta and lighter
combat elsewhere which has prevailed since
early December, when the enemy pulled back
from Bu Prang and Due Lap in the southern
highlands.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
COMMUNIST CHINA - USSR
People's Daily of 22 December contains the
strongest direct Chinese attack on the USSR since
the beginning of the border talks. The article de-
nounces Moscow's current efforts to negotiate a "re-
nunciation of force" treaty with West Germany", and
accuses the Soviets of "collusion" with both West
Germany and the US. Peking warns the Communist
states of Eastern Europe that Moscow is selling out
their interests in order to divide up Europe with
the United States.
Chinese commentaries on the Soviet Union
have become more strident in recent weeks.
The Chinese are still holding themselves
in, however; Peking has yet, for instance,
to revive direct attacks against Soviet
military activity along the Chinese fron-
tier.
Polemics at this level probably will,not
keep Moscow from sending Deputy Foreign
Minister Kuznetsov back to Peking soon in
order to try once again to achieve some
progress in the border talks. Peking's
criticism, however, suggests that Kuznet-
sov will not find the Chinese any more
forthcoming.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
The milestone agreement on EC financing arrange-
ments which emerged from a marathon negotiating ses-
sion of the Council of Ministers last weekend came
far earlier than many observers had anticipated.
The plan calls for the gradual allocation of receipts
from customs duties to the EC beginning in 1971, in
addition to the agricultural levies and member state
contributions presently in effect. By 1975 all such
duties and levies, plus a portion of each country's
turnover or transaction tax will constitute the EC's
"own resources."
The plan will slightly strengthen the budgetary
powers of the European Parliament in 1971-1974.
After 1975 the Parliament will be able to overrule
the member governments by a three-fifths majority
vote.
The agreement, which still must be approved
by the six national parliaments, augurs
well both for the internal development of
the EC and for its expansion to include
new members. The French seemed eager to
obtain agreement on a financing plan even
though it will eventually increase the
authority of the European Parliament, which
De Gaulle opposed for so long. The current
plan, however, satisfies the condition upon
which France had insisted before the Six
begin work on a common position to enter
into negotiations with the UK.
The next test for the "spirit of The
Hague"-- which seems to have predominated
in the Communities since the EC summit--
may come when the ministers attempt to
face the dilemma of EC agricultural sur-
pluses. Progress on agricultural sur-
pluses will be necessary both for the
future of the common agricultural policy
and for British entry.
5
POR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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EGYPT: New Airfield and Shelter Construction
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312
Mediterranean Sea
Alexandria
Port Said
34
ISRAEL
Gaza
Beersheba
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UNITED REP IC
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Red
Sea
Airfield built since June 1967 War
* Airfield identified since August 1969
n Airfield with 3 large aircraft shelters
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTE
Egypt: Satellite photography since August shows
two new airfields some 45-50 nautical miles north-
west of Cairo and another 65 nautical miles south- '
east of the city. This makes 11 new airfields that
have been built in Egypt since the end of the 1967
war.
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Top Secret
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