THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 JANUARY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993085
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 17, 1972

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300140001-7
The President's Daily Brief
17 January 1972
46
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
17 January 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Heavy fighting continues in both the Long Tieng
'valley and in south Laos east of Pakse. (Page 1)
The Israelis are threatening harsher measures
against the Lebanon-based fedayeen. (Page 2)
Egypt's new cabinet is discussed on Page 3.
(Page 4)
All sides in the Malta-UK-NATO dispute are still
willing to listen to offers, and the Rome talks are.
scheduled to resume on Wednesday. (Page 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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LONG TIENG AREA
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CAMBODIA
552436 1-72 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Fighting is still going on in the Long Tieng
valley and on Skyline Ridge. Government forces at-
tempted to retake the ridge on 14 January, but were
pushed back that night by a North Vietnamese coun-
terattack. There is as yet no evidence, however,
that the government is pulling back from the valley,
and fresh artillery is being set up south of Long
Tieng as part of efforts to shore up the southern
flank.
In south Laos, government units on Route 23
west of the Bolovens Plateau have again pulled back
following a heavy enemy shelling attack. The front
line now is only about 15 miles east of ?Pakse, near
the junction'of Routes 23 and 231.
Hanoi is engaging in some saber rattling on
the subject of the Mekong River towns.
1
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ISRAEL-LEBANON
At a meeting of the UN-sponsored Israel-Lebanon
Mixed Armistice Commission on Friday, the Israelis
threatened "permanent occupation" of Lebanese ter-
ritory if terrorist activity, along the border did
not completely stop, according to Lebanese Ambas-
sador to the US Kabbani. Noting that this is the
first time that the Israelis have made such a
threat, Kabbani said that Lebanon had been compelled
to order its army to take up defensive positions
along the border.
Until now, the Lebanese Army has carefully
stayed out of the fighting between feda-
yeen and Israeli forces during Israeli
retaliatory strikes.
Lebanon Prime Minister Salam told Ambassador
Buff um on Saturday that Yasir Arafat and other feda-
yeen leaders had promised to stop any current activ-
ities based in Lebanon. Salam said that Saudi
Arabia had obtained a similar pledge from Arafat
and that Syria had promised to intervene with Saiqa
leaders in southern Lebanon.
The fedayeen have violated previous agree-
ments on cross-border operations and may
not honor their latest promises. The Is-
raelis, although increasingly sensitive
to the growing numbers and aggressiveness
of fedayeen in southern Lebanon, would
probably turn to "permanent occupation"
of Lebanese territory only as a last re-
sort. Should terrorist attacks continue,
the Israelis are likely first to resume
open patrolling on both sides of the
border.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
EGYPT
The new cabinet to: be sworn in today will be
led by former deputy. premier Aziz Sidqi. His nom-
inatiOn to the post of prime minister was approved
yesterday by Egypt's only political organization,
the Arab Socialist Union. The outgoing prime min-
ister, aging Mahmud Fawzi,,was named vice president.
Sidqi is an ambitious figure who has served
in a variety of economic-related government
posts since the mid-1950s and has frequently
been, involved in economic negotiations with
the.Soviet Union.
Last night's broadcast by Cairo Radio of the
probable line-up of the new cabinet includes a num-
ber of new personalities, among whom is a new foreign
minister, Murad Ghalib. He has previously served as
ambassador in Moscow. Ex-foreign minister Riad will
apparently become presidential adviser on foreign af-
fairs.
Sadat probably believes that the formation
of a new "confrontation cabinet" under the
younger and more dynamic Sidqi will aid in
creating a sense of urgency with regard to
the Arab-Israel impasse. He may also be-
lieve that Sidqi's expertise will be use-
ful in stimulating the Egyptian economy.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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NOTE
Malta: Malta suspended its deadline for the
withdrawal of British forces following the talks in
Rome on Saturday, but Prime Minister Mintoff re-
jected a new UK-NATO offer of about $31 million an-
nually. Mintoff indicated that he would consider
an offer of about $35 million, plus bilateral eco-
nomic aid from individual NATO members, as the "min-
imum basis" for an agreement. Talks are scheduled
to resume in Rome on Wednesday. The British are
concerned that even if agreement is reached Mintoff
might make demands in other areas--such as higher
Wages for British-employed Maltese workers--that
would further drive up the costs of remaining in
Malta.
5
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