THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 1 MARCH 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993167
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 1, 1972

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The President's Daily Brief
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
I March 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Chinese leaders have made clear to the Chinese popu-
lation that they are generally pleased with Presi-
dent Nixon's visit. (Page 1)
The Lebanese president is moving to curtail the
fedayeen. (Page 2)
Jordanian officials claim UN mediator Jarring found
the Egyptians "conciliatory" during recent talks
in Cairo; no flexibility was seen in Jerusalem, _5
however. (Page 4)
Venezuelan President Caldera has been increasing
pressure on US oil companies. (Page 5)
At Annex/
/Soviet and Chinese\
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COMMUNIST CHINA
Peking has underlined for its own population
its endorsement of President Nixon's visit. A
crowd of 5,000 was on hand at Peking airport to
greet Chou En-lai on his return from Shanghai yes-
terday--an exceptional turnout for such an occasion.
The official account of this greeting set the scene
firmly in an atmosphere of unity. It noted that
virtually all active members of the Politburo resi-
dent in Peking were on hand and stressed that "com-
manders and fighters of the People's Liberation
Army" were present.
The account also made the unusual point that
all members of the Politburo--including Mao's wife
and ideologist Yao Wen-yuan, who were deeply in-
volved in Red Guard excesses during the Cultural
Revolution--"warmly" shook hands with Chou and his
party. The account stressed that all present "ex-
pressed warm support for Chairman Mao's revolution-
ary line in foreign affairs and their resolve to
carry it out."
Such treatment of what would normally be
a routine domestic flight by the Premier
back to the capital after seeing off a
foreign dignitary serves several purposes.
It makes clear that the Chinese leaders
are generally pleased with the Presiden-
tial visit as a whole. It provides an
indirect endorsement by the military es-
tablishment and by Mao himself of the
joint communiqug. It also underlines
the strong position of Chou En-Zai in
the present structure of power in Peking.
Indeed, the generally favorable atmos-
phere produced by the President's visit
may have strengthened Chou's hand.
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LEBANON -FEDAYEEN
President Franjiyah is moving to curtail feda-
yeen activity within Lebanon. According to the US
Embassy in Beirut, the president has the support of
the army and has warned the major politicians that
there is a serious possibility that Israel will per-
manently occupy Lebanese territory unless the feda-
yeen are brought under control. As part of Fran-
jiyah's action, the Lebanese Army moved into the
Mt. Hermon border area to replace the fedayeen on
Monday evening.
The fedayeen are organizing demonstrations
against the government. The first occurred yester-
day evening when an estimated 15,000 people partic-
ipated in the funeral service for seven fedayeen
killed in the clashes with the Israelis.)
Israeli Army units, meanwhile, remained in the
Mt. Hermon area yesterday. Director of Military
Intelligence General Yariv last night told US offi-
cials in Tel Aviv that most Israeli forces had been
withdrawn from Lebanon by Monday evening, but that
"small, light forces" had been left behind to man
observation posts. These, he explained, would be
necessary until the Israelis were satisfied that
all the fedayeen there had been replaced by the
Lebanese Army.
Lebanese Commander in Chief Ghanim has told US
officials that the Israelis withdrew their road-
building equipment yesterday afternoon, but said that
he would order Lebanese troops to fire on the Is-
raelis should they return today.
The Lebanese are well aware that they
would come off second best in any battle
with-the'Israelis and can be expected to
avoid any such action if possible. Nev-
ertheless,,the presence of Israeli "ob-
servers" in Lebanon could touch off a
clash.
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GREECE-CYPRUS
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MIDDLE EAST - UN
Jordanian officials in Amman have told Ambassa-
dor Brown that UN mediator Jarring, during his talks
in Cairo from 18 to 20 February, found Egyptian For-
eign Minister Ghalib "conciliatory" and ready to re-
sume talks under Jarring's auspices if Israel showed
signs of flexibility. Ghalib also expressed a will-
ingness to see continued US efforts to open proximity
talks, although his stated preference was for Jarring
as the proximity talks mediator. Ghalib indicated
further that Egypt could accept an informal Israeli
response to Jarring's memorandum of February 1971
that would encompass something similar to the non-
annexation formula suggested by the OAU mission. He
asked Jarring to probe the Israeli position for signs
of flexibility.
No such signs emerged from Jarring's.visit
to Jerusalem and, indeed, his round of
visits to three Middle East capitals ac-
complished-little beyond. reassuring Jordan
that it had not been forgotten. While
Ghalib indicated some flexibility on:the
Israeli response to Jarring's memorandum--
the principal stumbling block to continued
Jarring talks--neither Egypt nor Israel
indicated any give on the key issues which
separate them. The most significant im-
pression to.emerge from the trip is Egypt's
continuing interest.in proximity talks and
its. failure to veto a US role in them.
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VENEZUELA
Since last summer President Caldera has been
increasing pressure against the US oil companies.
Last July a "reversion law" gave the state all in?
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stallations and equipment when the companies' con-
cessions expire (in most cases 1983) and required
the firms to deposit up to ten percent of their an-
nual depreciation write-offs at the Venezuelan cen-
tral bank. In December the government imposed min-
imum export quotas on the companies. Most of the
companies are trying to work out a compromise, but
Creole, which is the largest, refuses to comply.
Caracas rejects Creole's explanation that its-de-
clining production results from market conditions
and regards its cutbacks as an assault on national
sovereignty. Other recent manifestations of Cal-
dera's growing nationalism include his government's
denunciation of the US-Venezuelan trade agreement
and proposals for new restrictive codes for foreign
investment.
Additional measures against the oil com-
panies mayhem the offing as the govern-
ment sees its revenues decreasing along
with production. Caldera apparently be-
lieves that the companies are crying
"wolf" and that they can still make a
profit under the new controls. He argues
that the US need for Venezuelan oil is so
important that some accommodation is as-
sured. His state of the union message
tomorrow will provide additional clues t
his future course.I
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NOTES
Israel-Syria: The Israelis this morning hit
fedayeen bases in Syria with aircraft and artillery,.
apparently in an effort to demonstrate that feda-
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yeen,attacks from Syria are just as unacceptable as
those from Lebanon. Terrorist:activity along the
Israeli-Syrian cease,-fire line in the Golan Heights
had increased following Israel's punitive strikes
into Lebanon.
USSR-Bangladesh: Prime Minister Mujibur Rah-
man's current visit to Moscow may lead to an eco-
nomic aid agreement. A Soviet delegation is cur-
rently in Dacca studying possible aid projects.
An aid agreement could involve the resumption of
projects undertaken before the war in what was then
East Pakistan. The US Embassy in New Delhi believes
India has become somewhat displeased at Moscow's
cultivation of Bangladesh and speculates that In-
dian Policy Planning Chief Dhar, also currently in
Moscow, may be trying to secure better Soviet-In-
dian coordination of relations with Bangladesh.
Panama: The government has given no indica-
tion that it is about to change from its tough po-
sition on a new canal treaty as the negotiations
resume in Washington next week..
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SOVIET AND CHINESE
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