THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 7 OCTOBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993559
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 7, 1972

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The President's Daily Brief
7 October 1972
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category 5B( I ).(2).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Din1ctor of Central Intelligence
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
7 October 1972
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PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
South Vietna
(Page 1)
The Communists have moved five main force infantry
regiments and several sapper outfits to within a
25-mile radius of Saigon. (Page 2)
The enemy conducted a heavy commando raid on Cam-
bodia's capital city this morning. Meanwhile, Lon
Nol is still trying to form a "unity" cabinet.
(Page 4)
The Chinese seem to be moving to fill some of the
numerous high-level vacancies in the government.
(Page 6)
the YeMens
(Page 7)
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SOUTH VIETNAM
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CHAU 00C
DINH TUONG
CAM BOMA
'II CORPS
IV CORPS
\CAPITAL SPECIAL
25 50 Mites. ZONE
25 50 Ithorneters
SOUTH CH1NA'SEA
?
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VIETNAM
Sharp fighting erupted north of Saigon yester-
day following a series of Communist attacks against
government positions along Route 13 earlier in the
day. Hardest hit were a number of outposts near the
Saigon River ?a few miles northwest of the Binh Duong
provincial capital. South Vietnamese forces turned
back several enemy ground probes accompanied by heavy
mortar fire. Government forces also kept aggressive
search and ambush operations going throughout the
day, engaging the enemy in at least nine locations.
The enemy attacks apparently were carried out
by sapper units and designed to mask the movement of
main force units and supplies closer to the capital.
At least three Communist infantry regiments have
shifted south around the government's main base at
Lai Khe during the past few days. US pilots report
extensive enemy activity along the Saigon River west
of Lai Khe. The shelling of a government blocking
base in Binh Long Province yesterday may also have
been intended to screen the southward movement of
Communist troops.
We believe that the Communists now have
about five main force infantry regiments
in addition to several sapper outfits
within a 25-mile radius of the capital.
The bulk of enemy troops apparently re-
mains located north of Lai Khe. On the
government side, a mixed force of more
than four regiments of regular and terri-
torial troops are available for the capi-
tal's defense.
The attacks could signal the start of an-
other flurry of Communist actions expected
throughout the country as part of an early
October "highpoint."
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Aerial photography of Haiphong harbor--partially .
obscured by clouds-- shows that a Chi- 25X1
nese minesweeper and one of its attendant buoy tenders
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have departed from their previous anchorage alongside
Chinese merchant vessels. These craft were last ob-
served in the harbor--together with a larger mine-
sweeper and another buoy tender--
after which bad weather precluded observation for a
week. None of these vessels has been observed in the
act sweeping mines since their arrival in late July.
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CAMBODIA
Perhaps as many as two battalions of Communist
sappers raided Phnom Penh early this morning. They
destroyed the bulk of one of the Cambodian Army's
two companies of armored personnel carriers and
dropped two spans of the key bridge-'across the Tonle
Sap. Pochentong airport was subjected to a rocket
barrage, which caused few casualties and little
damage, however. The French Embassy was shot up
during the fighting.
The armored personnel carrier company apparently
was caught fast asleep. The enemy captured seven of
the vehicles, all of which were abandoned or destroyed
after government forces recovered from their initial
surprise./
The US Embassy reports that the attack resembled
an earlier unsuccessful raid against Phnom Penh that
was tried on 6 May. The embassy has no information
which would indicate that large enemy forces are in
the vicinity of Phnom Penh and does not expect a full-
scale attack on the city.
Meanwhile, President Lon Nol and former deputy
prime minister Sink Matak have been trying to resolve
their political differences. They met briefly on
Thursday and agreed that the question of appointing
a vice-president should be put off for now. The Pres-
ident claimed that if he named Matak to fill that post,
it would cause some "spectacular resignations" from
the cabinet. Lon Nol added, however, that Matak would
remain as a special counselor to the President.
Lon Nol later told Chargg ?Enders that he had in-
structed officers of the pro-government Socio-Repub-
lican Party to make fresh efforts to reach an accom-
modation with Matak's Republican Party. In addition,
Lon Nol indicated that he would be willing to appoint
several of Matak's close associates to executive po-
sitions--including one cabinet post--in the new gov-
ernment he is trying to form.
The apparently amiable meeting between
Lon Nol and Matak--their first private
encounter in several weeks--may have
checked the deterioration in their rela-
tions. Nevertheless, the impediments to
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a genuine rapprochement are formidable.
Several key Socio-Republican leaders who
are to be involved in the inter-party
talks are hostile toward the Republican
Party and even more so toward Matak.
They will try to sabotage the talks to
ensure that they will have a dominant
position in whatever new government fi-
nally emerges. For his part, Matak will
want a substantial grant of authority
as the price of his participation.
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CHINA
The official Chinese news agency on 5 October
identified Li Chen as Minister of Public Security
in reporting an airport reception for a visiting
foreign delegation. Li, until now a deputy min-
ister in the same ministry, is the seventh mili-
tary man among the nine new government ministers
named since the Cultural Revolution.
The sensitive security post is only the
second ministerial vacancy to be filled
this year. The appointment of Li comes
amid other signs that Peking is now
moving to fill high-level posts. Wang
Hung-wen, a young radical from Shanghai,
was called to Peking in mid-September
and has appeared regularly with top party
officials. He has been ranked just below
the Politburo, suggesting that he has as-
sumed an important party post. Late last
month the press identified a new head of
China's official news agency.
These developments suggest that other top
jobs in the party and government may now
be filled at a somewhat faster rate.
Nevertheless, there is no sign yet that
Peking is prepared to fill the important
military posts that have been vacant since
the Lin Piao affair last autumn.
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THE YEMENS
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NOTES
India - East Germany: At the request of West
German Chancellor Brandt, Prime Minister Gandhi yes-
terday agreed to delay India's announcement of dip-
lomatic recognition of East Germany. The length of
the postponement was not set, and the West German
embassy in New Delhi surmises it may not be longer
than a few days.
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Top Secret
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