THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 13 OCTOBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993570
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 13, 1972

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The President's Daily Brief
13 October 1972
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(2).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
13 October 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Bonn's State Secretary Bahr reports that in his
visit to Moscow early this week he found no incli-
nation on the part of the Soviet leaders to influ-
ence Pankow's position in the stalled inter-German
talks. (Page 1)
vieti
// (Page 2)
The ten-man Pathet Lao peace delegation that is to
arrive in Vientiane this weekend has been given a
broadly based appearance. In military action, the
Communists have driven most of yang Pao's task force
from the southern tip of the Plaine des Jarres.
(Page 4)
Bangladesh Prime Minister Mujib appears to have re-
stored some public confidence in his government fol-
lowing his return from Europe. A few efforts are
also being made to mend the rift with Pakistan, but
he and President Bhutto remain poles apart. (Page 5)
Greek/
(Page 6)
Several Chilean labor and business groups plan to
close down today in sympathy to a truck owners'?
strike; the government has declared a state of
emergency. (Page 7)
Last night the Soviets conducted their first ex-
tended range test of the SS-11 Mod 3, the version
with three re-entry vehicles, in over two years.
(Page 8)
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USSR WEST GERMANY
State Secretary Egon Bahr on Wednesday reported
to Allied ambassadors on his visit to Moscow earlier
this week. Bahr said that party chief Brezhnev and
Foreign Minister Gromyko showed no inclination to
influence Pankow's position in the inter-German
talks. He said the Soviet leaders emphasized that
decisions on the treaty negotiations could not be
made in Moscow. The Soviets in fact asked Bonn to
withdraw its demand that the inter-German treaty con-
tain references to a single German nation and to the
lack of a final peace treaty--the two principal is-
sues now standing in the way of agreement.
The Soviets did, however, indicate willingness
to consider Allied demands for a quadripartite dec-
laration on Berlin. Brezhnev stated that Moscow
was no longer opposed to the idea and Gromyko as-
sured Bahr that contacts had already begun. (The
Soviets did not, however, imply acceptance of West-
ern requirements that the declaration be concluded
prior to the inter-German treaty.)
The reserved attitude taken at this stage
by Brezhnev and Gromyko on the inter-Ger-
man talks was not unexpected. Their posi-
tion was doubtless designed to counter any
impression that Bahr had succeeded in go-
ing over the head of Pankow to gain con-
cessions. We believe any Soviet willing-
ness to pressure East Germany would be re-
flected only in the inter-German talks
themselves. Moreover, both Moscow and Pan-
kow would prefer to withhold significant
concessions until the West German elections
draw closer in the hope that electoral
pressures on Brandt will result in at least
some give in the West German position.
Bahr also told the Allied ambassadors that there
has been no progress in the talks that he has held
with East German negotiator Kohl since his return.
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USSR
(continued)
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LAOS
uang Prabang
Bouam
Lona)
Sala Phou Khou
uong
Phou Se
NORTH
VIETNAM
yang Vien
entiane
THAILAND
THAILAND
. ' ? Government-held location
O Communist-held location
" sr ATt/Tv Ix s
2
10 0
ii..
0 10 20
KILOMETERS
553710 10-72 CIA
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LAOS
Pathet Lao leader Souphanouvong has named
Phoune Sipraseuth to head the ten-man Communist
peace delegation that is to arrive in Vientiane
this weekend. Three "Patriotic Neutralists"--mem-
bers of the neutralist faction that defected to the
Communists in the early 1960s--were included in the
delegation to give it a broadly based appearance.
No definite date has been set for the beginning of
the talks, but the Communists are still holding to
the line that talks can start without a US bombing
halt.
Phoune, a relatively high-ranking Pathet
Lao official, previously served as
Souphanouvong's plenipotentiary during
the abortive attempt to get talks started
in 1970.
On the military front, the Communists have
launched their anticipated counterattack against
the government task force on the southern edge of
the Plaine des Jarres. Yesterday, North Vietnamese
ground troops, supported by tanks and artillery,
attacked General Vang Pao's troops at the tip of
the Plaine from the east and north. Most of the
government units abandoned their positions and re-
treated to the south.
The North Vietnamese had spent at least
two weeks preparing for this attack.
Its aim is to push yang Pao's force from
its positions astride the Communist supply
route to forces farther southwest toward
Long Tieng. (
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BANGLADESH-PAKISTAN
Recent actions of Prime Minister Mujib appear
to have restored a measure of public confidence in
the government, reports the US Embassy in Dacca.
Mujib, when he returned home last month following
an operation and seven weeks of convalescence in
Europe, had found public restiveness mounting be-
cause of government corruption and maladministra-
tion. The prime minister responded quickly by fir-
ing a number of ranking bureaucrats and expelling
19 legislators from the ruling Awami League party,
thereby automatically depriving them of their seats
in the national legislature. He also closed several
far-left opposition journals, announced that a draft
constitution soon would be presented to the legisla-
ture, and speeded prosecution of persons accused
last year of collaboration with Pakistan. In addi-
tion, he instituted new anti-smuggling measures and
decreed a tough new policy to stem growing labor un-
rest.
Mujib remains strongly ensconced, and no
opposition group poses a credible alter-
native. Official corruption and incompe-
tence remain serious problems, however,
and strong criticism is certain to sur-
face again unless the government's per-
formance improves further.
Officials of both Bangladesh and Pakistan mean-
while are floatin new ?ro osal for establishin
relations.
Despite these efforts, Mujib and Bhutto
remain poles apart regarding the sequence
of events, with Bhutto demanding a summit
meeting to deal with outstanding problems
before recognition, and Mujib insisting
on prior recognition. Moreover, it is
highly unlikely that Bhutto would agree
to trials of war criminals held in Bangla-
desh or accept any agreement that did not
include the return of all Pakistani pris-
oners of war.
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GREECE
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CHILE
Several labor and business groups plan to close
down today in sympathy to a widespread strike by
truck owners. The government had already responded
to the truckers' strike by declaring a state of
emergency, by placing the army in charge of the cen-
tral part of the country, and by threatening strikers
with fines and confiscation of trucks.
If the government deploys the security
forces against the strikers as it did
during the shopowners' shutdown in August,
the current tensions could result in vio-
lence.
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NOTES
USSR: Last night the Soviets fired the modified
version of the SS-11 ICBM designated the Mod 3 some
4,700 nautical miles from Tyuratam to an impact area
in the Pacific Ocean. This is the first extended
range test of this missile, which carries three re-
entry vehicles, since the summer of 1970. There have
been three Mod 3 firings to Kamchatka this year, the
most recent in July.
Iran: The government has decided to reduce
the area authorized for poppy cultivation next year
by 90 percent because available supplies are ade-
quate for the needs of Iran's 100,000 registered
addicts for about a-year. Iran's four-year old
cultivation program is designed to eliminate smug-
gling and to prevent the loss of foreign exchange
while still meeting the needs of its large addict
population. Tehran has a long-standing offer to
cease poppy growing completely if neighboring coun-
tries agree to do the same.
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Top Secret
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