THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 1 DECEMBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993655
• 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 1, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400010001-9
The President's Daily Brief
1 December 1972
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category 5B(1)A 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
1 December 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
In South Vietnam, both sides are continuing prepara-
tions for a cease-fire. (Page 1)
The government offensive in Quang Tri Province ap-
pears to be forcing the Communists to reposition
key units. (Page 2)
A Soviet-built floating drydock being towed to
Cuba (Page 4)
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SOUTH VIETNAM
South Vietnamese officials are continuing inten-
sive preparations for a cease-fire.
In the delta, a 90-man "regional special action
squad" is being formed from police units. The squad
will be used to deal with low-level Viet Cong cease-
fire violations. A 300-man "special team" is also
being formed from police units to handle riots and
demonstrations.
In almost every province the South Vietnamese
have been conducting meetings at various administra-
tive levels to explain the government's position in
preparation for a cease-fire. Provincial security
commands have been directed to strengthen their units
before the announcement is made. In addition, cadets
from the military schools are being sent into the
countryside to explain the cease-fire and to bolster
popular support for the government during the period
of intense political competition expected to follow.
The Communists are telling their cadre in the
South that the bulk of North Vietnamese troops will
stay on in South Vietnam under one guise or another
following a cease-fire. Most of the accounts indi-
cate that the North Vietnamese forces will be broken
down and dispersed in smaller-sized units, from
squad to battalion size, and will be put under the
ostensible control of the "National Liberation
Front" military apparatus.
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SOUTH VIETNAM
The government offensive in Quang Tri Province
appears to be forcing a major redisposition of en-
emy units. Two Communist divisions--one of which
has been operating for several months west of Hue--
appear to be shifting into place to strengthen a
line along the Thach Han and Cua Viet rivers. More-
over, Communist forces in the area have been rein-
forced and re-equipped.
Should the South :Vietnamese breach the.
river lines, the-northerners would be
hard pressed to hold the coastal plain
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CHINA
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USSR-CUBA
A Soviet merchant tug is towing a floating
drydock to Cuba Built at a Baltic shipyard, the
drydock left the Soviet port of Klaipeda on 25
October. Pravda has confirmed that the drydock
is going to Cuba, but did not say how it will be
used.
In the mid-1960s the Soviets supplied
British-built floating cranes and Soviet-
built drydocks for commercial use in
Cuba's ports. This equipment was also
towed to Cuba by Soviet merchant tugs.
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NOTES
North Vietnam: Two North Vietnamese coastal
merchant ships have eluded the mines around Hai-
phong and have been recently seen by the US Navy
in Chinese waters. Both were photographed in Hai-
phong harbor as late as 20 November. These are
the first two merchant ships to depart Haiphong
since the harbor was mined in May. Both ships are
relatively small and, if they left the port empty,
could have taken advantage of high tides in late
November to skirt the minefields. The main channel
into Haiphong is still mined and could not be used
by ocean-going ships.
Greece:
Norway:
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