THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 21 DECEMBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993689
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 21, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/25 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400180001-1
The President's Daily Brief
21 December 1972
5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/25 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400180001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/25 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400180001-1
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( I ),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/25 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400180001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/25 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400180001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
21 December 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The reaction of both China and the Soviet Union
to the impasse in negotiations and renewed US
bombing of North Vietnam continues to be restrained.
(Page 1)
The Lao Government continues successful operations
in the south while in the north, combat\remains
at a low level as the Communists prepare for an
assault on Bouam Long. (Page 2)
Pakistan
(Page 3)
(Page 5)
Weather in the USSR is causing concern over pros-
pects for the winter grain harvest. (Page 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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CHINA-USSR
The reaction of both China and the Soviet
Union to the impasse in negotiations and
renewed US bombing of North Vietnam con-
tinues to be restrained.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement issued on
20 December is similar in tone and substance to the
line taken since October. It says that US attempts
to revise basic portions of the October agreement
have caused delays in a final accord, and it main-
tains that the bombing creates a new "obstacle" to
a settlement. Peking does not express explicit sup-
port for North Vietnamese terms for agreement nor
does it pledge increased Chinese political and mili-
tary support for Hanoi, even though a North Vietnam-
ese Foreign Ministry statement on the 19th had re-
quested more assistance. The statement does, assert
that the US "must" stop its military activity in
both Vietnams and "speedily" sign the agreement
drafted in October to bring the war to an end.
All things considered, the Foreign Minis-
try's pronouncement seems to contain lit-
tie more than the minimum that Peking can
say.
Soviet media continue to give extensive but
relatively low-key treatment to Vietnam and have
not digressed from the genera1317 temperate TASS
statement issued on 19 December
A note delivered to the US Embassy yesterday
protesting damage to a Soviet ship in Haiphong, was
brief, pro forma, and apparently intended mainly
for the record. There was no suggestion that any
Soviet casualties had occurred,
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553922 12-72 CIA
Area of
maps
0 Government-held location
0 Communist-held location
Dong Hgo
Ml10;1.
25
MILES
50
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\P Tri
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Sovannakhe
Government ,1?=40
trOops gclvanoe
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
The government continues successful operations
in the south. Government battalions are expanding
their control around Paksong on the Bolovens Pla-
teau and are pushing farther east beyond Muong
Phalane in the central panhandle. North Vietnam-
ese units in both areas are suffering from local-
ized supply shortages and personnel losses.
Enemy replacements and materiel are on
their way to Communist units in southern
Laos. Several weeks of reorganizing and
refitting will be necessary, however,
before the Communists will be ready for
new offensive operations.
In the north, combat remains at a low level
as the Communists continue preparations for an as-
sault on Bouam Long.
Bouam Long, which withstood Communist
sieges in 1970-and 1971, has often been
used by General yang Pao as a staging
area for operations against Communist
supply lines north of the Plaine des
Jdrres
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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PAKISTAN
(continued)
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NOTES
? USSR-Cuba:
USSR: The weather is causing concern over
prospects for next year's harvest of winter grains.
Because of the autumn drought, sowing in some areas
was as much as a month behind schedule, thus in-
creasing the susceptibility of the plants to winter-
kill. A sudden cold wave in European Russia and
the absence of snow cover for the young plants now
has endangered the crop. Moreover, the total area
planted last fall was the smallest in the last two
decades. Last year a cold spell in January was
the main factor in the loss of almost one third
of the area sown to winter wheat and rye.
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Top Secret
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