THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 29 DECEMBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993701
• 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 29, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400240001-4
The President's Daily Brief
29 December 1972
np
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( OA 2).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400240001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400240001-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
29 December 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Peking staged a rally today in support of the Viet-
namese Communists directed primarily at building
the prestige of the Provisional Revolutionary Gov-
ernment of South Vietnam. (Page 1)
Aerial photography over North Vietnam shows an un-
damaged Komar guided missile boat at the Ile de la
Surprise, south of Hon Gai. The evacuation of Hanoi
continues. (Page 2)
The Communist attack against Bouam Long, the only
remaining Lao Government base north of the Plaine
des Jarres, has begun. (Page 3)
London has publicly announced its unwillingness to
meet Maltese Prime Minister Mintoff'S demands that
he be compensated for losses caused by the floating
of the pound. (Page 4)
In Egypt, President Sadat has renewed his appeals
for a firm domestic frOnt to support. the task of
liberating the occupied territories.- (Page 5)
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CHINA-VIETNAM
Peking staged a rally today in support of the
Vietnamese Communists directed primarily at build-
ing the prestige of the Provisional Revolutionary
Government of South Vietnam. Madame Binh, the PRG
foreign minister, is now in Peking for a short visit.
Until: now, Chinese reactiOn to Vietnamese
developments has been measured and low-
keyed. Apart from the New China News
.Agency statement on bomb damage to a Chi-
nese ship in Haiphong harbor last week,
Peking has. not directly linked the Viet-
namese issue to Sino-American relations
and the ship has not been mentioned again.
The only previous hint of stronger backing
for Hanoi in the. Wake of the impasse at
Paris and renewed US bombing was included
in the joint communique' which ended the
Chinese foreign minister's visit to North
Korea this week.
1
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boat
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NORTH VIETNAM
analysis of aerial photography taken on
shows an undamaged Komar guided missile
at the Ile de la Surprise, south of Hon Gai.
This sighting accounts for the fourth of
the four Komar boats which arrived at Fort
Bayard (Chan-chiang) from the USSR earlier
this month, along with their Styx missiles
(25-nm. range). The boats apparently
crossed the Gulf of Tonkin to North Viet-
nam on 16 December and US Navy aircraft
sank one and damaged two near Hon Gai
three days later.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
The Communist attack against Bouam Long, the
only remaining government base north of the Plaine
des Jarres, has begun.
Ground and artillery attacks on 27 and 28 De-
cember forced irregulars to abandon several posi-
tions--an artillery post six miles south of the base
and other outposts closer to Bouam Long itself. Ar-
tillery bombardment has forced the closing of the
base airstrip except to helicopters. Government
defenders, however, have so far suffered few casual-
ties.
In the south, government troops have cleared
the last Communist units from Route 23 between Pakse
and Paksong on the central Bolovens Plateau. The
road is being repaired and should soon be opened to
traffic for the first time in over a year. Other
? government troops continue to push north from Pak-
song against only light resistance.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
UK-MALTA
London announced yesterday its unwillingness
to meet Prime Minister Mintoff's demands that he be
compensated for losses caused by the floating of
the pound. The UK's public position, which also
makes clear London's interest in continuing the
base agreement with Malta, will be confirmed in a
note to Mintoff
The British announcement was made in large
part to make London's position known to
the Maltese public. Mintoff, after weeks
of secrecy, made a speech to the Maltese
parliament on 27 December in which he
placed the onus on the UK for the possible
abrogation of the March agreement.
The UK asked its NATO allies yesterday to try
to convince Mintoff that abrogation of the agree-
ment would create economic problems for Malta.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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EGYPT
In his first speech to the nation since mid-
October, President Sadat called for a firm domestic
front to support the task of liberating the occupied
territories. Sadat warned against the stimulation
of sectarian strife, vowed not to permit a polariza-
tion of youth, and generally tried to attribute in-
ternal restiveness to the machinations of Egypt's
external enemies.
.Responding to criticism that the nation is not
ready for :war, Sadat said he had ordered the cabinet
to prepare for the "'Outbreak of fighting" and prom-
ised-to set up committees. on "War affairs" at the
national.leVel and in every province. He pledged
further efforts to enlist the assistance of Syria,
Libya, and the other Arab states in the military ef-
fort. As a final measure he promised an "interna-
tional move," presumably a new diplomatic effort,
that would remind the world of the responsibilities
it bears for Egypt's current situation.
Sadat referred only briefly to the value of,
Arab-Soviet friendship and reminded his listeners
that they had to "appreciate the circumstances and
limits of every friend." He included only standard
criticism of the US for its support of Israel.
Sadat's appeals for unity and for deter-
mination in facing the "coming conflict"
are not new. He has offered nothing tan-
gible to resolve the nation's difficul-
ties, and the malaise in Egypt can only
continue and may well increase.
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NOTE
USSR:
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Top Secret
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