THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 4 JANUARY 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993707
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 4, 1973

Declassified in Part -Slanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010003-6
The President's Daily Brief
4 January 1973
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010003-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP791-100936A011500010003-6
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
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010003-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010003-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
4 January 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The week-old Australian dockworkers' strike against
US shipping is posing a difficult problem for Prime
Minister Whitlam. (Page 1)
Libyan President Qadhafi threatened 25X1
to cut off subsidies to Egypt if Cairo shows inter-
est in a separate settlement with Israel. (Page 2)
Egypt has suspended all university classes in an ef-
fort to contain the five-day-old student protests.
(Page 3)
The Bangladesh Government has been unresponsive to
US requests for better protection of the USIS build-
ing in Dacca, part of which has been occupied by stu-
dent demonstrators since Tuesday. (Page 4)
Japan's claim to Soviet held islands north of Hok-
kaido is likely to remain a contentious issue be-
tween Tokyo and Moscow this year. (Page 5)
Somali
(Page 6)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
AUSTRALIA
The week-old dockworkers' strike against US
shipping may be gaining momentum. The dockworkers'
union decided yesterday to ?continue to refuse their
services, and leaders of other unions are agitating
for a general strike against all US commercial in-
terests if a Vietnam cease-fire is not signed by
the end of January.
Prime Minister Whitlam will find it ex-
tremely difficult to deal with the cur-
rent strike Zest he precipitate serious
problems with his Labor Party's left
wing. Two cabinet ministers have already
indicated sympathy for the strikers by
sharply criticizing recent US Vietnam
policy. Whitlam's own reservations about
pursuing the war in Vietnam are also well
known, even though he has emphasized
Australia's intention to maintain close
ties with the US.
1
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LIBYA-EGYPT
President Qadhafi recently threatened to cut
off subsidies to Egypt if Cairo does not steadfastly
reject any American initiative to resolve the Arab-
Israeli impasse/
Disagreement between the two leaders was
evident in Qadhafi's speech earlier this
week that has drawn some press attention.
In it he accused Egypt and the other Arab
states of adopting attitudes that would
lead them ultimately to make separate
settlements with Israel. Qadhafi criti-
cized all Arab regimes for their inabil-
ity to join forces against Israel, and
he implicitly blamed Egypt for using this
failure as an excuse to pursue an inde-
pendent settlement. Qadhafi admitted
that it would be better to continue the
current stalemate than to undertake pre-
maturely a war that would be doomed to
fail, but he warned that negotiating
with Israel means abandoning the Pales-
tinian cause. Qadhafi in no way opened
any doors to a new policy, as some press
treatment has suggested.
2
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EGYPT
Yesterday the government suspended all univer-
sity classes in an effort to contain the five-day-
old student protests. The demonstrations began at
Cairo University, and had spread to other campuses
in Cairo, Alexandria, and Asyut in the south. The
students initially protested the arrest of a number
of students, but demands had moved to broader issues
such as internal freedoms and war with Israel. Pres-
ident Sadat sought to placate the students by prom-
ising speedy disposition of the cases of those in-
itially arrested.
The government had earlier hoped that the
protests could be kept within manageable
proportions until the mid-year break be-
gan on 11 January. Although closing the
universities will help in restoring order,
the students are not likely to disperse
immediately and further protests may oc-
cur within the next few days.
3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
BANGLADESH
Student demonstrators have continued to mill
around the USIS building in Dacca for the past
several days, protesting US bombing in Vietnam and
the killing by police of two demonstrators on 1
January. Demonstrators have occupied a portion of
the building since Tuesday, when police and para-
military personnel were withdrawn. The government
has been unresponsive to official US requests for
better protection and has indicated that it is re-
luctant to issue any public expression of regret
for the damage already done.
The government apparently believes that
strong action against the protestors
could have serious political repercus-
sions for itself. These fears appear
exaggerated. Leftist opposition parties
have considerable support among students
and can generate further anti-government
?and anti-American demonstrations, but
they do not seem to pose a serious threat
to the regime. ?The ruling Awami League,
despite some loss of popularity over the
past year, is still the country's largest
and strongest party.
4
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-JAPAN
In his speech honoring the USSR's 50th anniver-
sary last month, Soviet party chief Brezhnev noted
that "important Soviet-Japanese negotiations" on
concluding a peace treaty are to take place this
year. Brezhnev warned, however, that the talks
will be sterile unless Japan is willing to work
toward a "mutually acceptable understanding" on
outstanding issues.
The main bone of contention remains Tokyo's
claim to the islands north of Hokkaido
that the USSR occupied at the end of World
War II. Brezhnev wants the Japanese to
ease their all-or-nothing attitude on re-
turn of the "Northern Territories," but
there is no sign that the Tanaka govern-
ment is prepared to soften Japan's posi-
tion in the near future.
The Soviets apparently are suspicious that
the Japanese are seeking to use their im-
proved relations with Peking as a means
of pressuring the USSR into yielding on
the territorial issue. Although the So-
viets last year gave indications that they
were considering returning at least some
of the disputed islands, they are now
taking an uncompromising line. China's
open support for Tokyo's territorial
claims has made it even more difficult
for the Soviets to be flexible. Soviet
leaders, in fact, may have reached the
conclusion that even returning all the
islands would not earn Moscow any enduring
advantages in the growing competition with
China for influence in Japan.
5
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOMAL IA
6
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Mediterranean Sea
Tel Aviv-Yafo
Ashdod
1 WEST BANK
(Israeli-occupied)
,Ram Allah
?Sqk
))Jerusalem
Bethlehem
Jerusalem .0
GAZA STRIP
(Israeli-occupied)
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'Hebron
Dead
Sea
Israeli Settlements ?
Al Arish
ak
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aak Beersheba?
Approximate area of
new "regional center" Sedorn
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Israel
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( (Israeli-occupied)
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s Safi
Jotdan
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Venezuela: President Caldera's chief oil ne-
gotiator, Julio Sosa Rodriguez, does not believe
that a long-term energy agreement with the United
States can be concluded before general elections
next December. Sosa has told Ambassador McClintock
that such other tasks as arranging Venezuela's en-
try into the Andean Pact will occupy his time for
the next several months. Sosa and other Venezuelan
officials are evidently concerned, however, that
negotiations with the US might become a political
football in the election campaign. Several leftist
political leaders have already signaled that they
will make an issue of any negotiations dealing with
the extensive petroleum reserves in the Orinoco Tar
Belt in eastern Venezuela.
Israel: The cabinet has approved the estab-
lishment of a new "regional center" in occupied
northeastern Sinai just south of the Gaza Strip.
Tel Aviv plans to settle some 350 families and to
set up light industries there in the next two years.
The establishment of this additional Israeli set-
tlement in northeastern Sinai is in keeping with
Israel's expressed desire to sever the Gaza Strip,
with its 300,000 Arab refugees, from Sinai.
7
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Top Secret
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