THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 19 FEBRUARY 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993749
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 19, 1973

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T0-0936A011500010044-1
The President's Daily Brief
19 February 1973
45
--Top Sccre-t 25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category 5B( 1),12).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
19 February 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS'
Egyptian President Sadat's adviser for national secu-
rity affairs will begin official talks in London to-
day on a Middle East settlement and will come to Wash-
ington on Friday. (Page 1)
The South Vietnamese have recaptured the town of Sa
Huynh in southern Quang Ngai Province but have not
yet cleared the major north-south road in the west-
ern highlands. (Page 2)
The Soviet naval task force that has been operating
in the vicinity of Cuba since early December is now
on a northerly course off the southeastern US and ap-
pears to be returning to the Northern Fleet area of
the USSR. (Page 3)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
EGYPT
President Sadat's adviser for national security
affairs, Hafiz Ismail, will begin official talks in
London today on a Middle East settlement and will
come to Washington on Friday.
Ismail's trip puts Egypt's self-proclaimed
"diplomatic offensive" into high gear. He
has just returned from Moscow, where he
apparently had some success in establish-
ing a basis for a more stable bilateral
relationship.
For now, the Egyptians appear to be con-
centrating on the five permanent members
of the UN Security Council. On Saturday,
Foreign Minister Zayyat met with the So-
viet ambassador, who is said to have in-
vited him to Moscow. Both Zayyat and Is-
mail met this weekend with China's ambas-
sador, and appear to be angling for an in-
vitation to Peking. Ismail also met with
the French ambassador on Saturday and
there are press reports that he will go
to Paris in March.
Sadat appears to be Looking for a way to
get around the stalemate that character-
izes UN efforts in the Middle East. He
considers that the US is his primary
hope for a more forthcoming Israeli posi-
tion. This latest "diplomatic offensive"
is designed to put pressure on the US and
Israel to move toward some kind of solu-
tion. The timing of Ismail's trip--right
after King Husayn's visit to Washington
and just before Prime Minister GoZda Meir's
trip to the US--suggests that Sadat wants
his views to be considered before any new
US commitments are made to Israel.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
The South Vietnamese recaptured the town of Sa
Huynh in southern Quang Ngai Province on 17 February,
but sharp fighting in the area.continues,. At last
report, the Communists were still holding part of an
artillery .base near the town and some high ground to
the west.
In the western highlands, the South Vietnamese
have not yet cleared the major north-south road.
Only six of a 44-truck convoy were able to get
through a strategic pass on 17 February.
In the delta province of Kien Phong, five Com-
munist officers identified as members of the policy
office of COSVN were captured recently by the South
Vietnamese.
The presence of "policy officers," com-
bined with the high level of Viet Cong
activity in the province, suggest that the
Communists may be trying to establish a
new base area along the Vietnam-Cambodia
border.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Argentina:
President
Lanusse, who now believes that Peronist Hector Campora
will be elected, has recently played heavily on the
military's fear that the Peronists will return to
power. He could well use arise in political vio-
lence to gain the support of his generals for a pro-
scription of the Peronists or a postponement of the
election.
Cuba-USSR: The Soviet naval task force that has
been operating in the vicinity of Cuba since early
December has left the Gulf of Mexico and is now on .a
northerly course off the southeastern US. It appears
to be returning to the Northern Fleet area of the
USSR. The group consists of a cruiser, a destroyer,
a tanker, and an F-class submarine. The task force
did not pay any farewell calls at Havana.
25X1
2511/(1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79?T00936A011500010044-1
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010044-1