THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 3 MAY 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993813
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 3, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
3 May 1973
Lf, 5
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Exempt from general
declassification scheduk of E.O. 11652
exemption category 513111.(2).13)
declauified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
3 May 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Heavy fighting has resumed in Lebanon this morning.
(Page 1)
The Soviets are again trying to convince the Japa-
nese_to compromise on the Northern Territories
issue. (Page 2)
Fidel Castro is urging Latin Americans
against the US. (Page 3)
The weakness of the Greek Government is
more and more apparent. (Page 4)
to unite
becoming
(Page 7)
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LEBANON-FEDAYEEN
The cease-fire arranged between Yasir Arafat
and President Franjiyah after heavy fighting be-
tween the army and the fedayeen in Beirut yesterday
has broken down. Serious fighting was resumed this
morning, and is reported to have spread south to
Sidon.
The Lebanese Defense Ministry claimed the
fighting started yesterday after the fedayeen rock-
eted army positions in the southern suburbs of the
capital while negotiations were under way for the
release of two Lebanese soldiers seized by the guer-
rillas Tuesday. Lebanese forces, supported by tanks
and armored vehicles, then surrounded all Palestinian
refugee camps in Beirut and returned the fire.
The Lebanese lost 12 killed and 40 wounded.
Guerrilla losses are presumed to be much heavier.
The clashes are the most serious since
those of 1969 that left Lebanon without
a government for months. The subsequent
release of the kidnaped soldiers helped
to calm the situation somewhat, but in-
dependent action by some fedayeen could
trigger further fighting. For example,
during yesterday's fighting, terrorists
fired rockets at the US Ambassador's
residence, but missed.
Increased fedayeen activity in Beirut
and along the southern border with Is-
rael since the Israeli raid on April
10 have severely strained Lebanon's
relations with the Palestinians. During
the past week three guerrillas were ar-
rested at the Beirut airport as they
tried to smuggle explosives out of the
country. A number of others have been
detained in connection with an apparent
attempt to attack the US Embassy.
The kidnaping of the two soldiers was in-
tended to force the release of these feda-
yeen.
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"Northern Territories"
SEA OF
OKHOTSK
SEA. OF JAPAN
Disputed
1,2
"Northern Territories" ? Etorofu
HOKKAIDO
JAPAN
"Kunashiri ?
e- .Shikotan
-
Habomai Island's
S;n1,11,. ES
? OCEAN
554351 5-73 .1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-JAPAN
The Soviets are again making discreet at-
tempts to get Japan to think seriously
about compromising on the Northern Terri-
tories problem.
Unofficial statements have been made
recently that the USSR is willing to
return two of the islands (Rabomai and Shikotan)
claimed by Japan when a peace treaty is signed and
that there would be "joint use" of the other two
major islands.
The USSR made such informal soundings
last year, but concluded that the Japa-
? nese were trying to capitalize on their
improved relations with China in order
to force the Soviet Union to return all
the islands immediately. To discourage
this tactic, the Soviets gave the Japa-
nese territorial demands short shrift.
The USSR maintained this tougher stand
until early March, when an exchange of
letters between Tanaka and Brezhnev
? brought some improvement 1.-2 the atmos-
phere. Tanaka helped break the ice by
promising conditionally that Japan would
back the $1-billion Tyumen oil project
without requiring prior solution of ter-
ritorial problems.
After the Tanaka-Brezhnev exchange, So-
viet media abruptly stopped mentioning
the Northern Territories as the major
stumbling block to improvement in Soviet-
Japanese political ties. The Soviets
have focused instead on prospects for
economic cooperation, and have made no
secret of their hope that a common inter-
est in better relations across the board
will help settle the territorial issue.
In floating possible compromise solutions,
the Soviets have their eye on Tanaka's
visit to the USSR late this summer when
the Northern Territories question is cer-
tain to arise.
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CUBA
Fidel Castro's, May Day speech was an attempt to
place Cuba in the forefront of a Latin America
united against the US.
Castro recited the standard litany of Latin Ameri-
can complaints against the US, specifically identi-
fying himself with Latin American positions on sov-
ereignty over natural resources, US trade barriers,
and the planned sale of US mineral stockpiles. He
indicated his willingness to cooperate with those
countries that demonstrate their independence of
the US, and implied his definition of such inde-
pendence is increasingly flexible. Castro said
again that Cuba wants nothing to do with the OAS
so long as the US is a member.
Castro described the economic blockade as a bar to
the opening of a dialogue with the US. He specifi-
cally rejected any secret talks. This frigid tone
probably reflects Castro's concern about the impli-
cations for Cuba of Brezhnev's expected visit to
the US. He may press Brezhnev to visit Cuba, either
before or after the Washington trip, in order to
seek assurances that Cuban interests will not be
compromised.
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GREECE
The government of Prime Minister Papadopoulos
has recently been sharply attacked by former prime
minister Karamanlis, joined by a number of old guard
politicians anxious to be counted with him.
Of itself, the attack is not a serious
blow to the government; it nonetheless
indicates that Papadopoulos' position
is weakening. The ruling military junta
has never lived up to the promises of
its "revolution" six years ago. It has
failed in its efforts to:
--make the government efficient and re-
sponsive,
--work out a political system that would
permit popular participation in govern-
ment, and
--formally resolve the status of the mon-
archy and institute a stable new system
of government.
Politically conscious Greeks sense that
the Papadopoulos administration is losing
steam, and as it enters its seventh year,
symptoms of political malaise are plen-
tiful:
--Disobedient students continue their
opposition to the government even after
their revolt was suppressed and civil
libertarians who defended them were
jailed.
--Troubles on Cyprus between General
Grivas and President Makarios threaten
to get out of hand at a time when sta-
bility on Cyprus and a peaceful rela-
tionship with Turkey are top priority
to Athens. The Turks are now worried
that Grivas violence may engulf the
Turkish minority. They have asked
Athens to curb the General. But the
Papadopoulos government cannot control
him.
(continued)
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--Military officers disgusted with the
ineffectiveness of the government have
stepped up their plotting against Papa-
dopoulos in the past year. Only their
Zack of unity and Papadopoulos' vigilance
has kept a military coup from succeeding.
Papadopoulos is aware of the symptoms and
the basic issues they represent, but he
does not appear to have workable ideas
about how to tackle them. Behind the
scenes, for example, he has ordered the
formation of a new "cultural organization"
known as EPOK, a group he hopes will pro-
vide Greece's future political leaders.
This move has already run into trouble.
Some military men, for instance, oppose
the inclusion of socialists and center-
leftists among EPOK's membership, and
excluded old guard politicians are ob-
structing the group's formation because
they see it undercutting any chance of
returning to power.
Papadopoulos is vulnerable, but at present
is not weak enough to be thrown out of
office by anyone but a concerted group
of military officers. Such a group has
yet to materialize. The outlook for
Greece, therefore, is more of the same
political uncertainty and popular dis-
satisfaction.
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NOTES
Cambodia:
An intercepted
reveals that a
launchers, and
transported to
area.
Khmer Communist
large supply of
some small-arms
Communist units
message of April 27
B-40 rockets, rocket
ammunition is being
in the Phnom Penh
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Top Secret
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