THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 3 OCTOBER 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993947
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 3, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
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3 October 1973
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
3 October 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The West European allies are upset at congressional
moves in favor of unilateral US force reduction over-
seas, and may try harder to come up with ways to re-
duce the cost of stationing troops in Europe. There
have been some positive signs in the deliberations
of the NATO study group dealing with this problem,
but a satisfactory solution still seems a long way
off. (Page 1)
The Soviets have begun to build two more new silos
at the Pervomaysk ICBM complex. The positioning of
the silos suggests they will have a function related
to command and control. (Page 2)
The South Vietnamese are taking the offensive in the
central highlands, in part to avenge the capture last
week of the Plei Djerang Ranger camp--the largest
outpost to fall to the Communists since the January
cease-fire. (Page 3)
London's decision to withdraw its warships from dis-
puted waters around Iceland has prevented a break in
relations with Reykjavik. Iceland quickly accepted
a British proposal for further negotiation. (Page 4)
Notes on Soviet ICBM testing and on preparations for
a nuclear test in China appear on Page 5. there are
also brief items dealing with recent developments in
Chile and East Germany.
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NATO
Actions by the US Senate favoring unilateral force
reduction overseas have put new pressure on US allies
to come up with multilateral ways to reduce the cost
of stationing troops in Europe. Bonn was shocked by
the Senate's action, and both Foreign Office officials
and Bundestag members are wondering whether the US will
cut troop levels unilaterally.
As yet, however, the West Germans show no
sign of being more willing to participate
in any multilateral scheme. They have so
far tried hard to prove that Bonn is aZready,
doing its fair share in bilateral arrange-
ments.
There have been some positive signs in the recent
deliberations of the NATO study group dealing with the
problem. There is wide support for separating the US
military deficit from other balance-of-payments figures,
so that the deficit can be treated on a priority basis.
In addition, the UK has not been pressing its own claim
for balance-of-payments assistance lately.
The burden-sharing study group will probably
send an initial report to the North Atlantic
Council by the middle of the month, but this
will be largely concerned with a precise
definition of the balance-of-payments damage
suffered by the US. There has been little
discussion of solutions so far.
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USSR
the USSR has
begun to build two more new silos at the Pervomaysk
ICBM complex. Both are located at SS-11 launch-control
sites.
New silos have now been identified at ten
SS-11 launch-control sites--five at Pervomaysk,
and five at the Derazhnya ICBM complex. The
positioning of the silos suggests that they
will have a function related to command and
control. Thus far, however, they remain in-
distinguishable from silos from which ICBMs
are launched.
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SOUTH VIETNAM
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
South Vietnamese leaders are saying that
an attack last week on the Plei Djerang
Ranger camp presages a new enemy offensive,
but there is little to suggest that the
Communists plan a major campaign in the
highlands at this time. The two North
Vietnamese divisions in the area are
understrength and ill-prepared to sustain
large-scale fighting. Rather it is the
South Vietnamese who seem bent on taking
the offensive, in part to avenge the cap-
ture of the Ranger camp--the largest out-
post to fall to the Communists since the
cease-fire ?last January.
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General Toan is said to believe that addi-
tional enemy moves will provide further
justification for the government offensive.
There is a danger that Toan's forces may
get bogged down in operations in the high-
lands. He will have to show some restraint
in order to avoid committing them so deeply
as to jeopardize security in adjacent Kon-
tum and Binh Dinh provinces.
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LIK-IcELro
London announced yesterday that it was with-
drawing its warships from disputed waters around
Iceland on the assumption that Iceland would not
harass British trawlers in the area. The ships are
to remain just outside Iceland's declared 50-mile
fishing limit, ready to re-enter if the harassment
resumes. Iceland quickly accepted a proposal by
Prime Minister Heath for further negotiation.
Reykjavik had threatened to break relations
by midnight last night if the ships re-
mained. Following a visit to London by
NATO Secretary General Luns, however, the
British in effect waived their demand for
a formal prior Icelandic commitment not to
harass the trawlers.
The British action should ease Icelandic
hostility toward NATO for the moment, and
improve the chances of a compromise on main-
taining the US-manned NATO base at Keflavik.
Foreign Minister Agustsson arrives in Wash-
ington today to begin negotiations on the
issue. The shaky Icelandic Government will
find it difficult to resist leftist agita-
tion against British fishing, however, and
unless the British make concessions, inci-
dents at sea are likely to resume.
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NOTES
USSR: The Soviets successfully tested an
SS-X-17 ICBM yesterday.
The last two SS-X-17 tests, in
July, carried MIRVs. A flight test of another of
the new Soviet ICBMs--the SS-X-16--apparently ended
in failure on September 29.
China:
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preparations 25X1
at the test site were almost compiete. Three ,IL-28
jet light bombers have been observed next to the
weapons loading pit at the airfield that supports
Lop Nor; one of them probably will deliver the de-
vice.
Chile: The junta continues to give top consid-
eration to maintaining security.
The government
has appointed military officers to undertake an ide-
ological housecleaning of the universities, even
though this will further disillusion the Christian
Democratic Party. A military court now trying Com-
munist chief Luis Corvalan for treason may sentence
him to death, regardless of repercussions at home
and abroad.
East Germany: A Central Committee meeting yes-
terday approved a few new appointments to high posi-
tions in the party. Following the example set by
Moscow last spring, the East Germans made their De-
fense Minister, General Heinz Hoffmann, a Politburo
member. Among five party officials elected to can-
didate membership on the Politburo were two district
leaders, and another was chosen for a position in
the party Secretariat. The district party officials
in particular owe allegiance to party chief Honecker
and their elevation will strengthen his control.
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