THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 OCTOBER 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993964
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 23, 1973

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T009-36A011800020007-8
The President's Daily Brief
23 October 1973
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. I 1652
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
23 October 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Israel announced this morning that it will continue'
to fight on the Egyptian front because of Egyptian
violations of the cease-fire. Cairo, in turn, has
accused Israel of using the nightfollowing the
cease-fire to strengthen its position on the west
side of the Suez Canal. Cairo says it will attack
Israeli units in the positions they occupied after
the cease-fire. (Page 1)
Araboil and monetary pressures. since the war began
have Caused the dollar to weaken only slightly.
Losses have ranged between 0.5 and 1.5 percent rela-
tive to the major European-currencies. (Page 3)
Prime Minister Souvanna's decision to halt the air-
lift of Lao Communists into Vientiane further com-
plicates implementation of the peace accords. Sou-
vanna moved after high officials complained they
were unable to monitor arrivals because of Communist
obstructionism. (Page 4)
In Thailand, the new government is trying to get
more support from the students as well as the mili-
tary. Preoccupied with domestic problems, the new
leaders continue to avoid pronouncements on foreign
policy. (Page 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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?
Suez Canal Zone
Damiett
Al Manzila
Mediterranean Sea
Port Said
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unim-annh,
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O Nautical Miles
20
554774 10-73 CIA '
3-2
-41.1 Israeli Forces
"Au', Egyptian Forces-
Ayn Sukhnah
Gulf
of
Suez
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ARAB STATES - ISRAEL
Israel announced this morning that it will con-
tinue to fight on the Egyptian front because of
Egyptian violations of the cease-fire. The Israelis
say Egypt opened heavy fire this morning on Israeli
forces on the west bank of the Suez Canal. The
Egyptians, in turn, have accused Israel of using
the night following the cease-fire to "occupy posi-
tions between our forces, especially on the west
side of the canal," and announced that Egypt will
attack Israeli units in the positions they occupied
after the cease-fire.
some Egyptian units were
ordered yesterday afternoon to continue combat opera-
tions despite the cease-fire, but it is not clear
that Egypt "incessantly and continuously" violated
the agreement, as Israel claims. The Israelis, who
have made important gains on the west bank over the
past few days, may have required little in the way
bf Egyptian provocation before deciding to press
their military advantage.
There was a brief respite yesterday at the
time the cease-fire came into effect, but hostili-
ties resumed quickly at the center of the Egyptian
front. Tel Aviv claimed that Egyptian forces began
shelling near Ismailia about an hour after the
cease-fire deadline, and late last night Israeli
spokesmen charged that Egypt was using "all sorts
of weapons" along most sectors of the front, From
the start, the Egyptians accused Tel Aviv of making
false allegations as an excuse to break the cease-
fire.
The Syrian front saw heavy fighting yesterday,
particularly on the slopes of Mount Hermon, over
which the Israelis claimed control following a ma-
jor assault prior to the cease-fire deadline. There
was continued fighting throughout yesterday, however,
and the extent of Israeli control is unclear. The
Israelis also mounted air and artillery attacks
against fedayeen bases in Lebanon opposite Mount
Hermon.
(continued)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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The Syrian Front
Damascus
Qatana
Israeli
? air and artillery
strikes
Moroccan
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Syrian
divisiont
Syrian defense
line
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division
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Syrian
division
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occupled territory
Banlyas .,
Brigade) I
1,11: Brigade
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Man
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Israeli Cease-Fire -
ech Charr
Line, 10 June 1967
Al Qunaytirah
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,
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Line, 10 lune 1967
Jordan
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brigade
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Dara
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0 5 10
.Kilometers
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Miles
15
554773 10-73 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Syria's failure to accept or reject the cease-
fire resolution, together with reports of protracted
high-level meetings yesterday in Damascus, suggests
that Syrian leaders were having trouble reaching a
consensus. Israeli advances in the Mount Hermon area
and Iraq's refusal to stop fighting undoubtedly com-
plicated their calculations.i
In view
of the resumed hostilities on the Egyptian front, how-
ever, there is bound to be continued fighting on the
Syrian front as well. There are reports of Israeli
air strikes and shelling in the Mount Hermon area
early this morning.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY DEVELOPMENTS
The dollar showed little change on world money
markets yesterday. US vulnerability to Arab oil and
monetary pressures caused the dollar to weaken only
slightly since the outbreak of Middle East fighting.
The losses have ranged between 0.5 and 1.5 percent
relative to the major European currencies.
Several factors have kept the dollar in its
relatively strong position:
--Europe is itself exposed to Arab oil pres-
sures and would also suffer under an Arab oil
embargo of the US.
--Currency traders are reluctant to speculate
against what many feel is an already under-
valued dollar.
--Capital controls make it more expensive to
shift money into the stronger European curren-
cies.
--Doubts about the long-run strength of ster-
ling and the French franc make those curren-
cies an unattractive alternative to the dollar.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Prime Minister Souvanna's decision to suspend
the airlift of Lao Communists to Vientiane further
complicates implementation of the peace accords.
Before the standdown on October 19, 380 Communists
had arrived in the capital to serve on the joint
security force, and the Communists had planned to
continue the airlift through this week. The Prime
Minister halted the flights after the Lao Army
deputy commander in chief and government delegates
to the Joint Committee to Implement the Agreement
complained that they were unable to monitor the ar-
rivals because the Communists have kept the commit-
tee from meeting.
For their part, the Communists have protested
restrictions on their movement in Vientiane and con-
tend that the facilities available to them there are
inadequate. They claim they cannot assign personnel
to the joint committee until the situation improves.
Souvanna has apparently decided to disabuse the
Communists of the notion that they can extract more
concessions before agreeing to activate the joint
committee. His curtailment of the Communist flights
also shows that he must continue to take into ac-
count rightist sensitivities on important matters
such as the movement of Communists into Vientiane.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THAILAND
The new government is trying to widen its base
of support. Recognizing the students' new-found
political muscle, Prime Minister Sanya has established
an office, headed by Army General Saiyud, to facili-
tate student participation in government affairs.
Saiyud has told US Embassy officers that he is im-
pressed by the students' desire to cooperate with
the Sanya government.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sanya, aware of the
need for army support, has appointed army officers
to several key posts, including chief of police,
and has named a military man to head the prime min-
ister's staff. The new leaders have tried to soften
public criticism of the army's role, however, by an-
nouncing that officers entering the government will
give up their military posts.
Preoccupied with domestic problems, Sanya and
his cabinet continue to avoid public statements on
foreign policy.
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