THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 12 DECEMBER 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007620
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 12, 1973

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T100936A011900010010-4
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The President's Daily Brief
12 December 1973
4.5
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Exempt from general
declassification uhedule of EO. 11652
exemption category 513(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE, FRESJDENT $ DAILY BRIEF
-/12 December 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Syrian Government reportedly has reinstituted
some of the same civil defense measures it took,be-
fore the attack of October 6. Cairo has threatened
the reimposition of a full blockade of the Bab al-
Mandab Straits Unless Israel allows Egyptian ships
now in various Red Sea ports to return to Suez City
for repairs. (Page 1)
The new civilian government in Thailand will send
an official delegation to China around December 21.
(Page 3)
talk of a coup is developing among senior
Thai military officers,
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(Page 5)
A note on the approval of some 30 tariff conces-
sions by the EC Council of Ministers appears on
Page 5.
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ARAB STATES - ISRAEL
UN sources report that the Syrian Ministry of
Planning has been put on a "war basis," and that
all other ministries and schools have been alerted
to go on a war footing as soon as instructed. The
measures taken by the ministry require all personnel
to operate in underground shelters 24 hours a day.
The Syrian Government apparently took similar
measures in the week prior to the attack on October
6. If the above reports are accurate, the civil
defense measures may be part of a general Syrian
and Egyptian policy to maintain an atmosphere of
tension and of readiness to return to war if Israel
does not move toward a settlement. Such measures,
however, could also be an indicator of a plan to
reopen hostilities.
For the second straight day, Syrian and Israeli
forces exchanged fire on the Golan front. The Syr-
ians claimed to have inflicted about a dozen casual-
ties and to have destroyed several pieces of engi-
neering equipment that were being used to improve
advanced Israeli positions in the area.
Continuing military activity on the Egyptian
front, although minor, is resulting in a higher
casualty rate than that reported in late November.
The Israelis have turned over to the Red Cross the
names of 32 Egyptians captured in incidents since
the completion of Egyptian-Israeli prisoner exchange
on November 22. The Egyptians do not admit holding
any Israeli prisoners.
The Egyptians are claiming publicly that ammu-
nition is reaching the Third Army via the Gulf of
Suez. The Israelis presumably are alert to attempts
to infiltrate weapons and probably are capable of
intercepting such shipments. Limited amounts--
enough to sustain Third Army morale, however--may
be getting through.
General Gamasy, Egypt's negotiator at the
stalled disengagement talks, complained yesterday
to the United Nations Emergency Force commander,
General Siilasvuo, about Israel's refusal to permit
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resupply of an isolated Egyptian garrison located
to the north of the Third Army. Gamasy threatened
that when these troops run out of supplies within a
-few days, Egypt will feel compelled to use force.
UN sources comment that Israel had agreed to the
evacuation of this garrison, as Egypt had originally
requested, but that Cairo later decided it keep it
in place.
Gamasy has also informed Siilasvuo of Egypt's
proposal that Israel allow Egyptian ships now in
various Red Sea ports to return to Suez City for
repairs. Gamasy reportedly linked this proposal to
the question of Israeli transit of the Bab al-Mandab
Straits. He threatened the reimposition of a full
blockade of the straits if Israel does not permit
Egyptian ships access to Suez City.
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THAILAND-CHINA
The new civilian government in Bangkok is re-
suming the Sino-Thai dialogue. In response to a
Chinese invitation, Deputy Foreign Minister Chartchai
will lead an official delegation to Peking around
December 21.
Bangkok appears particularly interested
in the possibility of purchasing Chinese petroleum
products and has been encouraged by Peking's favor-,
able response to a recent Thai bid to buy high-speed
diesel oil.
The Thai may also suggest that the Chinese post
a permanent mission to ECAFE headquarters in Bangkok.
This would permit the Thai to establish a political
relationship with China short of diplomatic rela-
tions. The new government, although no more likely
than the former Thai leadership to take precipitous
action, is under pressure from students and critics
within the bureaucracy to strike a more independent
and "neutral" foreign posture.
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THAILAND
Talk of a coup is developing among senior Thai
military officers as labor unrest in Bangkok in-
creases. Army chief General Krit Sivara
In remarks to the press last week,
Krit emphasized that Prime Minister. Sanya has the
authority to take strong measures to quell strikes
and disorders, and he implied that military inter-
vention would not be necessary.
The country's major student organization re-
turned a moderate slate to office after elections
last week. The moderate leaders had resigned a
month ago in the face of criticism from activist
and radical students. The results of the new elec-
tion should ease the army's concern over the gen-
eral situation and increase the government's con-
fidence in its ability to control the students.
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NOTES
Czechoslovakia-USSR:
European Communities: The EC Council of Minis-
ters on December 10 approved some 30 tariff conces-
sions designed to compensate non-EC countries for
higher export costs resulting from the increase in
the community's membership last January. Although
the specific concessions have not yet been announced,
they apparently ?are not significantly different from
proposals made early last month. These? fell far
short of the desires of the US and other affected
countries. The concessions will be presented for-
mally to the community's trading partners at GATT
headquarters in Geneva within a few days.
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Top Secret
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