THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 4 FEBRUARY 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007664
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 4, 1974

? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T0093eA011900010054-6
The President's Daily Brief
February 4, 1974
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( I 1,121,(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
February 4, 1974
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The Cambodian military situation is discussed on
Page 1.
Foreign Minister Gromyko is said to be planning to
visit Paris in mid-February in preparation for Pres-
ident Pompidou's trip to Moscow. (Page 3)
In Jordan, mutinous elements of an armored brigade
stationed some 15 miles north of Amman returned to
their barracks yesterday but are still threatening
to march on the capital if their demands are not
met. (Page 4)
President Sadat's dismissal. of the Managing editor
of Al-Ahtam probably is designed to muzzle the in-
creasingly unruly journalist.. (Page 5)
Notes on Venezuela, Brezhnev's departure from Cuba,
Soviet
on Page 6.
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Government defenses
Govern men
clearing operatio
register moderate
gains
Bassac River
unists
ight gains
555207 2-74 CIA
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,4I Fi `I .1
CAMBODIA
Khmer Communist artillery units have not shelled
Phnom Penh in the past two days, although ground ac-
tion around the capital has increased slightly. Com-
munist attacks along the city's southern defenses
have forced some withdrawals by Cambodian Army units
from positions along the north bank of the Prek
Thnaot River. Northwest of Pochentong Airport, gov-
ernment forces are on the attack but are meeting in-
creasingly stiff resistance. Elsewhere, Cambodian
Army units have made modest gains in clearing opera-
tions along Route 1 and the Bassac River southeast
of Phnom Penh.
An intercept of February 1 indicates that a
meeting of the standing committee of the Khmer Com-
munist Party is being called for February 5 or 6 at
an undisclosed location. The meeting is to assess
the current tactical situation around Phnom Penh in
order to "encourage a movement to attack and pene-
trate Phnom Penh immediately by jointly organizing
and further expanding our forces to the maximum ex-
tent possible." Given the insurgents' command and
control difficulties on the several tactical fronts
surrounding Phnom Penh, however, their ability to
mount a major coordinated offensive against the cap-
ital remains questionable.
A message of January 29 shows that the Khmer
Communists are continuing to receive and allocate
military equipment and vehicles recently given to
them by Hanoi. The message notes that the transfer
of equipment for insurgent forces in the western
and southwestern regions of the country and in the
Phnom Penh area is almost complete.
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USSR
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USSR-FRANCE
Foreign Minister Gromyko is reportedly planning
a trip to Paris in mid-February to lay the groundwork
for one by President Pompidou to the USSR. Gromyko
presumably will try to flatten the bumps so that
Pompidou's visit can proceed smoothly.
The Soviets are already dropping hints in Paris
that they hope the French will forgo complaints about
an alleged Soviet-US "condominium" and about Moscow's
failure to consult with Paris during the Middle East
war in October. Public airing of such grievances
late last year, together with fresh Soviet misgivings
about possible changes in France's attitude toward
West European defense cooperation, brought unusually
high strain in relations between the two countries.
The Pompidou visit has been in the works for
several months. In view Of the frictions late last
year, however, the Soviets have been dragging their
feet. It now appears he will travel to the USSR not
long after Gromyko's consultations in Paris.
The
French have been bitterly critical of what they con-
sider Moscow's cavalier attitude toward the protocol
on consultations, which the two countries signed in
1970.
During Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Kovalev's
visit to Paris last month, the French passed on spe-
cific suggestions about how to improve bilateral
consultations. These may now be included in a Soviet
proposal to be negotiated by Gromyko for signing at
the summit. It is possible that Paris is seeking
an accord similar to the US-Soviet agreement to con-
sult bilaterally on situations that could lead to
nuclear war. The Soviets, for their part, have been
encouraging other countries to conclude agreements
of this kind.
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1_ 1 J. .L 1.1.1-4.) 1-/
JORDAN
Mutinous elements of the elite 40th Armored
Brigade, stationed about 15 miles north of Amman,
quickly returned to their barracks yesterday, but
they are still threatening to march on Amman if
their demands are not met.
The move is apparently not directed against
King Husayn, who is in London. It is, however,
clearly intended to force him to remedy a number of
long-standing grievances, particularly among the
lower ranks of the army. The mutineers--primarily
drivers and perhaps some junior officerS--are.de-
manding higher pay and lower commodity prices. In
addition, they are asking for the dismissal of the
unpopular chief of staff, Sharif Zayd
bin Shakir, and the return of the King's- uncle,
Sharif Nasir, as army commander. They may also be
demanding the resignation of the government of
Prime Minister Zayd Rifai, which they blame for
the high cost of living.
Acting in the King's absence, Crown Prince
Hassan and armed forces chief Majali succeeded at
least temporarily in calming the mutineers and
made the rounds of other army units yesterday to
try to keep the mutiny from spreading. Hassan is
known to be close to Sharif Nasir and is sympathetic
to the mutineers' demands. He will almost certainly
press Husayn to meet the 40th Brigade's demands as
soon as the King returns.
No senior officers were involved in the mutiny
or are? likely to try to take advantage of the pres-
ent undercurrent of disgruntlement. Civilian lead-
ers in Amman reportedly are calm/
/ If Husayn moves promptly to mol-
lify the mutineers, as he probably will, the trouble
is unlikely to spread. But if, once he returns to
Amman, he procrastinates or responds with half-
measures, more serious incidents could flare up.
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IL I IVI,J1 1../L1 I_ kJi 1-4
EGYPT
President Sadat's dismissal over the weekend
of Muhammad Hasanayn Haykal as managing editor and
chairman of the board of Al-Ahram, while naming him
presidential press adviser, probably is designed to
muzzle the increasingly obstreperous journalist.
Although frequently assumed to be a spokesman for
Sadat, Haykal has in fact been his own man since
the death of his patron, President Nasir. Since
the cease-fire of October 1973, Haykal has consist-
ently shown a pessimism about peace settlement
prospects and a skepticism about US intentions that
run counter to Sadat's own position and actions.
On February 1, Haykal devoted his weekly arti-
cle to an attack on US aims in the Middle East.
His statement that US policy has not altered appeared
to be a direct 'slap at Sadat's repeated public as-
sertions that it has indeed changed and should be,
reciprocated by gestures from the Arabs.
There is some question whether Haykal will ac-
cept his new appointment. Sadat may also come in
for some criticism from the intellectual establish-
ment at Al-Ahram for appointing Deputy Prime Minis-
ter Hatim as board chairman; Hatim, who is also in-
formation minister, was involved a year ago in the
removal from the newspaper of several leftist writ-
ers and, despite their later reinstatement, he is
not a popular figure in press circles.
On the other hand, Ali Amin, who will take
Haykal's position as managing editor, is highly re-
spected among the press. Sadat may hope to mollify
his opponents in Al-Ahram with this appointment
while, at the same time, signaling through Hatim's
appointment that open opposition to government pol-
icies will not be countenanced.
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J. V -R. %, A- 1. .1 .11,1-k..1
NOTES
Venezuela: Caracas has announced that it will
give Central American countries, which have been af-
fected by the Arab oil cutback, preferential treat-
ment in oil supplies but not in prices. The sup-
plies apparently will come from royalties paid in
crude to the government by foreign oil companies.
USSR:
USSR-Cuba: General Secretary Brezhnev returned
to Moscow this morning after a one-week visit to
Cuba. A joint declaration on the visit was signed
Saturday but has not yet been issued. The only
agreements announced so far provide for Soviet as-
sistance to Cuban aviation and for help to Cuba in
finding new petroleum resources.
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Top Secret
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