THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 19 APRIL 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007727
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 19, 1974

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012000010061-6
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The President's Daily Brief
April 19, 1974
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012000010061-6
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( I
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
April 19, 1974
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Syrian aircraft struck Israeli ground positions yes-
terday for the first time since the October war.
(Page 1)
President Sadat renewed his criticism of the USSR dur-
ing a speech yesterday, showing an almost stubbor25x1-
willingness to placate Moscow. (Page 2)
Israel
(Page 3)
Bangladesh/
Pakistan
/ (Page. 4)
Notes on Ethiopia, Iraq, the EC, and Greece-Turkey
appear on Page 5.
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ISRAEL-SYRIA
Syrian aircraft struck Israeli ground positions
yesterday for the first time since the October war.
A Syrian spokesman claimed that the strikes inflicted
"huge" losses on Israeli forces in the Mount Hermon
area and at other locations along-the front.
Tel Aviv has played down the strikes' signifi-
cance. According to an Israeli military spokesman,
the attacks wounded only one soldier and lasted only
"a couple of minutes." , He claimed, in contrast, that
Israeli sorties over the front lasted for more than
five hOurS
Damascus claims that its air defense forces shot down
an Israeli Phantom, but Tel Aviv denied the claim.
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EGYPT USSR
President Sadat renewed his criticism of the USSR
during a speech yesterday, four days after Foreign Min-
ister Fahmi recommended easing public criticism of the
Soviets. Fahmi's appeal followed his meeting with So-
viet Foreign Minister Gromyko in New York on Monday,
and Sadat had agreed to tone down press attacks. In
his speech yesterday, the Egyptian leader adopted a
friendly tone that has been absent lately, but his ref-
erences to major points of disagreement showed an al-
most stubborn unwillingness to placate Moscow.
Sadat said he has written Soviet party leader
Brezhnev four times in the past six months with "basic
and essential demands"--obviously for arms--but has
consistently been told they are, "being studied." Sadat
described this as only a misunderstanding between
friends, but expressed "regret" and puzzlement over
the reason for it. Sadat also said he has begun to
diversify Egypt's source of arms, attributing this
decision to a desire for a balance in Egypt's inter-
national relations.
Perhaps, Sadat suggested, Moscow is withholding
arms because it believes Cairo is abandoning socialism,
liberalizing its economy, or improving relations with
the US and the West. These are matters that concern;
only Egypt, he asserted, and comment from the outside
"shows bad taste." He repeated a line he has used
frequently in recent weeks, that Egypt does not want
hostile relations with any state unless that state
"begins to antagonize us." Sadat said Egypt will not
befriend one state at the expense of any other, and
in this context referred specifically to the US and
the USSR.
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ISRAEL
The Labor Party's five-member selection commit-
tee will meet today to decide on a list of candidates
to succeed Mrs. Meir as party leader. The list will
be submitted to the party's Central Committee on
Sunday.
The party's secretary general, in an effort to
reduce the number of contenders, yesterday talked
to prospectivecandidates Deputy ,Prime Minister Alon,
Justice Minister Zadokf:Foreign Minister Eban, Labor
Minister Rabin, Mayor Almogi'of Haifa, and Informa-
tion Minister Peres.
Only Peres, a member of Dayan's Rafi faction,
has openly expressed an interest in the position,
but the others clearly are available. Peres, how-
ever, has only a slim chance.
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BANGLADESH-PAKISTAN
Despite the apparent conciliatory attitude of
both.parties, the issues left unresolved at the New?
Delhi conference two weeks ago are complex and'cer-.
tam n to be the subject of hard and protracted-bar-
gaining.. One of the most difficult questions will:
be the division of prewar Pakistan's assets and
ha-
bilties. Dacca will also continue to argue for 4
Pakistani commitment to take more than the 140,000
Biharis--non-Bengalee Muslims-Islamabad has already
agreed to accept.
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NOTES
Ethiopia: The military is again demonstrating
its impatience with the government's failure to
arrest and prosecute corrupt ministers of the previ-
ous cabinet. Troops meeting in Addis Ababa--prob-
ably drawn from units throughout the country--
yesterday demanded of Prime Minister Endalkatchew
that the former ministers be placed immediately
under at least house arrest. According to a Reuters
report that has not been confirmed, the Prime Min-
ister replied that he already had done so. If the
arrests have not been made, the military may take
direct action to back up its demand, such as detain-
ing the ministers in question or seizing a major
city or military installation.
Iraq: Baghdad may have begun a major offensive
against Kurdish rebels. The government has inten-
sified ground and air attacks against the Kurds in
the last few days.
EC: West German Foreign Minister Scheel has
called an informal meeting of the foreign ministers
of the Nine for this weekend, possibly to "educate"
British Foreign Secretary Callaghan about the impor-
tance of EC ties. The interregnum in'France has
forced the community to mark time on a number of
fronts. Bonn hopes this pause may give the new
British Government time to obtain a better under-
standing of the interdependence of the EC states,
particularly in the economic and financial areas.
Greece-Turkey: Tensions between Athens ?and
Ankara over their rival claims to possible offshore
oil fields in the Aegean Sea have abated. Turkish
Prime Minister Ecevit has said that the issue is a
technical problem and should not be allowed to
develop into a political crisis. Greek and Turkish
officials are scheduled to meet this week in New.
York to discuss the issue.
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Top Secret
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