THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 20 NOVEMBER 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007873
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: November 20, 1974

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012300010050-5
The President's Daily Brief
November 20, 1974
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category.513(1),(2).(31
declassified onty on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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November 21, 1974*
Table of Contents
Middle East: Military activity in the Middle East
remained at a low level yesterday. (Page 1)
North Vietnam: The annual dry season infiltration
of men and materiel into South Vietnam appears
to be under way. (Page 3)
South Korea:
(Page 4)
USSR: The Soviets are promoting the formation of
joint fishing companies with coastal states
to reduce the impact of 200-mile fishing
limits. (Page 5)
Portugal: The conflict between leftist and moderate
members of the ruling Armed Forces Movement
has taken on a new dimension. (Page 6)
Notes: China (2); USSR (2); Iraq-USSR-Iran; USSR-
Spain; Italy. (Page 7)
*Information as of noon EST November 20, 1974.
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MIDDLE EAST
Military activity in the Middle East
remained at a low -level yesterday.
Only two Israeli reconnaissance flights were
flown along the Suez Canal yesterday morning.
There were no indications of any Egyptian reaction
to these flights.
(continued)
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NORTH VIETNAM
The annual dry season infiltration of
men and materiel into South Vietnam appears
to be under way.
As many as 18 infiltration groups are slated
to move south between November 15 and December 21.
All but 500 of the 10,000 troops involved are
earmarked for the southern half of South Vietnam.
Last year during the October to June period about
50,000 men were dispatched to the central highlands
and southern South Vietnam to replace those lost
in the spring and summer fighting.
North Vietnamese logistics units have started
moving large amounts of weapons and ammunition,
with several thousand tons of ordnance and other
supplies shipped into South Vietnam in the past
few weeks.
For the first time, the North Vietnamese have
shifted part of the Military Region 559 headquarters,
which controls supply shipments, into northern
South Vietnam. This move indicates a sustained
heavy supply flow through the area. Coming ship-
ments are to include over fifty 130-mm. field guns,
600 mortars, and thousands of rounds of artillery.
ammunition.
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SOUTII KOREA
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USSR
The Soviets are promoting the formation
of joint fishing companies with coastal
states to reduce the impact of 200-mile
fishing limits being imposed by many nations.
Soviet of have contended that if the
trend toward a 200-mile economic zone continues,
half the Soviet fishing fleet--the world's largest--
would be idled. Last year the Soviets caught about
9 million tons of fish, probably at least half
within 200 miles of foreign shores. Fish supply
some 15 to 18 percent of Soviet animal protein
consumption.
The Soviet Ministry of the Fishing Industry
is proposing that a West European fishing engineer-
ing firm participate with the Soviets in the forma-
tion of joint ventures with coastal states. The
Soviets would supply vessels and crews and would be
willing to operate under the coastal state's flag.
Fifty-one percent of the joint company would be
owned by the host government with the remainder
divided between the Soviet Fishing Ministry and
the West European firm, which would manage the
enterprise.
? Proposals of this kind may also be offered to
the US, Canada and Scandinavia, whose coastal
waters provide a substantial portion of the Soviet
catch.
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PORTUGAL
The conflict between leftist and moderate
members of the ruling Armed Forces Movement
has taken on a new dimension, as each faction
maneuvers to put one of its own in position
to succeed Prime Minister Goncalves.
There are reports that Goncalves submitted his
resignation last Friday because of failing health,
and the Prime Minister is said to be taking a week's
rest in northern Portugal. Several sources of the
US embassy have reported that he has been under'
severe mental strain and may be on the verge of a
nervous breakdown.
In the past, common opposition to former
President Spinola served to unite the young Officers
of the Movement and generally kept their differences
below the surface. Since Spinola's ouster, the
moderate majority has refused to be led by left-
wingers and has become more outspoken.
The political atmosphere in Lisbon is also
troubled by rumors of fresh right-wing plotting
against the provisional government. Leftist leaders
have been able to use the concern generated by such
reports to rally their supporters against the
"greater danger;" Portuguese Communist leader Cunhal
used this argument in a speech just last week.
There is every reason to believe that right-
wing forces are trying to work out a strategy that
would return them to power, but there is no sign
of any intent to take action in the immediate
future.
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NOTES
China:
China: The Chinese rejected an offer of US-
origin scrap by a Japanese company earlier, this
month, maintaining their refusal to make new pur-
chases of US steel scrap until the US fulfills
contracts voided early this year by scrap export
controls. China began to import scrap from the US
in early 1973. When the US instituted scrap export
controls in January 1974, Chinese contracts for
408,000 tons of scrap at prices 20 to 50 percent
below current rates were annulled. Peking is likely
to maintain its position at least until current-high
scrap prices recede and perhaps some compromise
arrangement can be worked out.
USSR: When the price of gold began its sharp
rise in October--ithit a record high of $190.50
on November 18--the Soviets increased the sale of
gold from current production, which is about 285
tons a year. At? the present rate, we expect sales
for the year to total between 155 and 170 tons,
roughly 800 to 850 million dollars. We believe
the Soviets are simply taking advantage of the
situation to build up their hard-currency reserves;
they have no need to sell gold to pay for imports
from the West since they will already be chalking
up hard-currency trade surpluses this year and next.
.(continued)
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USSR-Spain: The Soviet and Spanish CommuniSt
parties have reached an accommodation which the
Spanish Communists hope will give them a better
chance to play a role in post-Franco Spain. The
example of Portugal and Franco's advancing age seem
to have convinced the Soviets of the advisability
of mending fences with the Spanish party, which has
criticized Soviet actions in the past. During
talks last month with Spanish Communist leaders in
Moscow, the Soviets promised to withhold further
support from a dissident faction of the Spanish
party. In addition, Moscow publicly endorsed the
efforts of Secretary General Carrillo to promote
formation of a united front with other opposition
groups. The Spanish party is outlawed in Spain;
Carrillo operates from exile in Paris.
Italy: The small Republican Party has agreed
to join Aldo Moro's Christian Democrats in a two-
party coalition government, with the Socialists
and Social Democrats agreeing to provide the
coalition with a parliamentary majority. Moro hopes
to make a later attempt to revive the four-party
coalition, but in any event will try to keep the lid
on inter-party conflicts until nationwide local
elections are held next June. Moro faces a serious
fuel shortage this winter; it is probable that there
will be electric power rationing, which will also
create difficult political choices in allocating
power between industry and other consumers.
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