THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 6 DECEMBER 1974

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0006007887
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
11
Document Creation Date: 
August 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 24, 2016
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
December 6, 1974
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA---RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 5X1 The President's Daily Brief December 6, 1974 5 Top /Secret 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 Exempt from general declassification schedule of ED. 11652 exemption category 5B( declassified only on approval of the Director of Central Intelligence I I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA"-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY December 6, 1974 Table of Contents Oil: OPEC prices may increase about $.50 per barrel. (Page 1) USSR-Portugal: Soviets moderating public support for Portuguese Communists. (Page 3) 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Notes: Israel; China - South Korea; China; Greece; West Germany (Pages 5 and 6) 25X1 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY OIL The meeting of oil ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Coun- tries scheduled for December 12 will focus largely on pricing policy. OPEC prices are likely to go up about $.50 per barrel. The participants may also discuss ways to respond to the International Energy Pro- gram set up by major importing nations. The oil ministers are likely to adopt a price system that will raise the average cost of oil from the Persian Gulf from $9.84 to $10.35 per barrel, excluding company profits. They may also cut into the profits of the major oil companies by deciding to give a larger share of available oil to the rival independents. Any rise in the price of oil, whether a flat rise or one pegged to inflation, will probably be referred to as "token" by the OPEC countries. Nev- ertheless, every ten cent rise in price translates into one billion dollars of added income to produc- ers. Increases already imposed since January 1974 have added over a dollar to the cost of each barrel of oil. If, as seems likely, a "single price" system is ?adopted--one established market price, with fixed discounts for the companies that produce the oil-- consumers will be able to identify company profits more easily. The large oil companies are concerned that this will make it easier for consuming coun- tries to regulate profits. US and British majors are also worried that they will lose foreign tax credits if OPEC countries do away with the practice of taking much of their revenue in the form of a tax. It is unlikely that any OPEC member will make a serious effort to lower the price of oil, although some may argue for holding the line. (continued) FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Algerian Maneuvering Last month Algerian President Boumediene, in a bid to exert more influence over the direction of the OPEC meeting, made an unsuccessful attempt to shift its venue from Vienna to Algiers. Boumediene's primary goal is to unify the producing countries on the price issue. He is apparently concerned over what he inter- prets as attempts by importing countries to band to- gether to "crack the cartel."/ One of the developments that has worried Alge- ria and presumably some other producing countries is the establishment by the important oil-importing nations--minus France--of the International Energy ?Program, which is designed to ensure that the bur- den of any future Arab embargo or cutback is shared in an equitable way by member countries. The pro- ducing countries may discuss developing some kind of counterplan--most likely one to keep the oil supply low, but not low enough to bring the im- porters' emergency plan into effect. , FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY USSR-PORTUGAL The Soviet Union has apparently de- cided to moderate its public support of the Portuguese Communists. Portuguese Communist Party chief Cunhal An additional indication of Cunhal's line and Soviet acceptance of it is the recent publication of an interview with him in the Soviet party's theoretical journal Kommunist. Cunhal said he in- tended to proceed slowly in seeking to change Por- tugal's relationship with NATO and in opposing US use of Portuguese bases in the Azores. the So- viets feel dependent on Cunhal's reading of the situation in Portugal because of their own poor understanding of developments there. The Soviet Union had no diplomatic relations or presence in Portugal until this past summer. 3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 LOA! 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY ROMANIA 25X1 4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 LOA-I 25 X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-gDP79f 00936A012400010005-4 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY NOTES Israel: China: (continued) 5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Greece: Greeks are expected to vote heavily against the return of exiled King Constantine to the throne in the referendum on the monarchy that will be held Sunday. The 300-member parliament, in which Prime Minister Karamanlis' New Democracy Party holds 220 seats, will then determine the exact form the republic should take. Prime Minister Kara- manlis has repeatedly expressed a preference for a strengthened executive that would be able to speed legislation through parliament. West Germany: 6 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RbP79T00936A012400010005-4 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010005-4