THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 8 JANUARY 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993710
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 8, 1973

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010006-3
The President's Daily Brief
8 January 1973
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010006-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010006-3
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of EO. 11652
exemption category 513( I
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010006-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010006-3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
8 January 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
North Vietnamese infiltration has continued at a
fairly steady rate in the first three months of
the 1972-73 dry season, although it remains lower
than the comparable total for the previous year.
(Page 1)
In Laos, North Vietnamese gunners have carried out
a series of heavy shellings against government po-
sitions near Saravane. (Page 2)
Moscow is moving to block a possible attempt by
Bonn to give full voting rights to West Berlin's
representatives in the West German Bundestag.
(Page 3)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
VIETNAM
North Vietnamese infiltration has continued at
a fairly steady rate in the first three months of
the 1972-73 dry season, although it remains lower
than the comparable total for the previous year.
In the past three months approximately 45,000 men
?have started south, including more than 15,000 ear-
marked for the two northernmost provinces of South
Vietnam. In the same period in 1971, more than
60,000 North Vietnamese troops entered the pipeline,
but only 4,000 of these went to the northernmost
provinces.
The substantial rise in infiltration to
the northern provinces this dry season
suggests that Hanoi intends to maintain
a large combat force just below the
Demilitarized Zone and is willing to ac-
cept a further decline in the strength
of its forces farther south. Hanoi has
been sending large numbers of tanks and
artillery to the southern areas, how-
ever, and presumably hopes that increased
firepower will partially offset the de-
crease in manpower.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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0 Government-held location
? Communist-held location
25
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553963 1-73 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
In their sharpest action in several weeks,
North Vietnamese gunners have carried out a series
of heavy shellings against government positions
south and southeast of Saravane. Although ground
action has remained generally light, several Com-
munist tanks were sighted on Saravane's western
edge yesterday. Elements of the North Vietnamese
968th Division's three regiments are now near the
town.
Irregular forces north of the Plaine des Jarres
at Bouam Long are taking advantage of a lull in Com-
munist military action to strengthen their defenses
and to increase their patrolling. Recent air strikes
on a supply line west of Bouam Long apparently have
helped to slow the pace of the North Vietnamese of-
fensive.
To the west, government forces have not yet
? organized for a counterattack against the town of
Sala Phou Khoun at the junction of Routes 7 and 13--
which the Communists captured on 30 December. Prime
Minister Souvanna Phouma has been embarrassed polit-
ically and militarily by the Lao Army's poor showing
in this sector and has named a single overall com-
mander for the area to eliminate previous command
and control problems.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011500010006-3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-BERLIN
Moscow is moving to block a possible attempt
by Bonn to give full voting rights to West Berlin s
representatives in the West German Bundestag. In a
statement presented to the State Department by Am-
bassador Dobrynin on Friday, the USSR contended that
such rights would violate the Four-Power agreement
on Berlin and are unacceptable. The Soviets have
made similar approaches to the UK, France, and West
Germany.
West Berlin's representatives sit on Bun-
destag committees and vote on procedural
questions, but have no vote on substantive
matters. The USSR has long opposed any
strengthening of political ties between
West Germany and West Berlin on grounds
that this undercuts its stress on the
city's "separate status." Moscow's de-
marche indicates that, despite progress
toward detente with Bonn, its concern on
this question has not diminished.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
USSR-Turkey: Moscow's recent $158-million
credit to Turkey for the expansion of the steel
plant at Iskenderun raises Soviet allocations for
that project to $418 million, This is higher than
Mos-coxes previous record contribution to a single
project--Egypt's Aswan Dam.- The Soviets in the
past six Years have also providediaid to other
large Turkish industrial projects, including an
oil refinery and an aluminum plant.
USSR: Early this morning the Soviets launched
an unmanned lunar probe from Tyuratam
The probe should arrive in the vicinity
of the moon on Friday. Earlier probes have returned
soil samples, placed a rover vehicle on the surface,
or performed scientific experiments in lunar orbit.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Top Secret
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