THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 22 AUGUST 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993909
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 22, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
22 August 1973
45
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Exempt from general
declassification uheduk of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( l),12).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
22 August 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Sihanouk took a less confident line on insurgent
prospects in Cambodia, when he was interviewed by a
news correspondent in Peking on August 17, than he
has in other recent statements. (Page 1)
West and south of Hue, the Communists launched the
heaviest artillery and mortar barrage yesterday
since June, apparently to discourage the govern-
ment's attempts to stiffen its defenses in the area.
(Page 2)
India
(Page 3)
The Indian Navy, with Soviet assistance, has almost
completed the construction of a major training com-
plex. (Page 4)
The three-day meeting held in Peking last week was
not a major party gathering, and could have been a
national congress of the Young Communist League.
(Page 5)
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CAMBODIA
Sihanouk took a less confident line on insurgent
prospects on August 17, when he was interviewed by an
AFP correspondent in Peking, than he has in other re-
cent statements. The correspondent quoted him as say-
ing that an insurgent strategy based on either captur-
ing or isolating Phnom Penh runs the risk of renewed
US bombing, and that another insurgent option--the
capture of outlying provincial capitals--hazards Thai
or South Vietnamese military intervention. He insisted,
however, that the insurgents will continue their mili-
tary pressure against the government.
Sihanouk also claimed that North Vietnamese Premier
Pham Van Dong told him on August 16 that the DRV could
no longer provide direct arms shipments to the insur-
gents since "it is no longer at war." Dong said, how-
ever, the insurgents would be permitted to enter South
Vietnam and carry back supplies from Communist-controlled
territory.
Sihanouk's comments may reflect the heavy
Casualties suffered in late July and early
August by insurgent units around Phnom Penh
as well as the flooding that will hamper
military action around the capital for the
next several months.
His remarks on North Vietnamese assistance
are consistent with statements he made ear-
lier this year that North Vietnamese and
Chinese material support was drying up.
Pham Van Dong's comments, as reported by
Sihanouk, may indeed indicate that there
are limitations on Hanoi's willingness to
provide the insurgents further military aid,
but also suggest that some assistance will
continue through the PRG.
According to recent insurgent messages, re-
newed attacks against Phnom Penh may begin
this week. Should the Cambodian Government
weather these assaults, its survival beyond
the flood season and prospects for a nego-
tiated settlement will depend in part on
whether Hanoi and Peking are prepared to
curtail or withhold material from the in-
surgents.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
West and south of Hue the Communists launched
the heaviest artillery and mortar barrage yesterday
since June, apparently to discourage the government's
attempts to stiffen its defenses in the area. South
Vietnamese troops have been attempting to secure
mountaintop observation posts overlooking Communist
infiltration routes, and engineering units have been
trying to build all-weather roads to them before the
monsoon rains start in October.
The Communists have been harassing the op-
erations, but they may now feel that the
roadbuiZding has moved far enough and
should be stopped. The South Vietnamese
does not
anticipate any major Communist attack in
the area.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
INDIA
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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3
IRAN
U.S.S.R
AFGHANISTAN
PAKISTAN?
Arabian Sea
Bombay
MALDIVE
ISLANDS
JAMMU
AND,/
KASHMIR
New Delhi*,
80
CHINA
1111405SIKKI
Calcutta
INDIA
Vishakhapatnam Bay of Bengal
? Madras
SRI.
LANKA
Ei'LON)
8.0
96
0 400 Miles
2
554538 '8-73
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
INDIA USSR
The Indian Navy, with Soviet assistance, has
almost completed the construction of a major train-
ing complex for crews of Petya-class escorts and
F-class submarines. The new facility, at Vishakhap-
atnam will end the need to send naval personnel to
the Soviet Union for instruction on these ships.
When finally completed, the project will consist of
a naval base and a dockyard as well as the training
facility.
When the naval base and dockyard are ready
for use, the Soviets may again press for
increased access to Indian naval facili-
ties for service and repair. New Delhi
would probably remain unwilling, however,
to allow permanent basing of Soviet ships
in Indian ports.
4
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CHINA
The three-day meeting held in Peking last week
was not a major party gathering, and could have been
a national congress of the Young Communist League.
The meeting coincided with the anniversary
on August 18 of the Red Guards, the youth
group that came to prominence during the
Cultural Revolution, but has since been
shunted aside by the YCL. The ICE is the
only mass organization that has so far
been reconstructed in all of China's 29
provinces since the Cultural Revolution,
and thus would be ready for a national
congress to complete its rebuilding proc-
ess.
Last week's meeting was both too large and
too brief to be a party congress, and a
number of provincial leaders who would
normally attend a major party meeting?in-
cluding one member of the Politburo--were
absent. Preparations for a Central Com-
mittee plenum and a party congress are ap-
parently continuing, however, in small
nightly planning sessions in Peking.
5
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