THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 8 OCTOBER 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993951
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 8, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
8 October 1973
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of EU. 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
8 October 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Both Syrian and Egyptian forces have made significant
gains against the Israelis in two days of fighting.
The Israelis are counterattacking
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In Cambodia, President Lon Nol has told the High
Political Council he has decided to extend the coun-
cil's special powers for another six months. (Page 3)
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Tanaka meetings
start today,
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ARAB STATES - ISRAEL
In two days of heavy fighting Syrian forces
have advanced several miles in the Golan Heights and
Egyptian troops have occupied most of the east bank
of the Suez Canal. Major Israeli counterattacks can
be expected as soon as Israeli mobilization is com-
pleted.
Yesterday Syrian forces, making heavy use of
armor, breached Israeli lines at two points, and
captured the town of Qunaytirah. By nightfall, Is-
raeli radio claimed to have regained most of the
places lost, but admitted that the Syrians still
held territory at Hushniyeh in the central sector.
During the day the Israelis concentrated on suppress-
ing Syrian SAMs, and claim to have put 80 percent of
the SAM sites out of action. Casualties on both
sides were described as heavy.
Fighting on the Egyptian front has been less in-
tense. An official Israeli spokesman admits that the
Egyptians succeeded in moving 400 to 500 tanks east
of the canal by last evening. The full extent of
Egyptian movements across the canal is not yet clear,
however. The Egyptian armored forces have not yet
organized a coordinated drive into the Sinai.
The Israeli forces may have launched a series
of attacks last night in an attempt to hold ground
pending full mobilization. An Israeli news broadcast
claimed that such air and ground attacks were under-
taken at midnight local time. In addition, Israeli
naval forces mounted an attack near Port Said on the
Mediterranean. On the previous night Egyptian naval
units raided several Israeli positions on the north
coast of the Sinai.
The mood of Israeli leaders is described as
grim as it becomes increasingly apparent that they
will have to p77 a high price to beat back the in-
vading forces.
(continued)
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In contrast to the Israeli leaders, President
Sadat seemed confident and relaxed yesterday. He
told visitors that Egyptian forces would continue
fighting until they reached the June 1967 boundaries,
no matter how long it took. Civil defense precautions
in Cairo were being much more widely observed last
night than in the first night of the fighting, how-
ever, with the blackout about 75 percent effective.
Jordan evidently intends to stay out of the
fighting, at least for the present. King Husayn is
clearly concerned about the mounting pressure to com-
mit his forces as hostilities continue, however.
Last evening he said that it would be difficult not
to become involved should Israel drive significantly
beyond the earlier cease-fire lines or should there
be a clear-cut Arab victory.
Jordan claims that a squadron of Israeli
aircraft violated Jordanian territory this morning
and that one plane was shot down. Any further inci-
dent would make it more difficult to remain neutral.
Other Arab states are rallying with promises of
support to Cairo and Damascus. According to radio
statements from both Algiers and Cairo, Algerian air
units have arrived in Egypt. Morocco's King Hassan
is quoted in the press as saying that his armed forces
are waiting for Cairo's signal to move to the Egyptian
front;
Moscow continues to maintain a low profile on
the fighting. Yesterday it issued a relatively bland
statement on the crisis, blaming Israel for starting
the fighting, but limiting the Soviet Union's role
to political support for the Arabs. Ambassador
Vinogradov met with Sadat yesterday.
Most Soviet naval units in the eastern Mediter-
ranean have kept well clear of the area of conflict.
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CAMBODIA
On Saturday president.Lon Nol told the High
Political Council he had decided to extend the.coun7
cils special powers for another six months. The
council's first Six-month mandate would have expired
later this month. There was no mention of the Na-
tional Assembly, which techniCally has the sole au--
thority to continue the counoil's full control of
governmental affairs.
At the same meeting, Prime Minister In Tam
tendered his resignation?bothjrom the council and
thejprime ministership, as had been anticipated.
Lon Nd l agreed to "study" In Tam's request, but
made it clear that this did not mean he was
ing it. He may., I owever, .?nclined this time to
a ow_In Tam to depart in view of the President's
plans for restructuring the government to concentrate
power in his own hands.
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JAPAN?USSR
The Brezhnev-Tanaka summit begins today, and
is unlikely to produce any dramatic results.
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Top Secret
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