THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 AUGUST 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993898
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 9, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
9 August 1973
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Exempt from general
declassification scheduk of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B4I ),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
9 August 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The military situation around Phnom Penh is reported
on Page 1, including indications that some Khmer
insurgent forces in the area are temporarily pull-
ing back, apparently for rest and refitting.
The Thai Government is studying a Foreign Ministry
paper that recommends "urgent" negotiations on the
future of the US military presence. (Page 2)
The role of the military in Chinese politics and
the return of civilians to positions in the provinces
are discussed on Page 3.
The Chilean Government has announced that. the three
armed forces chiefs will join the cabinet today.
(Page 4)
North Korea
Notes on
the anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia, and Japanese
aid to Indonesia appear on Page 6.
Egypt. (Page 5
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Phnom Penh
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CAMBODIA
An intercept of August 7 indicates that the
insurgents are withdrawing most of their units from
Routes 2 and 3 south of Phnom Penh, leaving "only
a small force to conduct sapper attacks and to de-
fend liberated territory." The message states that
the withdrawal is part of "a buildup of forces to
continue strong attacks in the future."
US bombing along these roads has been par-
ticularly heavy, and the Communists appar-
ently have decided to conserve their
strength in this sector until after August
15. Government forces along Route 3 have
been edging southward toward the Prek
Thnaot River for several days against only
light resistance.
Other intercepts reflect Communist plans to con-
tinue their offensive in the area between the Bassac
and Mekong rivers southeast of Phnom Penh. Recent
insurgent initiatives in this sector have been lim-
ited to shellings and minor ground attacks, however,
and the Cambodian Army's 1st Division has been making
steady progress in clearing Route 1.
Northwest of the capital, small insurgent forces
continue to elude government sweep operations and
to launch sporadic ground attacks on government po-
sitions within five miles of Pochentong airport. To
the west, insurgent sappers have temporarily knocked
out the telecommunications station at Kambol near
Route 4, but this key highway as well as Route 5
remains open to truck convoys. The Mekong River
also is still open to supply convoys from South
Vietnam.
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THAILAND
The government is studying a Foreign Ministry
paper that recommends "urgent" negotiations with
the US to achieve the withdrawal of 7,000 to 10,000
men within the next three to six months.
--It proposes that if possible such an agree-
ment be announced before August 15.
--It also calls for subsequent negotiations
on reduction of US bases and further troop
withdrawals.
These specific recommendations may reflect
the thinking only .of Deputy Foreign Min-
ister Chartchai, who forwarded them.
Prime Minister Thanom and General Praphat
continue to put stock in the deterrent
value of the US military presence and are
not interested in a precipitate dismantZing
of the American force structure.
The general thrust of the Foreign Ministry
paper, however, is in accord with Bangkok's
continuing re-examination of US-Thai rela-
tions. Mounting popular criticism of the
US presence in Thailand has convinced the
leadership that present levels are polit-
ically unacceptable. Above all, Thanom
and Praphat feel a need to maintain the
impression that Bangkok retains the ini-
tiative on US force levels and will not
merely be reacting to decisions made in
Washington. The two leaders would probably
like to reach agreement on a token with-
drawal as soon as possible and may press
for a firm public date for the beginning
of deliberations on a phased withdrawal.
Bangkok's policy toward the US presence
will, be heavily conditioned by the Thai
view of developments in Cambodia. There
are indications that Bangkok is beginning
to reconcile itself to the possibility of
a future Cambodian government dominated
by Sihanouk and the Khmer Communists,/
jThai policy will be to
maintain good relations with any Cambodian
government not openly hostile to Bangkok.
This message was to have been passed to
Sihanouk.
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Composition of Provincial Party Committees
Original total at formation,
September 1971 158
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Current total,
July 1973 178
Total additions since formation 57
Civilian 28
Veteran 24
New 4
Military 11
Unknown 18
Total promotions since formation 13
Civilian_ 10 -
Veteran 9
New 1
Military 3
Unknown 0
Total purged, absent since January 1,1973 or demoted 28
Civilian 6
Veteran 4
New 2
Military 19
Unknown 3
*Veteran cadre are cadre who held a party or government position
prior to the Cultural Revolution
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CHINA
The role of the military in Chinese politics
is one of the major issues confronting the Peking
regime as it prepares for the 10th Party Congress.
Civilian representation on provincial party commit-
tees is now approximately equal to the military in
absolute numbers. Senior military officials, how-
ever, still hold at least one of the two top posts
in all but three of China's provinces and independ-
ent municipalities.
The military developed a dominant position
in provincial politics as a consequence
of the Cultural Revolution, but in late
1971 Peking began to reduce this influence.
The civilians who are returning are chiefly
rehabilitated second-level cadre. Prior
to the Cultural Revolution, they were for
the most part provincial party secretaries
and vice governors; many are experts in
rural and agricultural matters. All are
experienced administrators capable of
contributing to the resolution of China's
agricultural problems and to the drive to
rebuild party organizations.
On the other hand, most of those who held
top provincial posts before the Cultural
Revolution have not been rehabilitated.
These men, unlike the civilians who have
already returned, were contenders for
national political power. Their rehabili-
tation is undoubtedly now being discussed.
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CHILE
Following several days of mounting tension, the
government has announced that the armed forces chiefs
will join the cabinet today.
President Allende apparently hopes this
move will help to restore a semblance of
political and economic order and end coup
plotting by dissident military officers.
It seems likely to put serious stress on
Allende's Popular Unity coalition, however,
and may not satisfy the opposition either.
Meanwhile, the truckers' strike, now in its
third week, is causing serious shortages. Scattered
strikes by bus and taxi owners and drivers, doctors,
and copper technicians have thus far been only par-
tially effective. Other groups considering going
out on strike have thus far been deterred by memories
of the government's harsh retaliation after the gen-
eral strike last October.
Terrorist incidents, allegedly in support of
the strikers, are now more frequent and damaging
than in October, raising the possibility of stronger
reaction by armed civilian supporters of the gov-
ernment, and by extremists of the Movement of the
Revolutionary Left.
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EGYPT - NORTH KOREA
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NOTES
Egypt:
Indonesia: Quiet continues in Bandung and
other cities hit by anti-Chinese riots last weekend,
but the government is maintaining security precau-
tions. The local consensus is that the riots were
spontaneous--based on discontent with prevailing
socio-economic conditions as well as on traditional
Indonesian hostility toward Chinese. There is no
evidence to support the thesis of some government
officials that the disturbances were organized
either by Communist remnants or right-wing extremist
Muslims.
Japan-Indonesia: Japan's economic aid to Indo-
nesia this year provides the most generous loan
terms ever offered by Tokyo. In addition to loans
and grants for food and fertilizer totaling $57
million, Jakarta will receive commodity and project
loans amounting to $169 million at 2.75-percent in-
terest with 30 years to repay, including a 10-year
grace period.
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