THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 OCTOBER 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993952
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 9, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
9 October 1973
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Exempt from general
declauification schedule of C.O. 11652
exemption category 5611),(2).13)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/20 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011800010008-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/20: CIA-RDP79T00936A011800010008-8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
9 October 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
A fully mobilized Israel counterattacked on both
fronts yesterday. Tel Aviv claims to have regained
all but one enclave in the Golan Heights, and to
have pushed the Egyptians south of Qantara into a
thin strip along the canal. The situation in the
northern portion of the canal is still unclear.
(Page 1)
A note on the formation of an all-civilian cabinet
in Greece appears on Page 3.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Israeli-occupied territory
-- Armistice line, 1949
Surfaced road
0 2,5 50 Statute Miles
0 25 50 Kilometers
Mediterranean Sea
Tel Aviv.;
Yafo J.
Gaza
GAZA STRI
Egypt
Saudi
Arabia
/
,
Strait
of Tiran 00
554672 10-73 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ARAB STATES - ISRAEL
Israel, now fully mobilized, counterattacked on
both fronts yesterday and claims to have regained
the entire Golan Heights area, with the exception of
an enclave near the front line which the Israelis
say they have surrounded.
The Israelis apparently concentrated on the
Syrian front, leading off with air attacks on five
airfields near Damascus. Syrian aircraft, too, at-
tacked Israeli positions on the Heights yesterday
morning, but, according to the Israelis, achieved
only minor successes. The Israelis have admitted
the loss of one aircraft to a missile, but claimed
to have hit 27 Syrian planes in the air and ten on
the around.
On the Egyptian front, the Israelis say they
are "cautiously optimistic" about the situation in
the area south of Oantara; they claim to have pushed
all Egyptian forces in that portion of the Sinai
back to within nine kilometers of the canal. The
Israelis say that five complete Egyptian infantry
divisions and 600 to 700 tanks are "hemmed in" along
that narrow strip of the canal, but admit that this
force is strongly supported by artillery and missiles
on the other bank, with one armored division and
elements of three other divisions in reserve.
Cairo apparently pulled off a raid on the al-
Bala'im oil fields across the Gulf of Suez, setting
some wells on fire and sinking an oil rig. Israel
had been operating these Egyptian fields since 1967,
with production at about 4 or 5 million tons a year.
Such a move would have harassment value for the
Egyptians, and suggests that Cairo does not expect
to retake the fields.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
In a meeting with the US ambassador last night,
King Husayn was much less optimistic than before
about the performance and prospects of Syria's forces,
which he now thinks are going to "get a pasting."
He is afraid the Israelis will not stop at the old
cease-fire lines, and believes that a large-scale
invasion of Syria would leave him with little choice
but to join in. Although he is already under consid-
erable pressure from other Arab leaders to enter the
battle, he thinks he can hang on "for a few days
more." His army is continuing to strengthen its de-
fensive position.
The Soviet Union has made no moves suggesting an
intention to get involved in hostilities; the bulk of
its Mediterranean Squadron has been grouped near
Crete, well away from the combat area, and has not
been reinforced. Brezhnev yesterday placed the blame
for the fighting on Israel but offered only sympathy
to the Arabs, and Soviet officials have stressed that
the situation must not be allowed to jeopardize de-
tente with the US.
The Arab press has been mild in its treatment of
the US, although this could change should the mood of
the public shift from pride to defeat. None of the
oil-producing states has so far threatened to cut the
flow of oil to the West, although Iraq on Saturday
nationalized the Exxon and Mobil shares of the Basra
Petroleum Company.
The Security Council meeting requested by the US
adjourned yesterday without taking any decision on
the US proposal for a cease-fire and return to the
1967 lines. At least for the present, both Egyptian
and Israeli spokesmen are insisting that any settle-
ment must leave their respective states in control of
the disputed "occupied" territories.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTE
Greece: Prime Minister Spyros Markezinis and
an all-civilian cabinet were sworn in yesterday.
The new government is to serve until parliamentary
elections are held some time next year. Under the
constitution, approved in a referendum last July,
President George Papadopoulos designated the min-
isters of foreign affairs, defense, and public order.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/20 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011800010008-8