THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 28 JANUARY 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007658
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 28, 1974

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The President's Daily Brief
January 28, 1974
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
January 28, 1974
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The recent shellings by Cambodian Communists have
increased apprehension in Phnom Penh, but a general
exodus from the city does not seem imminent.
(Page 1)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmi's visit to Moscow
helped to ease tensions and resulted in some con-
cessions on military aid to Egypt. (Page 2)
The cease-fire has been broken on the Egyptian and
Syrian fronts, but Israel has announced that disen-
gagement in the Sinai will begin sooner than sched-
uled. (Page 3)
North Korea has denounced the South's proposal for
a nonaggression pact but later suggested that the
two sides' coordinating committee meet again on
January 30. (Page 4)
President Suharto is planning to announce major
changes in the Indonesian Government. (Page 5)
The resignation of eight Peronist congressmen in
protest against tough new antiterrorist legislation
is another blow to Peron's splintering movement.
(Page 6)
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CAMBODIA
Recent shellings by the Khmer Communists have
increased war-weariness and apprehension in Phnom
Penh, but a general exodus from the city does not
seem imminent. Most of the estimated 10,000 fami-
lies that streamed from the hard-hit southwestern
quarter into the heart of the capital on Saturday
have now returned to their homes. Government au-
thorities, meanwhile, are instituting tighter.pop-
ulation control measures to try to prevent a recur-
rence of panic.
Communist gunners south of Phnom Penh in the
vicinity of the Prek Thnaot River are still within
range of the capital, and their shelling of the
southwestern sector of the city resumed early this
morning. The Communist high command in recent in-
tercepts has encouraged continued artillery attacks
and has called on insurgent units around Phnom Penh
to seek out and exploit gaps in the city's outlying
defenses.
There was little significant ground fighting
in the Phnom Penh region over the weekend. Govern-
ment forces made only limited progress in attempt-
ing to drive the Communists away from Phnom Penh's
southwestern defense line. Cambodian Army opera-
tions in this sector have been hampered by a lack
of cooperation and coordination among local com-
manders.
On the political front, Prince Sihanouk has
concluded his brief visit to North Vietnam. Before
leaving Hanoi on January 26, Sihanouk again pub-
licly ruled out any negotiations with the Lon Nol
government and the formation of a coalition govern-
ment. He also reiterated that diplomatic relations
could be established between his "government" and
the US once Washington ceases to "interfere" in
Cambodian affairs and terminates all forms of aid
to Phnom Penh.
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EGYPT-USSR
Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmi's visit to the
Soviet Union earlier this month resulted in a less-
ening of tensions between the two countries and
some military aid concessions for Cairo
The Soviets agreed to fulfill contracts for
military shipments signed before the outbreak of
the October war, and also to send a delegation to
Cairo in the near future to negotiate "less onerous"
payment terms. No new military aid agreements were
discussed. These arrangements appear to be a com-
promise between Egyptian efforts to have military
debt payments postponed and Moscow's demands for
full payment.
Both sides, in addition, agreed to the need
for more flexibility in their relations, and Egypt
pledged to expand economic and cultural cooperation
with Moscow. This cooperation, however, will appar-
ently fall short of giving the Soviet Union the sort
of special military privileges it had enjoyed in the
past.
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MIDDLE EAST
The calm on the Egyptian front was broken yes-
terday by two hours of sporadic artillery fire.
Shooting started in Syria on Saturday as Israeli
engineers worked to strengthen their positions. It
resumed again on Sunday.
Jerusalem, nonetheless, has announced that
while its forces are pulling back from the west bank,
other Israeli forces in the Sinai, south of the
Egyptian Third Army, will begin to withdraw now.
Israeli troops in the latter area had been scheduled
to withdraw at a later stage. They are being pulled
back now because the Egyptians refuse to thin out
the Third Army until the Israeli forces facing it
begin to withdraw.
Israeli troops withdrawing from the west bank
are said to be destroying Egyptian missile sites,
despite an order by Chief of Staff Elazar to leave
all military and civilian installations intact.
The Egyptians, for their part, may have begun
to demobilize some of their troons.
An Egyptian military spokesman has announced
that the Cairo-Suez road will be reopened to civilian
traffic on Tuesday. Initially, only government em-
ployees, journalists, and other sanctioned groups
will be allowed to use the road. Individuals who
have valid residence cards, issued by Suez district,
will be allowed to use the road beginning February 5.
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KOREA
Pyongyang has denounced Seoul's January 18 pro-
posal for a nonaggression pact, claiming that it
could only perpetuate the country's division. A
party daily editorial on January 26 accused Seoul
of making the Offer simply to justify its rejection
of Pyongyang's long-standing formula to settle the
problem, which includes withdrawal of all US forces,
,arms limitation, and a peace treaty:.
The editorial did not completely close the door
on Seoul's offer, however, and, in a separate move,
Pyongyang proposed that the vice-chairmen of the
North-South Coordinating Committee meet on January
80 The North will probably use the meeting for:
further denunciations of Seoul's proposal but will
also probe for indications that it signals a softening
of the South's opposition to US withdrawal, ending
the UN command, and-a formal peace treaty.
Pyongyang's strong reaction reflects determina-
tion to prevent Seoul from gaining the initiative
in their on-going dialogue. Pyongyang also wants to
thwart any attempt by Seoul to use progress in the
talks to divert attention from its pressing domestic
problems.
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INDONESIA
President Suharto is planning to announce soon
major changes in his government:
--Dissolution of the national security command
which has been an important element in the power base
of General Sumitro. Suharto's closest personal ad-
viser, General Ali Murtopo, has worked assiduously
to blame the recent violence on his rival Sumitro.
--Steps to cleanse the presidential household
of its image of corruption and ostentatious living.
Such changes would be a victory for Suharto's
closest advisers
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ARGENTINA
The resignation of eight Peronist congressmen
in protest against tough new antiterrorist legisla-
tion is another blow to President Peron's splintered
movement.
The controversial law enacted on Friday gives
Peron broad powers to combat subversion, but left-
wing Peronists and opposition political parties
charge that it will enable the government to use
repressive measures indiscriminately, to stifle
opponents. When the eight deputies met with Peron
to express their opposition to the measure, they
were curtly informed that they could leave the party
if they did not support Peron's position. After
their resignations, Peron expelled them from his
party.
This first open breach in Peronist ranks brought
a rash of violent incidents over the weekend that
appear to be the work of opposing Peronist factions.
Although the leftists' sagging enthusiasm for Peron
will probably not lead to extensive bolting from
his party, increased attacks on the left by right-
wing extremists and security forces might drive
Peronist guerrilla organizations into the Marxist
terrorists' camp. Some of these groups cooperated
in opposing the military government while Peron
was in exile.
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