THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 5 FEBRUARY 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007665
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 5, 1974

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The President's Daily Brief
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February 5, 1974
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 1 1652
exemption category 5B( I
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
February 5, 1974
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The South Vietnamese General Staff believes the Com-
munists are planning new attacks in the central high-
lands within the next two weeks. (Page 1)
King Husayn has decided to return to Amman directly
from London today as dissidence continues in units
of the Jordanian Army. (Page 2)
With last week's West European Communist party meet-
ing in Brussels safely behind them, the Soviets are
now promoting an all-European Communist conference.
(Page 3)
The Saudis are said to have agreed to supply Italy
with an additional 20 to 30 million tons of crude
oil over the next three years. The agreement should
help to cool the debate in Rome over Italy's Middle
East policy. (Page 4)
Australian Prime Minister Whitlam, speaking in Thai-
land, reiterated his advocacy of a US military with-
drawal from Southeast Asia and criticized the former
US bombing of Vietnam from Thai bases. (Page 5)
Notes on Argentine-Soviet trade talks
and a South African uranium enrichment proc-
ess appear on Page 6,
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SOUTH VIETNAn
Saigon's Joint General Staff believes the Com-
munists are preparing for new military action in?
the central highlands within the next two weeks.
Communist moves in the highlands appear designed
to discourage further government probes into their
western redoubts, and it seems unlikely that they
will try to take any of the major population centers
in the highlands such as Kontum and Pleiku cities.
The Communists may fear that the government opera-
tion to recapture the Plei Djereng outpost in Pleiku
Province will push farther west into Communist in.-
filtration routes and base areas. Indeed, the gov-
ernment's commander for the highlands, General Toan,
recently claimed that his troops had regained the
initiative in the area and Would continue attacking
the Communist forces.
Neither side currently has enough strength to
inflict a major defeat on the other in the highlands.
Both, however, have sufficient troops and firepower
to keep up a fairly intense rate of fighting for
several weeks.
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JORDAN
Jordan's King Husayn is cutting short his trip
and returning directly to Amman from London today,
according to a sensitive State Department cable.
He has asked that his visit to the US be postponed
until later this month. No reason was given for
the postponement, but it is almost certainly because
of the trouble that broke out in the Jordanian Army
last weekend.
Yesterday, the elements of Jordan's elite 40th
Armored Brigade that were responsible for the ini-
tial incidents Sunday appeared to gain support from
other units of the 3rd Armored Division.
The mutiny had,, appeared to lose momentum when
Crown Prince Hussan and armed forces chief Majali
succeeded Sunday :in calming the original group of
dissidents?about- 40 enlisted men--by promising to
take up their complaints with King Husayn upon his .
return to Jordan. The protesters, however, have ap-
parently solicited and received support from the
lower ranks of other units.
The soldiers' demands are primarily non-
political?higher pay and special grants to pay off
debts, such as higher ranking officers receive.
Some, however, are calling for dismissal of the
chief of staff, Sharif Zayd bin Shakir, and. the
return of Sharif Nasir, the King's uncle, as army
commander. On learning of the trouble, Shakir re-
turned from London and is touring army units in an
attempt to placate the dissidents, So far, there
has been no violence. The incident has not yet
appeared in the press, but news is being spread in
Amman by word of mouth.
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USSR
I.
With last weeks West European Communist party
meeting in Brussels safely behind them, the Soviets
are now promoting a pan-European Communist confer-
ence. The Moscow-oriented West German Communist
Party has openly endorsed such a conference, and
Soviet and East European media lost no time picking
up the statement. The Soviets apparently view a
European meeting this year as a prelude to a world
meeting in 1975.
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ITALY SAUDI ARABIA
The Saudis reportedly have agreed in principle
to supply Italy with an additional 20 to 30 million
tons of crude oil over the next three years. Italy's
oil consumption came to over. 100 million tons in
1972. The details of the agreement, which apparently
was concluded during Foreign Minister Moro's visit
to Saudi Arabia last weekend, will be worked out
between the two state oil companies. It involves
agricultural and industrial cooperation and may in-
clude the exchange of Saudi oil for Italian indust-
rial plants.
Although Moro apparently was unable to arrange
any new oil deals during his visits to Kuwait and
Iran, the Saudi agreement should help cool the de-
bate in Rome over Italy's Middle East policy. Prior
to the Foreign Minister's swing through the Middle
East, the government was under sharp attack from busi-
ness and political circles for following a policy
calculated to offend no one while other West Euro-
peans arranged separate deals with Arab oil producers.
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AUSTRALIA
During Prime Minister Whitlam's four-day visit
to Thailand, he reiterated his advocacy of a US mil-,
itary withdrawal from Southeast Asia and criticized
the former US bombing of Vietnam from Thai bases.
These remarks were applauded by the Thai press,
which only a year ago roundly denounced similar com-
ments by Whitlam. This change in press treatment
reflects, the newly critical view of US-Thai rela-
tions that has emerged in Bangkok since the over-
throw of the Thanom regime.
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IIIIPIREPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
BOTSWANA
SOUTH - WEST
AFRICA
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
CAPE TOWN
INDIAN OCEAN
STATUTE MILES 500
Uranium Enrichment Plant Under Construction Near Pretoria, South Africa
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NOTES
Argentina-USSR: A large Soviet economic dele-
gation arrived in Buenos Aires last week to discuss
the sale of equipment for electric power projects,
off-shore oil exploration, coal mining, petro-
chemicals, and fishing. Argentina wants to sign a
long-term agreement for the export of beef and other
consumer goods to the USSR. The Soviets, however,
will insist that the Argentines buy more Soviet
goods in order to correct the persistent imbalance
in trade between the two countries.
Argentina:
South Africa: A new uranium enrichment pilot
plant built near Pretoria apparently will use an
"aerodynamic" process that involves the use of large
amounts of helium. The method of enrichment may
involve a technique developed by a West German
scientist. This process has never been used com-
mercially, however. The government claims that
the process, which will be tested in the pilot plant
late this year, will be economically competitive.
Although it, like any isotope separation process,
is designed to produce reactor fuel, it could be
adapted to produce weapons grade material.
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Top Secret
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