THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 21 APRIL 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993803
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 21, 1973

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The President's Daily Brief
21 April 1973
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.Secret
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B(1 ),(2)(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LATE ITEM
Cambodia: Lon Nol has accepted Republican
Party leader Sink Matak's proposal for a four-man
supreme political council with authority divided
equally among the members--Lon Nol, Matak, former
chief of state Cheng Henci, and former first deputy
prime minister In Tam.
Lon Nol could not accept dissolution of the
pro-government legislature and the immediate call-
ing of new elections, but after discussion accepted
Matak's suggestion that the National Assembly be
indefinitely prorogued, rather than dissolved.
Lon Nol said he is ready to announce creation of
the council as soon as Matak has prepared an action
program, possibly as early as this evening. As of
yesterday, Matak was planning to contact Cheng Heng
and In Tam for contributions to his action program.
Matak told the source he is quite confident
that Lon Nol will follow through on the agreement.
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
21 April 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Lenin's birthday yesterday was the occasion for
upbeat treatment of US-Soviet relations. (Page 1)
The French Government is falsely denying that any
French-built Libyan Mirage aircraft have been moved
to Egypt. (Page 3)
President Bhutto is withdrawing Pakistani pilots
from Libya. (Page 4)
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USSR
Politburo candidate-member Ustinov gave a
generally upbeat treatment of US-Soviet relations
at yesterday's Kremlin meeting marking Lenin's
birthday. According to TASS, Ustinov characterized
the summit last May as a "turning point in the nor-
malization of ties with the US," but added that the
USSR saw room for further improvement. He took the
line that significant new steps are possible "in
the course of further contacts," but cautioned that
both sides must "travel the road jointly."
Ustinov minced few words in castigating Chinese
policies. Quoting from Lenin, he branded Peking's
behavior "strange and monstrous" and permeated with
anti-Sovietism. At this, the Chinese charge duti-
fully marched out.
Ustinov reiterated Soviet support for the Viet-
namese in consolidating the "peace achieved" in the
Paris Accords, but made no criticism of recent US
actions in Indochina.
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USSR
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FRANCE-LIBYA-EGYPT
Paris continues to deny, falsely, that Libya
has moved any of its French-built Mirage aircraft
to Egypt. The Foreign Ministry this week told US
Embassy officials that all 71 Libyan Mirages were
still stationed in Libya. According to the Minis-
try, on April 10 and 11 twenty of the Mirages were
transferred from Uqba bin Nafi Airfield near Tripoli
to Nasir Airfield near the Egyptian border. Earlier,
the French ambassador to Libya had stated that some
of the aircraft had moved to Nasir Airfield for se-
curity reasons, but that none had been transferred
to Egypt.
These denials are contradicted
yes-
terday that a squadron of 20 Mirages has
left Libya and is located in Egypt. Egyp-
tian pilots and ground crews connected
with this squadron also have returned
home. Other Mirages serviced by French
technicians are still in Libya.
The contract governing the sale of Mi-
rages to Libya prohibits their transfer
to a third country and the French prob-
ably will persist in their denials until
irrefutable evidence is produced. In the
meantime, France is likely to refrain
from any public comment while it tries
to work out a new understanding with the
Libyans.
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NOTES
Pakistan-Libya: President Bhutto is withdrawing
Pakistani pilots from Libya. Bhutto says he is fear-
ful that the pilots would become involved in a Libyan-
instigated incident involving the US. Pakistan has
an air force contingent of about 75 men--including
pilots--in Libya now. Libyan President Qadhafi re-
cently asked Bhutto to provide 20 more pilots, but
they may not have arrived yet in Libya.
Vietnam:
since mid-March the Communists
have extended their DMZ pipeline southward to Route
9 in eastern Quang Tri Province, where they are
building a petroleum storage facility. The depot's
location, some ten miles northwest of Quang Tri City,
will allow the Communists to distribute petroleum to
their units throughout the province.
Bangladesh-Pakistan: Dacca has purchased 40,000
tons of Pakistani rice from a US trading firm for
delivery next month. Until now, the Bangladesh Gov-
ernment had refused to accept Pakistani goods even
through third parties. Dacca's decision probably
was prompted by the recent 40-percent rise in domes-
tic rice prices and by the general world rice short-
age. The decision also reflects the increased flex-
ibility in Dacca's policy toward Islamabad.
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Top Secret
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