THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 11 AUGUST 1973

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993900
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 11, 1973

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011700020010-5
The President's Daily Brief
11 August 1973
45
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011700020010-5
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 511(1),121.(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011700020010-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011700020010-5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
11 August 1973
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The British now believe that the French may be more
receptive than in the past to European defense coop-
eration based on collaboration between their two
countries--including nuclear cooperation. (Page 1)
Senior Lao Army officers and other rightists are
seeking changes in the draft agreement, possibly in
a deliberate effort to scuttle the formation of a
coalition government. Souvanna intends to arbitrate
the differences in hopes of completing negotiations
before August 15. (Page 2)
President Sadat, King Husayn, and possibly President
Asad may meet later this month to discuss a restora-
tion of the Eastern Front Joint Military Command.
If Egypt has in fact dropped its previous unaccept-
able conditions for normalizing relations with Jor-
dan, such a meeting could seal Husayn's reconcilia-
tion with Cairo and Damascus. (Page 3)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
TRANCE
::::::/:::/les Paris as being somewhat more
receptive on the issue of European defense coopera-
tion based on Franco-British collaboration.
British regard/
the 25X1
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(For-
eign Minister Jobert's speech on June 19, as positive
signs that the French are changing their attitude
toward European defense--including nuclear coopera-
tion. Jobert reportedly told a West European am-
bassador last month that European defense ideas
"could not be confined to purely conventional arms."
The issue of Franco-British nuclear co-
operation has been aired many times over
the past decade, with no discernible prog-
ress. Various initiatives have failed,
largely because of the complex substantive
problems involved, such as the role of
Germany and each country's unwillingness
to relinquish national control over nu-
clear forces.
The revival of interest has been sparked
by French and British fears that there will
be a significant pullout of US troops from
Europe in the near future. They are also
concerned that detente between the US and
the USSR constitutes evidence of a declining
US commitment to European defense.
French
defense policy is undergoing
a thorough re-evaluation, but so far Paris
has offered no concrete suggestions. Paris
may be raising the issue to find out if any
support exists for a reorganization of
European defense under French leadership.
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LAOS
Senior Lao Army officers and other rightists
are still seeking changes in the draft agreement.
--They object to the requirement that most Lao
Army combat troops withdraw from Vientiane and
Luang Prabang.
--The army wants additional government enclaves
recognized within the Communist zone.
--Several right-wing leaders reportedly want
to delimit the duties of the Joint National
Political Council, whose primary task will be
to organize elections, to preclude it from re-
placing the National Assembly.
Negotiators on both sides believe that the
army's shopping list of changes is not designed to
improve the protocol but to delay its signing and
perhaps scuttle the formation of a coalition gov-
ernment./
Souvanna is angered by this last-minute attempt
to make major changes, but has agreed to make the
effort to gain further concessions. At the same
time, he has said that the Communists are unlikely
to alter the agreement; he intends to arbitrate the
remaining differences next week in order to complete
negotiations around August 15. Souvanna met with
senior Communist negotiator Phoumi Vongvichit yes-
terday, probably to discuss the rightists' objec-
tions.
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JORDAN-EGYPT-SYRIA
According to semiofficial newspapers in Cairo
and Amman, President Sadat, King Husayn, and prob-
ably President Asad will meet later this month.
The Jordanian paper reported that the three plan
to discuss a revival of the Eastern Front Joint
Military Command, which collapsed when King Husayn
cracked down on the fedayeen in September 1970.
The paper also said they will try to arrive at a
common political stand in preparation for the visit
of UN Secretary General Waldheim in late August.
Husayn has been seeking a reconciliation
with Cairo and Damascus, largely in hopes
that this will persuade the Kuwaitis to
resume their annual subsidy. He has re-
fused, however, to go along with the con-
ditions previously set by Egypt?control
by other participants over his army, and
the readmission of the fedayeen and other
Arab troops into Jordan.
Sadat may be dropping these demands now
because he wants a show of unity to dem-
onstrate Arab self-reliance in the face
of the US-Soviet detente. Syria's Asad/
\would probably
go along with almost any tack Sadat chose
to take with Husayn.
3
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Top Secret
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