THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 12 DECEMBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993673
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 12, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400100001-9
The President's Daily Brief
12 December 1972
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. I 1652
exemption category 511(1),(2).(3)
declanified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF .
12 December 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
South Vietna
Egypt's normally docile legislature has sharply
criticized Prime Minister Sidqi, and reports abound
that a new "war cabinet" will be formed. (Page 2)
Peking has been emphasizing that it endorses cur-
rent Japanese defense arrangements--a reversal of
its former condemnation of Japanese "remilitariza-
tion." (Page 3)
On Page 4 we analyze the significance of the shifts
in party strength in the Japanese elections.
Thailand's military rulers plan a formal return to
constitutional government next week. (Page 5)
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SOUTH VIETNAM
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EGYPT
Last weekend Egypt's normally docile legislature
was sharply critical of government policies. The
legislature directed.its fire primarily at Prime Min-
ister Sidqi, and regarded as "unconvincing" his re-
cent assertion that the government had completed
plans for preparing Egypt for war.
The virtually unprecedented legislative
attack on the prime minister seems to ?be
indirectly aimed at President Sadat, who
is far more responsible for the govern-
ment's policies than Sidqi. The full ac-
counts of the criticism published in the
government-controZZed press nevertheless
could be intended by Sadat to pave the
way for dumping the unpopular Sidqi. 'Re-
ports that a "war cabinet" will soon be
formed have been circulating in Cairo for
the past two weeks.
These reports parallel 4 recent upsurge
in public and private talk about the need
to resort to the "war Option," however
futile that may be.
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Most influential Egyptians apparently be-
Zieve that circumstances are not ripe for
such action. The leaders in Cairo never-
theless may hope that the talk will stir
new diplomatic efforts to end the Middle
East deadlocks as well as divert attention
from Egypt's domestic ills.
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CHINA-JAPAN
Peking's decision to invite Prime Minister
Tanaka to China should be viewed as an open and
official endorsement of Japanese defense arrange-
ments as they now exist, according to Liao Cheng-
chih, China's senior official on Sino-Japanese af-
fairs, He told a Japanese newspaperman that the
Japan-US Mutual Security Treaty and Japan's Self-
Defense Force are "essential for the preservation
of peace and security in the Far East." He added
that the United States is reducing its presence in
Asia and that Moscow constitutes the major threat
to Asian stability.
This line follows that used by other Chi-
nese officials, including Premier Chou
En-Zai, in recent weeks. The Chinese
have also told visitors that the US mil-
itary presence elsewhere in Asia--in
Thailand and the Philippines, for ex-
ample?does not trouble Peking.
This relaxed attitude toward Japan's de-
fense arrangements is a reversal of
China's former position. Until last
year, Peking's propaganda attacked Japan's
"remilitarization" and railed against
the US military presence in Japan. The
Chinese now appear to be saying that,
with the Indochina war drawing to a close,
the United States and China have some
mutuality of interest in the Far Eastern
power balance.
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Japan's 1972-1969 General Elections for the House of
Representatives
December 1972
December 1969
Liberal Democratic Party
271
288
Japan Socialist Party
118
90
Japan Communist Party
38
14
Komeito
29
47
Democratic Socialist Party
19
31
Minor Parties
2
0
Independents
14*
16
Total
491**
486
* Some dozen of the independents are expected to affiliate with the Liberal Democrats.
** The House of Representatives was expanded to 491 members in 1970 with the
addition of members from Okinawa.
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JAPAN
The Liberal Democratic Party retained a solid
but reduced parliamentary majority in the elections
on 10 December.
Major gains by the Communists and Social-
ists, however, reflect both voter dissat-
isfaction over the government's handling
of domestic affairs and the erosion of
the Liberal Democrats' rural base by rapid
urbanization. The enlarged Communist and
Socialist representation, combined with
losses by the relatively moderate Komeito
and Democratic Socialists, tends to polar-
ize the Diet. /
Tanaka's new cabinet, to be formed at the
end of the month, is not expected to make
major changes in national policy. It is
likely to include younger and more dynamic
politicians, however, and these may be
able to give the Liberal Democrats a more
attractive image.
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THAILAND
Several senior officials have informed US Em-
bassy officers that the ruling National Executive
Council expects to terminate its existence on 21
December and return to constitutional government.
The new constitutional framework will not
significantly diminish the military's po-
litical control. The cabinet will incor-
porate much of the present council leader-
ship, and civilian participation is likely
to be minimal.
Ruling military leaders, who abolished
parliament and took over the government
in November 1971, have been promising a
constitution for about eight months. De-
lay is attributed to disagreement over
distribution of positions in the new
structure and to the reluctance of the
second-ranking Thai leader, General Pra-
phat, to relinquish the powers available
under martial law. Having strengthened
his personal position during the past
year, however, he apparently feels he can
afford a resumption of constitutional gov-
ernment.
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NOTES
USSR-China: We are skeptical of Western press
reports from Moscow of a clash on the Kazakhstan-
Sinkiang border last month.
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Mos-
cow has usually been quick to publicize its case in
disputes with China. In this instance, however,
a Soviet Foreign Ministry spokesman has simply dis-
claimed any knowledge of the alleged clash. The
Chinese have also denied the story.
Panama: Foreign Minister Tack has told US of-
ficials that under no condition will Panama back
away from its efforts to have the UN Security Coun-
cil meet in Panama in March. He stated that the
meeting has nothing to do with the stalled treaty
negotiations and that the US would not be harassed.
Despite these assurances, any adverse developments
in the treaty talks or in other bilateral Panamanian-
US issues could easily cause General Torrijos to
use the meeting to embarrass the US.
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Top Secret
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