THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 DECEMBER 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993679
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 15, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
The President's Daily Brief
15 December 1972
45
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part --Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A01 1400130001-6
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( 012),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Centnil Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
15 December 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Fidel Castro has stated publicly that his willing-
ness to negotiate with the US on hijacking does not
signal a desire for reconciliation with Washington.
(Page 1)
25X1
(Page 2)
Further information on the results of West Germany's
national election last month points to some interest-
ing trends in West German politics. (Page 3)
Somali President Siad apparently has survived the
latest challenge to his position, but he neverthe-
less seems to have lost much of his independent de-
cision-making power. (Page 4)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CUBA US
Fidel Castro told a rally for visiting Chilean
President Allende on Wednesday that air piracy is
"a problem that concerns the entire international
community," and for that reason Cuba is willing to
negotiate with the US to find a solution. He cau-
tioned, however, that these negotiations do not sig-
nal a desire for reconciliation with Washington.
Castro added that the conditions necessary for
talks on a general improvement in relations with
the US are the same as those outlined in his speech
of ,26 July. In that speech, Fidel demanded an end
to the economic blockade, the return of Guantanamo
naval base, and the cessation of exile raids. In
the speech this week, however, he referred specifi-
cally only to the demand for an end of the blockade.
Castro 's remarks were presumably based on
a belief that time is on his side and
that there is no need to compromise his
revolutionary image by making concessions
to the US. He undoubtedly is encouraged
by recent successes in Cuba's efforts to
normalize its ties with the nations of
Latin America.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
2
25X1
25X1
2bAl
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
ZOA I
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
WEST GERMANY
Further information on the results of the
Bundestag election last month points to
some interesting trends in West German
politics.
The magnitude of the Social Democratic Party's
victory was even greater than originally reported.
The SPD not only supplanted the Christian Democratic
Union as the largest single party, but also in-
creased its share of the vote in all but one of the
ten states. For the first time, the SPD received
over 50 percent of the vote in North Rhine - West-
phalia, where one third of all voters live. The
party also won an astonishing 152 of the 248 di-
rectly elected seats--as compared to only 127 in
the last previous election in 1969 and only 94 in
the 1965 voting.
Analysis of the voting also indicates that sev-
eral long-standing political axioms did not apply
in this election. One had it that, the larger the
turnout, the bigger would be the success of the CDU.
The opposite occurred. Another, backed up by all
pre-election polls, was that women would vote
largely for the CDU. The SPD won more votes from
women than did the opposition. A third was that
Roman Catholics would not support the Social Demo-
crats, but the latter scored major inroads in pre-
dominantly Catholic areas. It has also been taken
for granted that pocketbook issues decide elections,
but such issues were apparently overshadowed by for-
eign policy concerns.
While these results make the SPD's long-
run prospects Zook bright indeed, it is
nonetheless true that, in Willy Brandt,
the party had a far more attractive leader
than did the opposition. The personal
factor thus accounts for some of these
gains.
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Somalia: The government-controlled press and
radio are again giving prominent coverage to Presi-
dent Siad, and he apparently has survived the latest
challenge to ,his position. Last week, amid reports
of serious discord between Siad and other members
of the ruling council, Vice-President Samantar and
other council members had eclipsed Siad in the
media. Despite his current comeback, Siad seems to
have lost much of the independent decision-making
power he had managed to wrest from the council in
recent months, and we expect the infighting to con-
tinue.
25X1
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Declassified in Part- --Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A011400130001-6