THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 20 JANUARY 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992433
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 20, 1971

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
The President's Daily Brief
20 January 1971
48
Top t 50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized dopy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
20 January 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
On Page 1 we provide highlights from the 50X1
most recent assessment of the situation in
Cambodia.
New photography shows little recent progress in Chi-
nese road construction in northwest Laos. (Page 2)
Labor unrest persists in the Gdansk area of Poland.
(Page 3)
Differences within the fedayeen movement are becom-
ing more apparent as the quiet continues in Jordan.
(Page 4)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
50X1
,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA
'there is no evi-
dence of any serious deterioration in the porale of
the population in Phnom Penh. In spite of' growing
hardships imposed by the shortages of petroleum and
the increase in consumer prices, there is no audible
grumbling over the way the war is going or the qual-
ity o leadershi. ? rovided b Lon Nol or the gener-
als. some observers
sense a growing malaise in the capital, but
even if the city were to be totally cut off,
the life of the average Phnom Penh resident would
probably be little changed. Despite the events of
the past two months, there is still little sense of
war atmosphere or urgency in Phnom Penh; the most
readily apparent reason for this is the supreme con-
fidence of the Cambodians that, if properly armed,
one Khmer is worth three Vietnamese, and therefore
time is on the side of the Cambodians.
Although police procedures have been tightened and
some terrorists arrested, Phnom Penh is still quite
vulnerable to enemy mortar or rocket harassment and
to acts of terrorism and sabotage. In the country-
side, the Vietnamese Communists are having more suc-
cess among the Cambodian population than the govern-
ment admits, although reports of incidents between
the peasants and their would-be recruiters indicate
that the enemy also has serious troubles.
With the continuing help of the South Vietnamese,
and the increasing availability of new weapons and
trained troops, the Cambodian Army should perform
better in the coming months.
the exceedingly cautious
tactics employed by the Cambodians, which have en-
abled the Communists to retain the initiative, will
change until such time as field officers develop
greater experience and confidence, and Lon Nol stops
making most tactical decisions himself.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
50X1
50X1
WA1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
CHINA
AREA OF MAP
BURMA
NORTH
VIETNAM
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
NORTHERN LAOS: Communist Chinese Road Construction
VI ?T
NAM
>
( ' Muong Sing
j
?????." i
fr
./7 I
/
I II
1
/
THAILAND
? I ,
(II
e?..
CHI
F't
? / (,
_
=
\ ORTHi
'
? ?.+Ly.
?
VIETNAM ?
,L
?
Meng-la
#11*
Baten
1
9, ?
C:r ? ????? ?
/ ? /"..".
,??
Nosew ., /.
construction '
? ---.. i? 0 -, /
........--? , _ ..?,..\(
/ i /
...1'____?.../Mu9ng Noun
46 Sai
Construcii6n.
`troops arrive f,
7 ?
// ?
?
Muont
Pak Beng
0 , 25
I 1
? Statute Miles r" 1,
1 " '
,
Mekong-
, j
? .
'
/.192
ng
bang /
I.
I.
I-
?
/1 41 ? -'
/ -20-
' 4
-
rnCommunist controlled area
I?I Contested territory
550845 1-71 CIA
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
50X1
4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
COMMUNIST CHINA - LAOS
Photography showed that Chinese
road construction in northwest:Laos made little
progress over the last month. Construction to the
northeast--in the direction of North Vietnam--has
reached the Nam Ou River at Muong Khoua, but there
is no evidence that bridge or ferry construction
has begun. There has been no further road construc-
tion southwest toward the Mekong River since the ex-
tension of a motorable trail a few miles south of
Muong Houn, which we reported in The President's
Daily Brief of.3 December. -
The fact that little construction has oc-
curred recently may be due to a rotation
of forces, which seems to occur annuallu
at about this time.
have reported the arrival in the Muong
Sai area since mid-December .of 2,000 new
construction troops, apparently part of
this rotation process.
We estimate that the Chinese now have
about 14,000 to 18,000 troops?mostly in..
engineer and AAA units--spread along the
road system in northwest Laos. The in-
crease of about 4,000 above early Decem-
ber figures is due to the confirmed ad-
dition of one new construction regiment
since last fall and to revised strength
estimates for such regiments, as well as
for AAA units in the.area.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanied Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00-936A009100180001-7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
POLAND
Labor unrest persists in the Gdansk area. Most
shipyard workers returned to work yesterday, but
there was a brief work stoppage by public transport
employees. A joint delegation of management and
workers from the Gdansk shipyards met yesterday with
Gierek and Premier Jaroszewicz in Warsaw to discuss
the economic and political grievances of the work-
ers.
A ranking Polish economist confirmed to US of-
ficials in Warsaw that a central committee plenum,
to be held by late January or early February, is
expected to set new guidelines for political, eco-
nomic, and social policies, and to make additional
personnel changes. He indicated that the plenum
will chart a broad course of economic reform, but
that specific changes are still being debated.
The party undoubtedly would like to see
more evidence of popular backing and calm
before setting the plenum date. The work-
ers, however, have tasted power in top-
pling the old regime and are stubbornly
insisting on a clear outline of the future
before they give their support. Although
Gierek seems determined to tackle basic
economic and social shortcomings, his re-
sources for satisfying the workers' im-
mediate bread-and-butter grievances are
no greater than GomuZka's. Gierek also
knows that he cannot be forever beholden
to the workers and that he must soon show
the Polish populace, and the Soviets, that
he is in charge of his own house.
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTE
Jordan-Fedayeen: The government continues to
collect arms from various fedayeen militia groups--
including George Habbash's violence-prone Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)--without
incident. Meanwhile, divided loyalties within the
fedayeen movement are becoming more apparent.
50X1
50X1
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
_
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009100180001-7