THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 2 MARCH 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992507
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 2, 1971

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009300020001-2
The President's Daily Brief
2 March 1971
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
2 March 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
\ USSR
/ (Page 1)
East Pakistanis might react sharply to the postpone-
ment of the National Assembly session, posing- further
serious problems for President.Yahya Tthan. (Page 2)
Egypt
(Page 3)
Cambodia's only oil refinery has been hit by an enemy
mortar attack (Page 4)
Communist China)
/ (Page 4).
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USSR
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PAKISTAN
In his statement yesterday postponing the con-
vening of the National Assembly, which was to have
met tomorrow to begin drafting a new constitution,
President Yahya Khan cited the inability of East
and West Pakistani politicians to compose their
differences: and the refusal of the major West Paki-
stani party to attend. Yahya added that when con-
ditions improve sufficiently, he will call the as-
sembly into session "immediately"
The major point of disagreement between
East and West Pakistan has been the East's
insistence on a constitution that would
limit the central government's responsi-
bilities to defense and foreign affairs.
East Pakistanis had hoped to use their
majority in the assembly to push through
this program despite West Pakistani ob-
jections.
In reaction to Yahya's announcement, there
have been pro-independence demonstrations in Dacca,
East Pakistan's capital. A spokesman for Mujibur
Rahman's Awami League, the majority party in the
assembly, has called for general strikes today and
tomorrow. Mujib himself has bitterly criticized
the postponement, and will have more to say on the
subject in a major address scheduled for 7 March.
Yahya is aware that he risks a strong
East Pakistani reaction, but he presum-
ably decided that the alternative?dis-
orders in West Pakistan and unrest within
the predominately West Pakistani army--
would be worse. Should Mujib take a
strong stand, possibly even proclaiming
East Pakistan's independence, Yahya could
face another dilemma: whether to let
East Pakistan secede or try to hold the
country together by force. The latter
course would be extremely difficult in
view of strong separatist sentiment among
the 70 million East Pakistanis, and the
limited army and police forces available
in the province.
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EGYPT
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NOTES
Cambodia: A Communist mortar attack against
the country's only oil refinery at Kompong Som early
today destroyed two thirds of its oil storage ca-
pacity. Government troops stationed there apparen-
tly suffered only minor losses repelling a ground
attack that followed the mortar barrage. Later, an-
other mortar attack was directed against the air-
field outside Kompong Som. These are the first
enemy attacks in the vicinity of Kompong Som. Only
limited amounts of petroleum have been moved from
Kompong Som to Phnom Penh on Route 4 since that
highway was reopened in January. The government
will now be more dependent than ever on the Mekong
River convoys from South Vietnam to maintain essen-
tial petroleum stocks in Phnom Penh.
Vietnam-LaosV
Communist China:/
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