THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 5 APRIL 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992570
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 5, 1971

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The President's Daily Brief
5 April 1971
49
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
5 April 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
On Page 1 we review the latest developments in East
Pakistan and note Moscow's first official commentary
on the situation.
Sporadic heavy fighting continues around Fire Support
Base 6 in South Vietnam's central highlands. (Page 3)
The Jordanian Government is reported to have reached
a new accord with the fedayeen to reduce tensions.
(Page 4)
On Page 5 we review trends in Soviet military ship-
ments to Egypt.
The military situation in northern Laos appears on
Page 7.
Soviets
(Page. 7)
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8
NEPAL
SHUT/AN
Cooch Efehbr
Gauhati
INDI A
Shillong?
Farakka
Rajshahi
ikgartala
Comilla
aicutta
B risal/
Noakhali.
ChittagOng,
Karnaphuh
88
. BAY OF BENGAL
Cox's Bazar
0 25 50 75
MILES
92
By12MA
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PAKISTAN
The army apparently still holds most of the ma-
jor cities in East Pakistan. Traffic in Dacca is
reported to be 80 percent below normal, however, and
few shops are open.
estimates that ..30 percent of the city's
populationhas. fled, although some residents are
straggling back. Because of widespread disruption
of transportation, the official foresees the possi-
bility of famine eventually developing in food def-
icit areas.
A US official who visited Chittagong yesterday--
the first such visit permitted since the fighting
broke out--reports seeing large fires burning and
estimates that secessionists still hold nearly a
third of the city. All but four of the Americans
in Chittagong left by ship for Calcutta yesterday..
The first three Pakistan International Airways
planeloads of American and British evacuees from
Dacca flew to Karachi yesterday and early this morn-
ing. The flights are expected to continue for sev-
eral days./
Moscow has broken its official silence .on de-
velopments in Pakistan by publicizing an. "insistent
appeal" from chief of state Podgorny to Yahya that
deplores the continued violence and "extreme meas-
ures" used against the people of East Pakistan. Al-
though the appeal is tacitly critical of Yahlia's
handling of the situation, it portrays the USSR as
a concerned friend and neighbor whose interests,
like Pakistan!s, would be best servedby a peaceful
solution to the problem.
(continued)
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Moscow's decision to publicize its sentiments sug-
gests that it is prepared to risk the estrangement
of Yahya should matters deteriorate further. Al-
though Pakistan's official reaction is not yet known,
at least one of the closely censored newspapers in
West Pakistan has commented negatively and complained
that the Soviet press is' also taking an unfriendly
line.
2
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KONTUM PROVINCE
QUANG TIN
' -
art of Quang Ti, temporaril; under
Elm administration of Kantor'',
QUANG
Ben Het
er enemy attack
Dak To
BINH
DINH
5 ?ip '
STATUTE MILES
PLEIKU o
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SOUTH VIETNAM
Sporadic heavy fighting continues in the:cen-
tral,highIands around Fire Support Base 6 in Kontum
Province The base was overrun by the first major
Communist assault on it last week, .but the South
Vietnamese counterattacked and regained control the
next day. Since then the Communists have unsuccess-
fully mounted several new attacks.
The fighting in the highlands has been
among the heaviest of the enemy's current
spring campaign. The government troops
claim to have inflicted severe losses on
a North Vietnamese regiment with the help
of air strikes, but they took substantial
casualties themselves, including more than
100 troops missing. The presence of a
second North Vietnamese regiment near Fire
Support Base 6 raises the possibility that
more heavy combat may be ahead.
A North Vietnamese campaign against one or
more allied strongpoints in the central
highlands has been a regular feature of
the enemy's dry season military effort.
The target this year is not far from two
other bases--Ben Het and Dak To--which
were besieged on earlier occasions.
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JORDAN
According to a Cairo radiobroadcast, Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) representatives in
Amman issued a statement last night in which they
undertook to remove surplus weapons and personnel
from the city and discharge the remaining obliga-
tions of previous pacts with the Jordanian Govern-
ment. Radio Amman had earlier indicated that gov-
ernment-fedayeen talks were in progress.
PLO chief Yasir Arafat, on the other hand, was
reported early yesterday to be in a Syrian border
town where, according to one press account, he ap-
pealed for sanctions against Jordan by the other
Arab states. A press dispatch filed ?from Damascus
immediately after Cairo radio's report of the new
agreement carried a fedayeen spokesman's declaration
that Palestinian resistance forces would make no
more agreements with the Jordanian authorities
"regardless of the consequences."
During the weekend King Husayn issued two state-
ments underlining his determination to impose the
government's authority throughout the country. Jor-
dan sent an open letter defending its position to
representatives of seven Arab states gathered in
Cairo, but there is nothing to indicate that the
group has yet convened.
Cairo's announcement of the new Amman
agreement, and its silence on the scheduled
Arab states conference, may indicate a de-
sire to let the fighting die without sig-
nificant outside action. If the PLO-con-
trolled fedayeen forces in Jordan abide
by the reported agreement and the army re-
laxes its pressure on guerrilla concentra-
tions, it might be possible for the govern-
ment to deal with any further terrorist
and sabotage attacks by fedayeen radicals
with a minimum of publicity.
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USSR-EGYPT?
Press reports from Beirut over the weekend of a, re-
cent large-scale movement of Soviet military supplies
to Eoupt appear considerabiu exaaaerated 50X1
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The only re, 50X1
cent unusual Soviet.military supply ?activity has
been the movement of 32 cargo transport planes to
Egypt, This airlift, begun on 4 March and.apparently
ended on 29 March 50X1
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While
attention-getting, especially coming immediately on
the heels of Sadat's visit to Moscow, and no doubt
calculated to impress..Cairo with Moscow's intention
to continue and improve its support, the airlift
could only deliver the amount.of equipment one ship
could carry'.
Now that the USSR has met Egypt's priority objec-
tive--a solid defense line along the canal and at
major military installations?some of the materiel
arriving is likely being used to flesh out the sys-
tem by strengthening existing defenses in areas of
secondary importance, such as coastal areas and
southern Egypt.
(continued)
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Soviet military personnel strength has risen from
3,500 advisers at the start of 1970 to some 13,500
advisers, technicians, and operational military per-
sonnel at present.
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Sala Ph?
Khoo
Irregular clearing
opera t\i-o,ns .ff an Na
Sam T hon onitleTuarTg
H111662
Long,Ti
Xieng*Khonangville
.1?
THAILAND
Vientiane
THAILAND
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NOTES
Laos: Government irregular operations? designed
to clear NOrth Vietnamese forces from areas around
Long Tieng encountered little new fighting over the
weekend. The two battalions operating northeast of
Long Tieng have regrouped near Hill 1662. 4 three-
battalion force moving from the northwest to relieve
the Ban Na artillery:site cOntinUes to meet only
light enemy resistance; two outposts of the site
itself were attacked, however, and one position was
? abandoned. A third mUltibattalion clearing opera-
? tion launched on 2April is now sweeping between.Sam
Thong and Tha Tam Bleungt so far reporting no sig-
nificant.contact., ?
USSR:
USSR:
West Germany - East Germany:
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Top Secret
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