THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 5 JULY 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992733
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: July 5, 1971

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP i9T0093'6A009700040001-6
The President's Daily Brief
5 July 1971
4 6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009700040001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009700040001-6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
5 July 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Irregular forces in Laos continued their advance
across the Plaine des Jarres over the weekend.
(Page 1)
The French say they will not join in any bloc-to-
bloc talks on mutual and balanced force reductions.
(Page 2)
South Africa and France have reached an agreement;
that will permit the South Africans to manufacture
Mirage aircraft. (Page 3)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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LAOS: PLAINE DES JARRES AREA
0 Miles 10 (24
OGovernment-held location /
0Communist-eld location
-
4 c
?
juon-g Souir
on-SJ
4
551619 7-71 CIA
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50X1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Irregular forces? continued their advance across
the Plaine des Jarres over the weekend. One battal-
ion moved from the hills to the west on 2 July and
secured five positions on the high ground dominating
the northwest portion of the Plaine without meeting
any opposition. South of this area, a 450-man irreg-
ular battalion was airlifted on the same day from
Long Tieng to reinforce other units holding the Phou
Seu ridge. Additional reinforcements have also been
moved to Ban Na.
In the past few days, there has been little Com-
munist opposition to irregular search and destroy
operations on and around the Plaine. The irregulars
now control almost all of the Plaine, with enemy
forces holding only the northeast fringe in the Khang
Khay region.
Action has also been light north of the Plaine.
Irregular units conducting clearing operations in
the vicinity of Bouam Long have made no contact with
enemy elements for three days, and commanders at
Bouam Long believe that the Communists have withdrawn
from their earlier siege positions around that base.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
FRANCE-NATO
France intends to tell its NATO allies this
week that it will not join in any bloc-to-bloc nego-
tiations on mutual and balanced force reductions,
according to a French embassy official in Washington.
Paris will add, however, that its position is still
open on discussions of military questions in a more
general forum such as a Conference on European Secu-
rity.
Paris is concerned about the potential
military consequences of force reductions
in addition to being opposed to bloc-to-
bloc negotiations. The French will never-
theless continue their own bilateral ex-
plorations, and will still participate in
NATO discussions of MBFR.
France also will be among several allies
which plan to meet and discuss the effect
of the SALT talks on their own interests
following the regular US briefing of NATO
on Tuesday. Many Europeans who have long
been uneasy about Soviet demands for in-
cluding forward based nuclear systems in
SALT now anticipate that these systems
might be included in MBFR talks, and wish
to consult among themselves on the inter-
relationships.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH AFRICA - FRANCE
The two countries have signed an agreement that
will permit South Africa to produce basic elements
of Mirage III fighters and Mirage F-1 interceptors,
according to press reports. Aircraft engines and
various sophisticated components, however, will have
to be imported from France for several years. Ini-
tial production of the Mirage IIIs is not expected
until 1973, and F-1 production presumably will not
take place until the mid-Seventies.
South Africa has long sought self-suffi-
ciency in arms production, particularly
after the UN arms embargo was imposed in
1963. The country has since produced
small arms, light infantry weapons, ar-
mored cars, and jet trainers. It will
also participate in the production of a
surface-to-air missile system developed
by France.
A French Defense Ministry official re-
cently stated that France will sell a
"complement" of Mirages to South Africa.
Earlier there were reports that the pro-
posed deal involved 36 aircraft, an order
that would about double the number of
South Africa's Mirages.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009700040001-6