THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 OCTOBER 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992910
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 9, 1971

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The President's Daily Brief
9 October 1971
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
9 October 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Mao's appearance with Haile Selassie lays to rest
rumors about Mao's health, but the failure of Lin
Piao and other top military politicians to appear
leaves their status clouded. (Page 1)
Soviet(
(Page 2)
lEgyp-
t.\ (Page 3)
Brezhnev
his colleagues
at the
meeting with
Moscow airport last week
// (Page 4)
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COMMUNIST CHINA
The meeting yesterday between Mao Tse-tung and
visiting Emperor Haile Selassie rules out Mao's
health as a major factor in the fluid Chinese pic-
ture. According to the New China News Agency, Chou
En-lai was the only politburo member present, al-
though a number of lesser officials were there.
None of the top military leaders on the politburo
who have been out of sight since 11 September (about
the time that the leadership's difficulties were
coming to a head) turned up at any of the activities
honoring Haile Selassie.
Mao's reappearance strengthens the im-
pression that either the physical or po-
litical condition of Mao's heir-designate
Lin Piao has become a major problem. Chi-
nese officials show considerable sensi-
tivity to foreign speculation that Lin,
who has not appeared in public since
early June, is in poor health. There are
signs that they may also be trying *n
curb similar speculation at home.
several persons have been
arrestea ana tried for spreading rumors
that Lin is extremely ill.
There is evidence ?that a major leadership meet-
ing may have been called for early next week. Two
Chinese trade delegations touring Western Europe
have revised their itineraries so they can be back
in Peking by 12 October.
indications that important meetings were
under way on 27 September and on 3 October, and
that these apparently involved some members of the
party central committee.
If true, this may indicate that some of
the more vexing problems that have pre-
occupied Chinese leaders have been re-
solved, at least temporarily, and that
the decisions are beginning to be aired
at a larger leadership conclave.
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USSR-INDIA-PAKISTAN
The Soviets apparently plan to make an approach
to Pakistani President Yahya during the Iranian anni-
versary celebration next week. President Podgorny
will be in Iran, along with leaders of both India
and Pakistan, and a Pakistani official says that
plans are being made for political discussions be-
tween Yahya and Podgorny.
If Moscow saw a chance of success in me-
diating Indo-Pakistani differences Pod-
orny would pursue it.
In the meantime, a propaganda campaign aimed
at renewing political pressure on Pakistani Presi-
dent Yahya is under way in the USSR. In recent
days a host of protest meetings and statements from
allegedly "unofficial" organizations have castigated
West Pakistan's handling of the situation in the
East wing.
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USSR-EGYPT
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USSR
We now have some insights into Brezhnev's
airport meeting with his politburo that
Zed to the last minute cancellation of a
state dinner for Mrs. Gandhi,
A Yugoslav diplomat who was present when Brezh-
nev returned from the Balkans on 27 September has
told the US Embassy in Moscow that the Secretary
General's politburo colleagues prevailed on him,
despite his jocular protestations that he was tired
to retire to a ?rivate loun e.
We assume that the British decision three
days earlier to expel 105 Soviet repre-
sentatives on charges of spying was one
of the topics under discussion in the
politburo meeting. We would expect that
brief attention was given to making amends
with Mrs. Gandhi after the broken dinner
date.
On China, we can only assume that with
Brezhnev having been gone for six days,
the subject was almost certainly dis-
cussed.
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NOTES
North Vietnam - USSR: President Podgorny's
week-long visit to North Vietnam, ending yesterday,
produced much rhetoric on Moscow's support of Hanoi's
war effort, in an apparent attempt to outdo the Chi-
nese on the subject. The only visible matters of
substance were the signing of annual military and
economic aid agreements and a trade pact. The pub-
lic reportage indicates no sizable increase in aid.
USSR-UK: The Soviets' response to Britain's
expulgroTETFF 105 of its citizens on charges of spy-
ing suggests that they desire the incident to be
buried quickly. The Soviets limited their counter-
expulsions to four British diplomats and one business-
man, and barred ten Britons from re-entering the USSR.
Foreign Secretary Douglas-Home's visit was canceled,
as were several planned economic contacts. Although
it is possible the Soviets might engage in further
harassment of British citizens in the USSR, their
statement implied they would be glad to end the af-
fair at this point, saying it was up to the UK to
decide whether there would be a further deteriora-
tion of relations. This appears to be an attempt
to head off threatened British counterreprisals.
Argentina: The colonels' revolt seems on its
way to failure, as expected. The dissident colonels'
hopes of generating support for their move from other
military units proved illusory. President Lanusse
retained the support of the air force and navy, as
well as that of key army units in Buenos Aires and
Cordoba. He has ordered troops to move against rebel
armored units in Azul and Olavarria, 150 to 200 miles
south of the capital. As we go to print, however,
there is no sign of fighting and the rebels still
control commandeered radio stations.
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