THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 DECEMBER 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993034
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 17, 1971

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The President's Daily Brief
17 December 1971
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
17 December 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pakistan has not yet indicated how it will respond
to the unilateral Indian cease-fire scheduled to go
into effect this morning. Indian diplomats are
denying any designs on Azad Kashmir at this time.
(Page 1)
Peking
Moscow. Page
In Cambodia, Sirik Matak has reiterated his concern
over Prime Minister Lon Nol's erratic handling of
military affairs. (Page 5)
North Korea
Japanr
(Page 6)
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INDIA-PAKISTAN
Pakistan has not yet indicated whether it will
stop fighting on the western front, where a unilat-
eral Indian cease-fire is scheduled to go into ef-
fect at 9:30 a.m. EST today. Yesterday heavy fight-
ing continued in the Sialkot sector, and the Paki-
stanis are massing troops and equipment, including
One of their two armored divisions, just south of
Lahore.
Indian diplomats have been indicating that they
seek no territorial adjustments in Kashmir at this
time.
In the East, a few isolated Pakistani units in
the countryside are still holding out following Gen-,
eral Niazi's surrender in Dacca yesterday, and some
heavy firing broke out near the US Consulate General
today as Mukti Bahini moved through the commercial
area. An Indian spokesman in New Delhi stated that
the new Bangla Desh civil administration would take
over today, although Indian forces would remain in
the area indefinitely to help rehabilitate public
utilities and repatriate refugees.
Qazi Qaiyum, who has been the contact point be-
tween the exile government and US of in Cal-
cutta, has reiterated the concern of many Awami
Leaguers lest India dominate an independent Bangla
Desh. In Qaiyum's view, only Mujibur Rahman has the
stature to leadS Bangla Desh to a genuine independence.
(continued)
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The factionalism within the BangZa Desh
movement can be expected to grow now that
the common struggle: for freedom from Is-
lamabad's rule is over. Qaiyum speaks
for the Awami League moderates who have
dominated the exile government and who
now seem apprehensive that without Mujib
they may be destined to play second fiddle
to Indian- and Soviet-backed leftists.
Despite the Awami Leaguers' hopes, it is
doubtful whether Mujib's supremacy could
be fully restored were he released from
prison, given his absence from the Bengali
scene during the past nine months and New
Delhi's efforts to ensure that the League
does not monopolize control of the new
state.
China has strongly hinted to India that the
surrender of the Pakistani Army in East Pakistan
should now bring the war to an end.
--In an official statement issued yesterday,
Peking for the first time accused India of wanting
to "annihilate all of Pakistan."
--The Chinese also have lodged a protest accus-
ing Indian troops of intruding into Chinese terri-
tory from Sikkim on 10 December for reconnaissance
purposes.
(continued)
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USSR - COMMUNIST CHINA
Recent Soviet comments on the stalemated
negotiations have been increasingly pes-
simistic, and it is possible that Moscow
hopes to bring pressure on Peking to be
more forthcoming in the territorial dis-
cussions. It is also possible that Mos-
cow is deliberately seeking to make Peking
uneasy about its northern border in order
to underscore its warnings to the Chinese
to stay clear of South Asia. Although
Ilichev may stay away from the talks for
sometime--last winter he returned to the
USSR for almost six weeks--it seems un-
likely that Moscow wants to bear respon-
sibility for collapse of the talks.
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CAMBODIA
In a conversation with Ambassador Swank on
Wednesday, Sink Matak reiterated his concern over
Prime Minister Lon N011s erratic handling of mili-
tary affairs.. He stressed his doubts that any long-
term compromise can be worked out,and contended that
the.present-political impasse can be resolved only
by-Lon Nol's retirement.
Sink Matak gave no indication in his talk
with the ambassador that he or others in-
tend to press their differences with Lon
Nol or quit the government. The burden
of his remarks was that he feels torn be-
tween loyalty to the prime minister and a
belief that Lon Nol must be persuaded to
step aside in the best interests of the
country.
Some Khmer Krom commanders who have previously
been among Lon Nol's staunchest supporters, are now
joining in the criticism of the prime minister.
Their complaints center on the government's lack-
luster performance in the Chenla II operation and
in the fighting near Phnom Penh,
The Khmer Krom do not appear thus far to
be casting about for alternative leader-
ship. Their disenchantment with Lon Nol,
however, adds a new volatile element to
the unstable political situation, which
could be drastically upset by any new
battlefield reverses.
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