THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 22 MARCH 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993205
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 22, 1972

-Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500200001-8
The President's Daily Brief
22 March 1972
50
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT S DAILY BRIEF
22 March 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Soviet
(Page 1)
In Laos, the Communists yesterday captured another
strongpoint on Skyline Ridge, but the irregulars
have now launched a counterattack. (Page 2)
The North Vietnamese appear to be working on two
more airfields in the southern part of North Viet-
nam. (Page 3)
Guatemala
/ (Page 4)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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USSR
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LONG TIENG AREA
?Government-held location
7 ?Communist-held location
A Highpoint
0 5
Miles
-te
/'
ES
,
Tha Tam
, ? BleuriatA
am Thong
...?,............
,,,, ?4 \
Four strongpoiritt -, )
held by enemy, 23.0;Tch:
Khang Khe
' Phone
Sai
Ban
So
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LAOS
North Vietnamese troops drove irregulars from
another position on the western end of Skyline Ridge
yesterday. ?As of today, the Communists are reported
to hold two strongpoints on the far west of the
ridge, the government still holds five, and two are
unoccupied. The irregulars have launched a counter-
attack to prevent the North Vietnamese from using
their toehold on the ridge to cover an advance by
Communist troops and tanks from the Sam Thong area.
Aerial observers have already spotted tank tracks
north of the ridge.
The 1,400 Thai and 400 Lao irregulars de-
fending Skyline in the week-long battle
have been fighting with considerable te-
nacity, but it is questionable whether
they can hold on indefinitely without
major reinforcements. Heavy enemy fire
on the Long Tieng airstrip has so far
prevented Vang Pao from moving two fresh
battalions into the area.
The Communists too may be hurting from the
protracted heavy fighting./
The two irregular forces operating north and
east of the Plaine des Jarres are still encountering
? only light resistance as they advance toward posi-
tions from which to harass Communist lines of com-
munication.
2
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De.o"0
-20?
Cua Rao
Quan Lan
Airfield
THAILAND
a\Tinh
;.\/' ?
1,, ? Airfield alder construction
----"Bai?Duc-Thon
4e 4i-it-Airfield- ?(
urider_Constrattion.k ? ?
?
Mu?Gia . ,?.Quang k he
?..
Dong Hou
r \Ban Karat
e sr,
(-)
\.
ZONE
SOL, T 11--filETV\AA,4
chepone
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NORTH VIETNAM
Hanoi appears to be building two additional air-
fields in the southern region of North Vietnam. Pho-
tography of mid-March shows what looks like construc-
tion of a field near the town of Bai Duc Thon. Al-
though the runway is still in an early ,stage of con-
struction and only 3,800 feet long, it could easily
be extended. Earlier this year the North Vietnamese
also had begun work on an airfield at Khe Phat. Re-
cent photography shows that one third of the 5,600-
foot runway under construction there has now been
surfaced.
The relatively rapid pace of construction
at these.airfields suggests that Hanoi is
preparing for a much higher level of air
operations during the next few months-.
When the two fields are .completed this
summer the North Vietnamese will have a
total of six fields south of the 20th
parallel capable of handling jet aircraft.
3
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GUATEMALA
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NOTE
Cyprus: Following conversations with Cypriot
officials, UN representatives on Cyprus say they
expect the Makarios government to agree soon to
tighter UN controls over the Czech arms. The Cyp-
riots responded favorably to the suggestion of es-
tablishing a UN presence at the armory where the
weapons are being stored and for the removal of the
firing pins to another city. Ankara and the Turk-
ish Cypriots continue to insist, however, that all
of the arms be turned over to the UN force, and are
threatening otherwise to import an equivalent quan-
tity of arms for the Turkish Cypriots.
5
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Top Secret
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