THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 14 FEBRUARY 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992479
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 14, 1971

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
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The President's Daily Brief
FEB 19ii
--404atentesiii jottR71
45
Top SecrP,9x1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
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LAOS-VIETNAM
Another indication that Hanoi is planning to make a stronger stand
against the South Vietnamese incursion into Laos has turned up in a
message of 12 February, sent by North Vietnam's top military policy
body to all military units in the area of the South Vietnamese operation.
Onell garbled sentence suggests that enemy units along Route 9 are to
evade advancing South Vietnamese forces, protect storage areas, and hide
whatever materials and equipment they can. 41;:k But the message contains
one Immr passage that gsrpgasiaratiessfistmales?sclutarammailamitadassigp calls for
CM creation of conditions that will enable Communist forces to "advance
forward and smash to smitereens the adventurist military plot of the
enemy." It concludes with an appeal to "exert every effort to accomplish
the mission of defending the Ho Chi Minh Trail."
Ground contact between South Vietnamese and Communist forces has
picked up, according to
enemy
intercepts. One intercept says that the South Vietnamese have seized
Ban Dong, a major crossroads half way between the border and Tchepone.
Other enemy messages
problems caused the Communists by the
advancing South Vietnamese and siiiAMML
casualties caused by air strikes.
Elements of the North Vietnamese 64th Regiment, which remain in the vicinity
of Ban Dong? have IMO launched artillery attacks on allied positions
and one message claims that a South Vietnamese force has been encircled
and that further strikes arelMOMON being planned.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
The North Vietnamese are trying hard to maintain the momentum
of their transportation "offensive," which thus far has achieved
"outstanding results"
' .."'4.. V". 4.4e1/1,9',....' ? ' ?
imosibilitilaggistatsocaaisiat according to a message on 11 February from
a way station on the taildrinfiltration pipeline* 1=3;kgmnagamegmamigm
A 12 February message says that the accelerated supply effort will
continue during February and that vehicles will move both day and night,
the second mention of such unusual daylight vehicle activity since 5
February* There is also evidence ill=t2t that the North Vietnamese are
taking more elaborate air defenee measures and that they are involved in
a special effort to keep damaged vehicles in service.
The North Vietnamese are beginning to experience difficulties
in the western DMZ north of Route 9 because of allied ground and air
operations.
vehicles were not able to cross the Se Ban Hieng River* The
same day, another AAA battalion was forced to withdraw from its positions
and leave vehicles behind because ofigiainfa "damage" from an air
strike* In the same area an infantry battalion reported that it was out
of ammunition and ma a river transportation battalion last communications
after ground contact with allied l'orces*
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COMMUNIST CHINA - LAOS
? logr. The Chinese Communists issued a new government
statement yesterday pledging to take "all effective measures" to aid
their Indochinese allies. It contained familiar references to
rear-base support for North Vietnam but referred to the Laos operation
in terms of a "menace to China" and warned that the Chinese "will, not
remain indifferent to it."
The suggestion that the allied operations i pose a threat to
China itself is an escalation of Chinese rhetoric regarding the
war. This formulation was avoided by Peking during the allied incursions
into C=1221; Cambodia last spring and has been absent from Chinese
opp propaganda for several years. Nevertheless, the government statement
and other authoritive comment on the situation in Indochina since the
beginning of the month has generally placed Chinese "assistance" in
50X1
terms of rear base support,,
The Chinese concluded an agreement yesterday for economic and
military aid to North Vietnam over and above that provided for Zit by
the annual* aid pact signed last fall.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
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Declassified in Part =Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
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LA08
A second and more destructive shelling of Long
Tieng took place lens than 24 hours after the rocket
dim( roeker
attack launched against it yesterday. Mor a rounds
ruined the Air America installation early this morning
and caused extensive material damage within the American
compound. One American was wounded, but not seriously.
Ammunition and gasoline supplies were not hit, and the
air strip was undamaged.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1
,
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A009200130001-1