THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 FEBRUARY 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992481
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 15, 1971

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The President's Daily Brief
15 February 1971
1:3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
15 February 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Construction is under way on a new type of ICBM
silo at three missile complexes in the USSR. (Page 1)
The situation in northern Laos is discussed on Page. 3.
South Vietnamese troops involved in the Laotian cam-
paign made only sponadic contact with enemy units
over the weekend. (Page 4)
Communist China has escalated its rhetoric on the
Laotian operation but its statements do not commit
Peking to a particular course of action. (Page 5)
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USSR
The latest satellite photography shows
that construction is under' way on a new
type of ICBM silo at three existing mis-
sile complexes in the USSR.
Small portions of 21 of the 24. Soviet ICBM
complexes were covered in
photography
This photography showed 10 and probably 11 new silos
under construction at three operational missile com-
plexes.--the Dombarovskiy and Imeni Gastell0 SS-9
complexes and at Derazhnya, where both the SS-4
MRBM and the SS-11 ICBM are deployed. The new silos
are unlike those seen,anywhere else except at a
new group of silos--designated the R group--at the
Tyuratam missile test center- All of the new silos,
including those in the new group at Tyuratam, have
been started since' August 1970; those at the two
SS-9 complexes have been Started since late 'November.
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LAOS
Early yesterday morning an estimated 50 to
100 Communist troops approached Long Tieng from
the west, overran a 105mm. artillery position
about a mile from the center of the base, and
from high ground on the southwest edge of the
Long Tieng Valley fired rockets and mortars into
the base's residential area. Most of the fire
was directed at US installations. Bombing by
Lao- and Meo-operated T-28's soon forced the
Communists from their position, however.
An initial damage assessment reveals de-
struction of the main rice and food warehouse,
the Air America hostel, the diesel fuel depot,
the electric power station, and one of the head-
quarters compounds. There was no damage to the
airstrip, the main gasoline and ammunition de-
pots, and the T-28 parking area and runway. At
least 11 Meo soldiers or civilians are believed
to have been killed. Enemy losses appear to
have been light.
Vang Pao appears to be coping adequately
with the immediate threat. Yesterday
some 200 fresh irregular troops were
moved into the base, as well as a 380-
man neutralist battalion from Vang Vieng
north of Vientiane. These forces will
be placed on the high ground from which
the enemy mortar attack was directed.
The Communists nevertheless retain the
capability of mounting new and even
heavier attacks at any time.
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Bargrpe
Ban Korai
Pass
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LAOS-VIETNAM
South Vietnamese troops involved in the Laotian
campaign made onZy sporadic contact over the
weekend with enemy units. The most significant
enemy action was a series of shellings, including
a 25-round rocket bombardment of Dong Ha in
northeastern Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam
and a 100-round mortar barrage against a South
Vietnamese field position inside-Laos. Damage
from these attacks was light.
The North Vietnamese continue to press ahead
with their transportation "offensive" down the
Ho Chi Minh ?trail.
Vehicles
are apparently moving day and
night the North
Vietnamese are taking more elaborate air defense
measures along the pipeline.
There is mounting evidence, however, that al-
lied pressure is causing the enemy difficulties.
On 13 February, for example, a way station near
Tchepone said its convoys were moving out .
? "strongly" but acknowledged that supply activity
was "hindered by the enemy," the first such
admission detected since the "crash program"
began on 7 February. B-52 strikes have de-
stroyed a Communist storage area near Ban Dong
and several enemy
anti--aircraft units and a river transportation
battaZion have beeil hamnered by allied air
attacks. anti-aircraft
vehicles were not
abbe to cross the be Ban H2ang River and an-
other anti-aircraft unit was forced to with-
draw from its positions and leave vehicZes
behind because of "damage" from an air strike.
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COMMUNIST CHINA - LAOS
On Friday a government statement called the
South Vietnamese incursion into Laos a "menace to
China." Yesterday a mammoth rally was held in
Peking to condemn allied actions in Laos, and a
People's Daily editorial responded to a US explana-
tion that the actions do not threaten China by in-
sisting that, on the contrary, "the new war venture
definitely poses a grave threat to China." The
editorial added that the Chinese people would "adopt
all effective measures to extend powerful support
to the people of the three Indochinese countries."
The claim that the operations in Laos
threaten China itself is an escalation
of Chinese rhetoric regarding the war.
The Chinese had avoided this formulation
in their propaganda for several years,
including during the time of the allied
incursions into Cambodia last spring.
Nevertheless, this language does not
commit Peking to any particular course
of action. Indeed, the editorial makes
clear that Peking expects the "people
of the three Indochinese countries" to
continue to bear the brunt of the actual
fighting.
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Israeli
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NOTE
Israel-Egypt:
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