THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 11 JANUARY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993075
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 11, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300090001-3
The President's Daily Brief
11 January 1972
46
Top Secret
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
,THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
11 January 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
In north Laos, Long Tieng continues to receive 130-mm.
artillery fire, and some irregular positions at nearby
Sam Thong have been abandoned. (Page 1)
U Nu's insurgent followers are once again active along
the Tenasserim coastal strip of southeast Burma.
(Page 2)
General Torrijos now
intends to drag out the Panama Canal negotiations
(Page 3)
A comment on the death of former Chinese foreign min-
ister Chen I appears on Page 4.
Syria
(Page 4)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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LONG TIENG AREA
:Governent-held location
Communist-held location
A Highpoint
1 0 5
Miles
elAuong Pot
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Khang Kb.
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overnment forces
retreat
.Sam Thong
Oho Tam Bleung
OPhou Pha Sai
? FSB Thunder
Artillery a tacks
clong Tieng
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CONFIDENTIAL
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Elements of an irregular battalion manning posi-
tions near the Sam Thong airstrip abandoned them yes-
terday under fire. Some of these troops deserted and
took off in the direction of Long Tieng. This with-
drawal leaves a newly established fire support base
in an exposed position with only a small Lao Army
screening force to protect it. Other irregular units
are in the area around Sam Thong and could still move
to regain the abandoned positions. Elsewhere in the
Long Tieng area, probes and shelling attacks were
reported at most irregular positions, and some posi-
tions east and north of Tha Tam Bleung were lost yes-
terday. Long Tieng itself has been hit by 130-mm.
artillery fire on 8, 9, and 10 January, but has sus-
tained only limited damage.
1
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CHINA
28-
BHUTAN
INDIA
"\
PAKISTAN
24? -
-
BAY
Of
BENGAL
Moulme
Myawadi
THAILAND
U Nu's Rebels Increase Activity
O 200
FAILED
THAILAND
rn
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cf) Area of guerrilla
operations
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BANGKOK* ?
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GULF OF
THAILAND
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
BURMA
Insurgents associated with former prime minis-
ter U Nu are beginning to roam more freely in groups
of 50 to 200 men in the border districts of south-
east Burma. On 3 January the rebels overran a
Burmese Army outpost near the town of Tenasserim
and apparently still hold it.
The insurgents have clearly recovered
from their military reverses of last sum-
mer when the Burmese claim to have driven
them back toward their bases across the
border in Thailand. Their new aggressive-
ness is weakening the army's tenuous hold
on the interior of the Tenasserim coastal
strip, and local commanders admit that
security outside the district towns is
poor. Nonetheless, it is questionable
whether U Nu can expand his insurgent ac-
tivity much beyond the Thai border region.
Despite his personal popularity with many
Burmese, and the fact that his resistance
movement has been in existence for two
and a half years, most of his military
support still comes from some 3,000 eth-
nic Karen and Mon dissidents. His rela-
tions with them are marred by traditional
distrust between these tribes and the
Burmans.
2
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PANAMA
General Torrijos intends to drag out the Canal
negotiations in the belief that the US considers
the Canal a wasting asset, and will eventually give
Panama everything it wants. j
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Torrijos.' desire to keep the talks going
through August ..suggests that he is under
no pressure to conclude a new-treaty, and
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3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
China: The death of former foreign minister
Chen I does little to change the present power equa-
tion in Peking. Chen had been in semi-disgrace
since late 1968, and has not acted as foreign minis-
ter since that time. The official announcement of
his death, however, indicates that a posthumous re-
habilitation has taken place: all of Chen's titles,
including the foreign ministry post, were listed.
This speaks well for the present standing of Chou
En-lai, who attempted to defend Chen throughout the
Cultural Revolution, and who would presumably bene-
fit most from Chen's restoration to grace.
Syria-USSR:
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
4
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,
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