THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 NOVEMBER 1971

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005992988
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: November 23, 1971

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
The President's Daily Brief
23 November 1971
27
Top SecreP1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
23 November 1971
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
President Yahya has declared a national state of
emergency following reports of heavy fighting
along the East Pakistani border. (Page 1)
In Cambodia, South Vietnamese forces are moving vir-
tually unopposed along Route 7 in the initial phase
of a campaign against Communist main force units.
(Page 2)
West German
(Page 3)
A report that Moscow will resume selling gold ties
in with recent heavy purchases of food from Western
countries. (Page 4)
50X1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
INDIA - EAST PAKISTAN: Major Clashes in Border Areas
j JKKIM i
? ??,,x,
? Am.
88 Da}:eli
\ng
NEPAL'
Farakka
24? '
Saidpur
. ?
BHUTN
?Cooch Behar
92
ARA HMAPU ri?
NDIA
T.
Mymensingh
r
f) ?
AST PAKISTAN
t?
IND
?Pikistani F-
reportedly sh
???
88
0
?
d w
alcutta
.Jessor
0 25 ' 50 75
MILES
0
DACCA
Bar isa I/
0
?
Shillong
Comil a-e-
BAY OF BENGAL
Agartale
?.?
L
?24 -
Chittagon
92
BURMA
552156 11-71 CIA
?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
INDIA-PAKISTAN
President Yahya today declared a national state
of emergency, stating that "foreign aggression" had
been launched against Pakistan. This declaration
followed a day in which the Pakistani press reported
the Indians had mounted an offensive in the Jessore
area with units of two infantry divisions supported
by armor. f
The press also
reported attacks in the Sylhet district and in the
Chittagong hills. Eighteen Pakistanis are said to
have been killed--the highest figure yet admitted
for any series of incidents.
The Indians, while offering their conventional
denial of direct involvement,,acknowledge that the
Mukti Bahini have "liberated" 14 villages in the
Kushtia and Jessore districts and captured a number
of Pakistani posts elsewhere on the province's west-
ern and northern borders. The Indians also claim
to have shot down and captured the pilots of three
Pakistani F-86 aircraft over Indian territory near
Jessore.
The state of national emergency adds lit-
tle to the authority of the Yahya govern-
ment, and seems more a measure of Yahya 's
intent to dramatize both at home and
abroad how seriously he views the situa-
tion in the East. Although he does not
want war with India because his troops are
badly outnumbered, especially in the east-
ern wing, as Indian provocations increase
he may be approaching a decision that he
has no choice but to strike back.
The guerrillas are not capable of defeat-
ing the Pakistani Army by themselves, and
to ensure their success the Indians have
been increasingly willing to commit Indian
regulars. The Indians appear to have
moved up the fighting to a point where
their own forces are regularly operating
in East Pakistan's border areas.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
o ong Thorn
Rum tong
Kon pang Cham
Chup
Pla Nation
Pea Cheang
PI ? ntation
pambe
Prey Veng
Nedic Luong
-.Tay Ninh
SAIGO
SOUTH VIET
Giang
Ii4R:4CF1
552157 11-71 CIA
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CAMBODIA - SOUTH VIETNAM
South Vietnamese forces are moving virtually
unopposed along Route 7 in eastern Kompong Cham
Province in the initial phase of a new dry season
campaign against Communist main force units in Cam-
bodia. Airborne and armor forces, along with troops
from two South Vietnamese divisions, are scheduled to
secure the road as far as the village of Khna, where
they intend to establish a major logistics base to
support planned operations into the Chup and Peam
Cheang plantations. Troops from a third division
are to mount diversionary attacks eastward along
Route 7 toward Mimot.
The South Vietnamese are responding to a
two-week-old Cambodian request prompted
by concern over the Communist offensive
around Phnom Penh and along Route 6. The
South Vietnamese drive may well force the
Communists to pull their 9th Division reg-
iments from operations in the Chenla II
area, but enemy units around the capital
were not drawn from the areas where ARVN
will be operating.
The Cambodians evidently intend to keep a close
watch over the South Vietnamese troops.(
/ Several minor but related Cambodian
operations will be mounted along Route 1 in the
southeast.
The South Vietnamese, for their part, in-
tend to ensure that cross-border opera-
tions do not cut into defenses in South
Vietnam. During the dry season last win-
ter, this consideration caused President
Thieu to fix limits on the duration and
extent of involvement of his forces in
Cambodia.
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
WEST GERMANY - USSR
3
Th
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18: CIA-RDR79T00936A010100210001-1
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR
Moscow will
resume selling gold during the remainder of the
year.
A contract for the purchase of $140 mil-
lion worth of grain through two US com-
panies, together with previous meat and
grain contracts concluded with Canada and
other Western countries, increases Soviet
hard currency outlays for these items in
fiscal 1972 to about $600 million. The
Soviets have not spent this much foreign
exchange for food since 1963-65, when
they financed large imports of wheat with
gold sales. Since that time, the USSR
has sold less than $100 million worth of
gold altogether, including about $20 mil-
lion this year.
The Soviets produce more than $200 million
in gold annually. They have built up
their gold reserves from a low of about
$1 billion in 1965 to roughly $2 billion
at the present, time. Soviet leaders may
believe that reserves are high enough to
permit annual sales up to the USSR's rate
of gold production.
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
(b)(3)
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/18 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010100210001-1