THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 12 JANUARY 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993077
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 12, 1972

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300100001-1
The President's Daily Brief
12 January 1972
47
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
12 January 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The military situation in Laos is described on
Page 1.
25X1
a reasonably accurate picture of the South Vietnam-
ese armed forces' successes and problems. (Page 2)
Issues likely to be dealt with at the coming Warsaw
Pact meeting are discussed on Page 3.
North Korean Premier Kim has hinted he is willing
to conclude a ."peace pact" with South Korea, pos-
sibly before US troops are withdrawn. (Page 4)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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LONG TIENG AREA
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1-/ eCommunist-held location
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Occupied by NVA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LAOS
Heavy fighting has broken out in the Long Tieng
valley, as the North Vietnamese continue to breach
the government's defenses in the area. By the early
morning of 12 January, the Communists had overrun at
least two positions on Skyline Ridge overlooking
Long Tieng, and heavy fighting was under way in the
valley near the airstrip.
Earlier, on 10 January, irregular units abandoned
Tha Tam Bleung and some nearby positions and withdrew
to the south. At last report these units were being
shelled by the North Vietnamese 130-mm. field guns.
It will be difficult for other irregular units nearby
to attempt to regain the position. The North Viet-
namese have now occupied Sam Thong and the Sam Thong
valley, numerous enemy are active
throughout
the valley can be quickly retaken.
the area, reducing the likelihood that
Many of the units in outlying positions are
isolated, and their aerial resupply and
medical evacuation is increasingly vulner-
able to North Vietnamese firepower. With
the Pha Dong - Ban Na defensive line shat-
tered, Sam Thong lost, and heavy fighting
under way in the Long Tieng valley, the
government's strategy appears to be boiling
down basically to defending what it now
holds in the hope
Communist logistic problems
will keep the enemy at bay.
Laotian Defense Minister Sisouk has sounded out
Ambassador Godley regarding the US attitude toward
a proposed request to Saigon to send three ARVN bat-
talions to the Pakse area. According to the Laotians,
President Thieu has said that troops are available
but would require US assistance and support while in
Laos.
Saigon used this formulation as a way of
turning down a previous request by Vien-
tiane. In view of the possibility of
fairly substantial Communist activity
within South Vietnam this spring and sum-
mer, President Thieu would be most reluc-
tant to airlift troops deep into south
Laos at this time. The request is sympto-
matic, however, of the Laotians' extremely
depressed mood over the worsening military
situation.
1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH VIETNAM
la shortage of replacement personnel
last year tended to undercut ARVN's improvement in 25X1
fighting performance. 25X1
now.
111 battalions--compared to 83 in 1970--involved in
combat operations daily, but the average infantry
battalion operated at only about two thirds of its
authorized strength. Army casualties during the
period rose by more than 11 percent. The army's
monthly desertion rate increased by ten percent over
the ?revious year, totaling 70,000 25X1
The monthly average rate of troop replace- 25X1
ments--which probably means total recruitments for
the armed forces as a whole in the period decreased
by over 38 percent from 1970.
War weariness, however, may have increased
the recruitment problems of the government
as well as the Viet Cong.
Although the study reports that there were also
manpower shortages in the air force during 1971,
this service achieved a creditable over-all increase
in performance and activity. Sorties by all types
of aircraft and helicopters increased by more than
50 percent
strikes us as a reasonably ac-
curate assessment of the strengths and
weaknesses of the South Vietnamese armed
forces.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
WARSAW PACT
The Warsaw Pact summit meeting to be held in Prague
later this month is expected to deal with issues re-
lated to European security. The Soviets have con-
vened such Pact meetings at key intervals in their
push toward detente.
Besides calling for ratification of the Polish and
Soviet treaties with West Germany, Moscow may also
seek to use the meeting to keep the East Germans in
step. Pankow has been conducting a sharply worded
anti - West German press campaign, which reflects
its concern over the destabilizing impact of the
current detente atmosphere on the East German in-
ternal situation.
The Soviets also are Likely to use the summit to
give another push to the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe. The summit may reiterate
last month's call by the Pact's foreign ministers
for the start of multilateral preparatory talks for
the conference. Moscow continues to propose convo-
cation of the conference itself in 1972, but prob-
ably is willing to settle for preparatory steps this
year.
Another important agenda item may be the implications
for bloc solidarity of President Nixon's trip to Pe-
king. Moscow would like to obtain a strong condem-
nation of Peking's opening to Washington. In the
face of Romanian ties with Peking, however, the
Kremlin probably will have to be satisfied with a
boilerplate call for continued unity against impe-
rialist intrigues.
3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
KOREA
In an exclusive interview with Japanese news-
men on 10 January, Premier Kim Il-song proposed ex-
panding the current North - South Korean Red Cross
.talks to include political matters. He also said
he is willing to conclude a "peace pace with South
Korea, possibly before US troops are withdrawn.
Much of what Kim said was merely an elab-
oration of earlier Pyongyang proposals.
His suggestion that an accord might be
concluded before US troops are withdrawn
from the South, however, is new.
Kim's main purpose--as in earlier state-
ments--is to project an image of reason-
ableness and flexibility. While accusing
Seoul of foot-dragging in the Red Cross
talks, the North in recent months has
muted its invective against the South Ko-
rean Government and has maintained a rela-
tively harmonious atmosphere at Panmunjom.
4
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Top Secret
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