THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 JANUARY 1972

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0005993111
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
August 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 24, 2016
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 31, 1972
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon DOC_0005993111.pdf279.25 KB
Body: 
Declassified in Part :Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP/9T00936A010300270001-3 The President's Daily Brief 31 January 1972 47 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 January 1972 PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS In Laos, action around Long Tieng was light this weekend. (Page. 1) Japanese leaders are publicly pressing for govern- ment-level talks with Peking but they re- main cautious about prospects for normalizing rela- tions. (Page 2) Pakistan's break with the Commonwealth is not likely to halt the trend toward recognition of Bangladesh. (Page 3) The latest round of talks on Malta made some prog- ress but several important issues remain. (Page 4) Peking has extended $65 million in economic aid to Chile, the largest single credit Chile has obtained to date from a Communist country. (Page 5) FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 LONG TIENG AREA FrOCGovernment-held location ?Communist-held location A Highpoint ? I 0 5 1 Miles itan Na ,P? MAT Phou Se \DES-r eluong Pot JARR Wha Tam Bleung Sam Tho .Phou Pha Sai Khang Khfib NVA probing attacks ong Tieng ha Khao Pha Dorf? I Ban Phone Muong ha--" 552486 1-72 CIA 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY LAOS Action around Long Tieng was light this week- end. Four of the eight irregular battalions that came to the relief of Long Tieng from Savannakhet are scheduled to return to south Laos today for rest and reorganization. These? troops suffered 25 per- cent casualties during the retaking of Skyline Ridge and their effectiveness and morale have declined. A recent intercept from a North Vietnamese unit near the Plaine des Jarres indicates that the fight- ing is also having an effect on the enemy. Accord- ing to the message, some Communist troops are afraid of the possibility of saturation bombing and do not want to go into combat. The intercept also mentioned logistical difficulties, including a lack of spare parts and explosives. Even though the North Vietnamese are being heavily attacked from the air, there is no evidence that morale or logistical prob- lems are of such scope that they would pre- vent the Communists from launching a heavy, coordinated attack after their preparations are completed. 1 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14: CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY JAPAN - COMMUNIST CHINA Prime Minister Sato and Foreign Minister Fukuda have told the Diet that they want to establish normal relations with Communist China. Both called for talks with Peking at the government level. Sato acknowl- edged Japan's close ties with Taipei, but noted that Communist China has been admitted to the TAi and that Tokyo's talks with Peking should be on the basis of "realization that China is one." Fukuda, who is a leading contender to succeed Sato, did not mention Taiwan. Furthermore, while most leaders of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have concluded that diplomatic ties must be estab- lished with Peking, they are still uncertain about the pace at which Japan should proceed. Fukuda's caution stems in large part from Peking's aversion to Sato personally and from indications that China is unwilling to come to terms with Japan as long as Sato is Prime Minister. Despite considerable reservations in Tokyo, at least one press report claims that the Japanese have already sounded out the French about arranging am- bassadorial talks with the Chinese. During his visit to Tokyo in mid-January, Foreign Minister Schumann is said to have offered his good offices. 2 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY PAKISTAN-COMMONWEALTH Pakistan said yesterday that it is cutting its ties with the Commonwealth as a result of today's recognition of Bangladesh by Australia and New Zea- land and Britain's apparent intention to announce recognition on 4 February. Commonwealth withdrawal is most likely welcomed by the Pakistanis, most of whom have long questioned the organization's value, and who are resentful of the aloof attitude of Britain and the major Common- wealth countries during the war with In- dia. The action is not likely to have much impact on the trend toward recogni- tion by other states, however. Besides Australia and New Zealand, the only Commonwealth countries which thus far have recognized Bangladesh are India, Barbados, and Cyprus. Cypriot recogni- tion last,week Zed the Pakistanis to break relations with Nicosia, as they have done with most countries taking this step. Bhutto has indicated, however, that he cannot afford to sever ties with "major powers" such as the USSR and he may have opted to withdraw from the com- monwealth in preference to breaking rela- ? tions with the more powerful members of the group. Bhutto told a press confer- ? ence yesterday ?that he is prepared to continue bilateral relations with Britain. Pakistan's need for economic assistance, moreover, may shape its reaction to rec- ognition moves by the other lctrger states both within the Commonwealth and in West- ern Europe--most of whom have supplied economic aid to Pakistan in the past. Although the UK has been advocating agree- ment on a common date for recogntiion of Bangladesh by the European Community coun- tries, several states including France and Italy have not committed themselves. 3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY MALTA UK-NATO The latest round of talks which ended Saturday made some progress, but several important issues re- main. On the chief financial question--the annual "rent" to be paid to Malta--Prime Minister Mintoff appears tentatively to have accepted the final Al- lied offer of $36.4 million annually--provided that he gets his demand for at least some immediate cash. The North Atlantic Council will discuss this formula today. The major bilateral Malta-UK issue--the terms for British-employed local labor--is still unsettled. Working-level discussions will continue in Valletta this week on this and other aspects of a new defense agreement in preparation for the next ministerial meeting in Rome on 7 February. In the meantime, the withdrawal of UK forces from Malta is continuing. British officials note that they will soon begin dismantling heavy equip- ment, including radar facilities, a step which will be difficult and costly to reverse. Nevertheless, London believes it must continue the withdrawal as a means of pressuring Mintoff to come to terms. 4 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY NOTE Chile-China-USSR: Peking has extended $65 million in economic aid to Chile, the largest single credit Chile has obtained to date from a Communist country. Moscow extended $50 million in foreign exchange to Santiago late last year. Foreign Min- ister Almeyda has implied that the Chinese assistance is in the,form of hard currency on a short-term basis--just what Chile needs most. Moscow's aid carried similar terms. China's action comes almost immediately after the arrival of a high-level Soviet economic delegation in Santiago, which implies that Peking is interested in competing with Moscow for influence in Chile. The composition of the Soviet delegation suggests that Moscow is undertaking a thorough examination of the Chilean economy. Thus far, the $90 million in outstanding Soviet economic credits to Chile have been used mostly for preliminary survey work. FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP-79T00936A010300270001-3 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010300270001-3