Declassified in lint - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00906A010300010001-1 25X1 3 January'197 2 SEE 25x1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 139R 3'January l972 DEVELOPMENTS North Vietnamese artillery attacks caused'extensive damage to the irregular complex at Long Tieng i north Laos this weekend Page I - Pakistan's denial of a report that it will release Mujibur Rahman this week may be more indicative of a change of timing than of-a change of plans Page 2 I Neither the UK nor Malta shows any sign of relaxing its terms to halt-a British pull-out while Malta is still_having only limited success in seeking alter-_ nate sources of financing Page 5 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 Plaine des larres Area - - AREA or I MAIN MAP A r a Vientiane Khangfv avapnakhet I xix 6 1 1 s Ba_n I 1 - Bouam LongQ I Nam Khan Ban B'a n 3 5 7 Soul Xieng Khouangville f 72 Hill 166 Ban I PhA u ng ma QT ha Tarn Bleung Sam ong Phou Pha Sai Defensw 4 Line LongTien ha 0 g 52 Heavy artillery attacks 5 o 9 Government-held locatidn I 1 ZOMies - - 25X1 - Communist-held location lb 10 20 Kilometers A 1-72 CIA tr 0 5 do Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY LAOS North Vietnamese l30-mm guns have fired more Ithan 300 rounds into the Long Tieng complex since 31 December when the Communists launched their first heavy artillery attacks against the base All build ings and ordnance of the Lao_Air Force have been de stroyed and one 105 mm howitzer has been disabled Although the Long Tieng airstrip is still usable 'air operations have been shifted to Ban_Son about 20 miles to the southwest US tactical air strikes were flown against-the 130 mm gun firing positions located just south of the Plaine des Jarres on 31 December and 1 January At least three-of the guns are believed to have been damaged 'Cloud cover and haze have hampered subse- quent air strikes however -and intercepts of Janr uary indicate that the North Vietnamese are trying to confuse the US pilots by building decoy positions They are also bringing up additional l30-mm ammuni tion - - No enemy infantry attack has developed thus far and ground activity in the area remains limited to scattered clashes On 31 December a four battal ion irregular task force totaling over-1 000 men arrived in Long Tieng from Savannakhet These ir- regulars who have been quite_effective in south Laos are deployed a few miles north of Long Tieng _at Tha Tam Bleung and Phou Long-Mat Casualties at Long Tieng have been light thus far Even so accOrding to the US Embassy in Vien- tiane the shelling is lowerinq the morale of the irre ulars In about five miles west of Paksong on the Bolovens Plateau_came under heavy attack on 3erecember and were'abandonedt The Lao Army troops manning them dispersed leaving behind trucks and three lOS-mm howitzers which were later destroyed by air strikes Other Lao Army units have pulled back to Ban Gnik an irregu- lar position on the western edge of the plateau Ban Gnik is now-the goVernment's forward defense- point FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY- Pakistan s repudiation-of a Time corre- spandent's report to the effect that Mujibur Rahman would be unconditionally' _released on 7 January does not necessarily mean that President Bhutto has changed his' mind It is more likely_that press-leaks of the story have caused Bhutto to recon- sider his timing -Bhutto may hope the re- lease of Mujib_would ease the atmosphere for negotiations with India and hasten the- repatriation of Pakistani priSoners The return of Mujib -who is regarded a3 Bangladesh s legitimate leader by-the vast majority of the people as well as most po-- litical and guerrilla factions would greatly help the new_government to solid- ify its control over the country The sheikh s presence would also help bring under control the current competition for power among the political factionsgr Although some leftist parties have recently been_rebuffed in their efforts to gain en- try into the cabinet pro-Soviet_elements in the ruling Awami League have been gain- ing in influence ' Pro-saviet Prime Minis _ ter Tajuddin Ahmad gained added responsi- bilities when cabinet portfolios were re distributed last week and Abdus Samad- who is also considered friendly to Mos- cow--replaced a pro-West politician as foreign minister 3 Meanwhile the Bangladesh authorities with In dian help are making progress toward getting the- country back on its feetov Rail and bUs service-has resumed-in many parts of the country and telecom- munications links have-been re-established with most areas Many shOps and banks are also reported to be back in business as are'most of the facilities atv the country's The Indian Army-has been playing a major role in the restora tions of roads river crossings and communications Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1 - FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY MALTA-UK Prime Minister Mintoff's quick trip-to Libya On Friday appears to have produced only limited results in the way-of alternate financing to that 25x1 of the British Mintoff was prom ' ised some assistance in the form of both grants and loans but all discussion of long term aid Was left to the-future On the same day told Am- bassador Ellsworth that-he would like the British to stay on if an agreement could be reached but thache would prefer Malta to be independent if it is going to have financial troubles _ British-forces under extension of their departure deadline until 15' January have begun dismantling-sOme military equips ment In London Foreign Office Under-Secretary Wiggin raised the idea on 1 January of UK-US talks about future negotiating steps but said he doubted any satisfactory and durable agreement could be reached with Mintoff r He reiterated that the prese ent'British attitude is to wait and see whether the imminent prospect of their departure would give-the Maltese Government sober second thoughts I FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 05A Class Guided Missile Patrol Boat Length 128 feet Maximum speed 40 knots Missiles - 4 single SS-N-Z launchers Fax 3 h- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY - NOTES I Two soviet ocean-going tugs each towing an Osa-class guided missile patrol boat with _crew Were sighted on 1 January some 1 100 miles east of Cuba If they continue toward the Carib- bean it will mark the first appearance of these patrol boats in Cuban Waters VThe Osa carries-four guided missiles which have a range of about 20 miles Currently the Cubans haVe 18 of the Komar- class guided missile patrol boats which have only- two missile tubes Egypt Israel-US Egyptian-reaction to press reports that the US will resume shipment of Phantom jet fighters to Israel has been limited to a rel atively restrained comment by informed sources in an interview with the Middle East News Agency s Al-- though it is unusuale such sources to issue a statement on a Muslim holy day the-comment seemed pro forma and closed no doors to future diplomatic moves by the us or Egypt Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1 Declassified in Pain - nitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016 07 15 CIA-RDP79T00936A010300010001-1