News stories from Sunday November 7, 1971

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

President Nixon will announce more troop withdrawals from Vietnam soon. It is believed that he will order an end to America's ground combat role in Vietnam; the last division will be pulled out starting in 1972. Air, artillery and logistical units will be left with two brigades to protect them.South Vietnamese leaders are anxious to know about the U.S.' future troop commitments. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird assured them that the Nixon administration has things under control, and he stated that the military aspects of Vietnamization are moving forward. [NBC] The last Australian battalion left Vietnam. [NBC] A battle occurred east of Saigon between Americans and Viet Cong. B-52 bombers reportedly hit Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam. The Center for International Studies at Cornell University released a report regarding the air war in Vietnam. Their study shows that the level of bombing is greater under President Nixon than it was under LBJ: from 1965-68, 3,015,000 tons were dropped; from 1969-71, 3,400,000 tons were dropped. The U.S. dropped only 2 million tons of bombs in all of World War II and 1 million tons in Korea.1,050,000 Vietnamese civilians have been killed since 1965, and 6,000,000 refugees have been reported. Defoliation since 1962 has affected 14% of the total land area in Vietnam: 5,200,000 acres of forest and 560,000 acres of crop land. [NBC] Scientists from the Atomic Energy Commission are studying the effects of yesterday's Amchitka nuclear blast; the test is being called a success. 242 people were on Amchitka Island during the test, 23 miles from the blast site. Atomic Energy Commission chairman James Schlesinger was there with his wife and two children. No radioactive gases escaped, but two buildings above the test site were damaged. The AEC said that even though the test was successful, testing will never occur there again. [NBC] In Moscow, the Soviet Union celebrated the 54th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution; military hardware was displayed, but no new weapons. No direct verbal attack on the U.S. was made. [NBC] The advance party for the Chinese delegation to the United Nations is in Paris. China pledged to give more support to Pakistan against India. [NBC] Civil defense exercises are being practiced in India. [NBC] In Northern Ireland, British soldiers were ambushed and killed. One man was shot while trying to machine-gun a street patrol. [NBC] Pilots, stewardesses and United Nations representatives met on a 747 to discuss hijackings. The group discussed U.N. support for three treaties to control air piracy. Debate in the United Nations regarding hijackings will begin in three weeks. [NBC] Senator Henry Jackson may enter the New Hampshire presidential primary. [NBC] Rep. Wilbur Mills called for the Pay Board to allow wage increases which were negotiated before the wage freeze. [NBC] The House will consider a constitutional amendment to allow non-denominational prayers in schools; prayer in public schools was halted by the Supreme Court in 1962. A grassroots effort is forcing a vote on the amendment.Rep. Chalmers Wylie said that the court in 1962 stripped the rights of those who voluntarily want to pray, and he noted that prayer is not mandatory. Wylie pointed out that the House and the Supreme Court open their sessions with a prayer. Some church groups oppose the amendment, fearing local fights over non-denominational prayers; the problem is determining whose notion of God will be imposed on children. If passed in the House, the amendment moves to the Senate and then must be ratified by 38 state legislatures. [NBC]