January 21, 1972

US, concerned about unusually powerful and early Communist offensive in Laos, lifts much of the secrecy it has maintained over its efforts in Laos; is now saying that far from doing too much, the US is doing too little and the Adm may ask for more money; US establishment in Vientiane makes clear its concern; sr Amer official says the US Embassy will probably run out of mil and econ aid before the end of fiscal '72 unless Cong raises the $350-million ceiling on it; links mil shortages and heavy toll of Amer-backed guerrilla and regular Laotian forces since start of intense Communist attack in Dec; Premier Souvanna Phouma reptdly is growing discouraged; US Amb Godley says US amendment ltg aid to Laos may cause great difficulties; top-ranking official suggests intense enemy attack may stem from amendment; decision to permit reporters to visit Long Tieng linked to US Adm concern; illus of Long Tieng, Skyline Ridge and Amer plane dropping supplies to soldiers on the ridge

Well-placed Nixon Adm sources rept US and Israel are nearing agreement under which Israel will receive 18 more F-4s from US starting in spring '72; indicate US is also prepared to deliver approximately 36 A-4 Skyhawk support craft to replace some of more than 100 older French-built aircraft in Israeli arsenal; Defense and State Dept sources say F-4s, being produced for USAF, will be diverted from McDonnell Douglas Corp's production line in St Louis and that $13.5-million has been set aside to procure items for production of aircraft; Adm sources indicate that Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that US agree to replace more than 100 obsolete fighter-bombers in Israeli Air Force to maintain balance of power in Middle East; mil sources say F-4s coming from assembly lines in Mar will have major wing improvement that will improve performance in encounters with Soviet-built MIG-21, principal fighter in Egyptian Air Force

Man dressed in cowboy boots and Western clothes hijacks Hughes Air West DC-9 on ground in Las Vegas, Nev, as craft is about to take off for Reno; releases 67 passengers and 2 stewardesses in exchange for parachutes and $50,000 in ransom; orders craft to take off in direction of Denver, Colo; parachutes from craft over Akron, Colo, but is captured by police in nearby Sterling after suffering injuries during descent to ground; map outlines route of hijacked craft

Nixon illus

Violent, internal struggle, described as start of push for change and leadership, reptd under way in nation's Black Muslim orgn; with shooting deaths of 2 ptl and 2 Muslims, Baton Rouge, La, black separatist struggle has affected non-Muslim world; new Muslim dissidents described as dedicated young men, like Malcolm X, who charge orgn has become too narrowly sectarian, inhibited and insulated from other Amer blacks; history of Black Muslim orgn; present orgn, in contrast to its violent reputation of dozen yrs ago when it took part in several shootouts with police, is regarded as conservative element in black community; some authorities, however, are now fearful that orgn may be entering time of stress and perhaps upheaval; illus of Muslim leader, Elijah Muhammad