THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 NOVEMBER 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007877
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: November 25, 1974

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012300010054-1
The President's Daily Brief
November 25, 1974
5
Top Sec, et
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category, 5B(1).(2).(3)
declassified on& on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
November 25, 1974
Table of Contents
Ethiopia: The ruling military council executed
General Aman and 59 detained officials in an
effort to stifle further challenges to its
authority. (Page 1)
Jordan: The new government appointed on Saturday
is part of a continuing effort to reduce West
Bank Palestinian influence. (Page 2)
Israel: There may be a shortage of qualified air
force crews. (Page 3)
World Auto Production": The world auto industry is
? heading for its sharpest contraction since the
1930s. (Page 4)
Canada: The proposed phase-out of crude oil exports
to the US over the next eight years will have
little initial impact on US crude oil supplies.
(Page 5) ?
Notes: North Vietnam - USSR - China; Brazil; Italy;
Romania (Page 6)
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ETHIOPIA
The ruling military council executed
General Aman and 59 detained military of-
ficers and former government officials in
an effort to stifle further challenges
to its authority. The executions appar-
ently had broad support within the coun-
cil and did not represent a grab for
power by radicals who had favored such
action for some time.
Those executed included senior military officers
and former civilian officials. Many were aristocrats
and former.. cabinet ministers accused of corruption
and maladministration during the reign of Haile Selas-
sie. Those'killed also included officers who Sup-
ported the initial military revolt last February,
but who had since been arrested for opposing the
council.
The council apparently believed that the swift
executions, would cower-Aman's supporters, bUt,dissen-
sion and rancor within the military will probably
increase. ,The peremptory action against Aman and
two of his supporters on the council, as well as the
failure to consult with all units about the execution
of the _other.officials, will add to increasing criti-
cism that the council is losing touch with the rest
of the military.
Aman had. strong support within some units, es-
pecially the_ThirdipiviSion in eastern Ethiopia,
In addition, many.officers and enlisted men who did
not support Aman outright, but who wanted him to have
a chance to .defend himself publicly, were attempting
a few hours before his execution to mediate between
Aman and the.council.
The council has announced that it will name -a
new head of government from outside the council-.
Under the circumstances, it will have difficulty
finding another senior military official or well-
known civilian willing to acceptythe figurehead post.
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JORDAN
King Husayn appointed a new government
on Saturday as part of a continuing effort
to reduce West Bank Palestinian influence
in Jordan. He also dissolved parliament
and accepted the resignations of several
unpopular personal advisers.
The King, contrary to earlier indications, re-
appointed his long-time friend and confidant Zaid
Rifai as prime minister. Rifai also continues as
foreign minister and defense minister.
The retention of Rifai is certain to displease
East Bank conservatives, particularly in the army,
but the move may reassure the jittery Palestinian
community. Rifai and army Chief of Staff bin Shakir
have become symbols of neglect of East Bank interests
and corruption in government.
Apart from the continued prominence of
troversial Rifai, the new cabinet should be
ceived by the King's East Bank supporters.
half of the 20-member cabinet are holdovers
Palestinian representation was reduced from
four.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
the con-
well re-
Roughly
, but
ten to
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ISRAEL
In the past six weeks, the Israeli
air force has lost five aircraft in acci-
dents, four apparently because of pilot
error on training missions.
This performance is well below normally high
Israeli standards, and suggests a shortage of qual-
ified air crews. The Israelis most likely are hav-
ing difficulty training enough pilots to replace
those lost during the October war, as well as to
man new aircraft delivered by the US. One squadron
commander has reported that there are too few pilots
to maintain a proper crew-to-aircraft ratio.
the Israelis have doubled the number of flight ca-
dets. This probably means that the air force has
had to lower qualifications for its pilot trainees.
The attache believes that the pilot shortage most
likely will be in support and lower performance
jet aircraft rather than in F-4s and Mirages, to
which the best pilot graduates are assigned.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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WORLD AUTO PRODUCTION
The world automobile industry, faced
with rising production costs and shrink-
ing demand, is heading for the sharpest
contraction it has had since the 1930s.
So far this year, automakers have seen sales
around the world drop 20 percent or more on an an-
nual basis. Lately, the decline in orders has ap-
proached 40 percent. Strong sales of heavy trucks,
which have helped keep the industry going, have
begun to plunge as equipment buyers curtail invest-
ment spending. In October, truck sales were down
60 to 80 percent.
To make matters worse, the large export Mar-
kets are drying up. European makers, especially
in West Germany, have been trying to clear their
huge inventories by shipping cars abroad.- As
stocks of autos have climbed in the importing coun-
tries, however-, producers have had to make severe
production cutbacks.
The auto industry will probably never regain
its. status as a growth industry in, the developed
nations The major growth in auto demand is now
among the less developed nations. These countries
are expanding their own automobile industries and
beginning to absorb other developing-country mar-
kets.
The growth in competition from the developing
countries and the changes in the auto industries
in developed nations will speed a restructuring of
the auto industry worldwide.
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CANADA
The Canadian government's proposed
phase-out of crude oil exports to the US
over the next eight years will have little
initial impact on US crude oil supplies.
In recent months, US refineries have been im-
porting far less than the Canadian allowance of one
million barrels per day because of the high price
of Canadian crude oil. US crude oil imports from
Canada in September were only about 725,000 barrels
per day.
The proposed cut in permissible deliveries ?to
the US--to 800,000 barrels per day by January 1,
1975, and to 650,000 by next July--has been planned
for over a year. The reduction is tied to govern-
ment plans to pipe oil from western to eastern
Canada to reduce that area's dependency on oil im-
ports, mainly from Venezuela and the Middle East.
Scheduled for completion in 1976, the Canadian
pipeline will have an initial capacity of 250,000
barrels per day.
Energy Minister MacDonald has said that if the
oil-producing provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan
raise strong objections, which is likely, the
800,000-barrel-per-day level would be maintained
through 1975.
The proposal to cut back exports to the US
reflects the National Energy- Board's findings that
Canada's dwindling oil reserves are insufficient
to supply rising domestic demand and continued high
exports. MacDonald rejected a demand for an im-
mediate halt to oil exports because of the poten-
tial harmful effects on Canadian-US relations.
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NOTES
. North Vietnam-USSR - China:, A North Viet-
namese delegation headed by Politburo member Le Duc
Tho arrived in Moscow on November 20 en route to
Paris for a ten-day stay at the invitation of the
French Communist Party. Thos delegation conferred
with Soviet Politburo member Mikhail Suslov and
party secretary Konstantin Katushev. Tho also stop-
ped briefly in Peking but received lower level
treatment there. His stay was barely mentioned in
Chinese media. In his many past stopovers in Peking,
Tho usually has been received by Premier Chou En-
lai and senior Politburo member Chang Chun-chiao.
Brazil: Foreign Minister Silveira leaves this
week for Senegal and Portugal in his country's
latest bid to play a larger role in black Africa
and in the Portuguese-speaking community, which
spans three continents. Brazilian diplomats have
already met with some leaders in the former Portu-
guese territories and offered them assistance. The
visit may provide an opportunity to announce es-
tablishment of diplomatic relations with Guinea-
Bissau. Silveira's presence in Portugal could
serve to signal a desire for improved relations as
well as to point up the possibility of Brazil's
serving as a go-between with Portuguese-speaking
Africa.
Italy: Christian Democrat Aldo Moro's two-
party coalition government was sworn in by Presi-
dent Leone on Saturday. The required parliamentary
vote of confidence is to take place on December 2.
The small Republican Party has been given five of-
fices in the new cabinet, including that of deputy
prime minister. The Christian Democrats will oc-
cupy the remaining 20 positions, with outgoing
prime minister Mariano Rumor taking over Moro's
post at the Foreign Ministry,
Romania: Bucharest's maverick style of commu-
nism will beendorsed as enduring national policy
at Romania's 11th Communist Party Congress, which
opens today. The congress will be President Ceau-
sescu's show all the way. By the time the congress
is over, one third of the members of all party bodies,
including the Central Committee, will probably be
newcomers to their posts. This is an effort by Ceau-
sescu to break up regional fiefdoms, inject new blood,
and stimulate renewed interest in party activity by
the rank-and-file members. The recent Cominformist
affair in Yugoslavia probably has increased Ceausescu's
desire to ensure a loyal following.
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Top Secret
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