THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 26 DECEMBER 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007902
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 26, 1974

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010020-7
The President's Daily Brief
December 26, 1974
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 58(1),(2)0)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
December 26, 1974
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Egypt-Syria-Israel:
(Page 1)
Lebanon: Senior Lebanese army officers claim that
continued Israeli strikes into Lebanon will
force a greater government commitment to the
Arab cause. (Page 3)
USSR: The Soviet press has expressed satisfaction
with the lifting of trade barriers by the US
Congress, but condemns "artificially created
difficulties." (Page 4)
USSR
(Page 5)
Ethiopia: The army may be preparing an offensive
against the Eritrean guerrillas. (Page 6)
Notes: USSR; Italy-Iran; South Korea (Page 7)
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EGYPT-SYRIA-ISRAEL
(continued)
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LEBANON
Senior Lebanese army officers claim
that continued Israeli strikes into Leb-
anon will force the government to give
in to pressure from fedayeen and Arab
League members for a greater Lebanese com-
mitment to the Arab cause. The officers
believe that since the Rabat conference
in late October the strength of the feda-
yeen in Lebanon has grown to a point where
the army can no longer risk a showdown.
The chief of operations of the Lebanese army
told a US official on Monday that he fears recent
Israeli military maneuvers in northern Israel may
have been a dress rehearsal for a wide-ranging as-
sault on Lebanon aimed at clearing out local refu-
gee camps. The chief of operations found ominous
the recent return of Israeli General Sharon, known
for his hawkish views and unorthodox military ex-
ploits, to the army reserves for a "special assign-
ment." He was also uneasy about tough talk ema-
nating from Israeli leaders about Lebanon's culpa-
bility for fedayeen activity0
that if the
army challenged the fedayeen in the south, "all
hell" would break loose in Beirut and in the north.
He said the fedayeen are able to bring weapons into
Lebanon at will, and illustrated his point by citing
their possession of six armored personnel carriers
inside a refugee camp in Beirut.
The question of increasing the country's mili-
tary strength vis-a-vis the fedayeen has engendered
much debate in Lebanon. Some politicians want So-
viet military aid, some want only Arab assistance,
and some do not want any. This greatly complicates
the task of getting legislation to authorize and
finance expansion of the armed forces.
On December 18
The chief of staff
said that the Soviets were constantly pressing the
army to accept military aid with attractive finan-
cial terms, but that the Lebanese army leadership,
as opposed to some Lebanese politicians, did not
want to become militarily dependent upon either
the Soviets or members of the Arab League. A mem-
ber of the National Defense Committee of the Leba-
nese Parliament later confirmed that the Soviets
have been pressing Beirut to accept military aid.
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USSR
The Soviet press has expressed satis-
faction with the lifting of trade barriers
by the US Congress, but it has also con-
demned "artificially created difficulties"
raised by "opponents of detente."
Press commentary has been concentrated primar-
ily on the more politically sensitive trade act,
with heavy play given to the Tass statement and the
Gromyko letter on the emigration issue. Legisla-
tion limiting the amount of credits available to
the Soviets could, however, have much greater eco-
nomic significance than the trade act.
The mood among Soviet Jews hoping to emigrate
is mixed. Some activists see Moscow's action as
chiefly a face-saving exercise. Others interpret
it as signaling a general hardening of the Soviet
position on emigration. There is also speculation
among Jewish activists that the Soviets have been
acting with an eye to Arab sensibilities prior to
Brezhnev's trip to Egypt.
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USSR
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ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia's military rulers may be
about to go on the offensive against the
rebel Eritrean Liberation Fronts which
last weekend initiated violence in As-
mara, the capital of Eritrea Province.
On Monday, Ethiopian army authorities in As-
mara announced that their "patience" has run out
and that they will take "all measures necessary"
to end the insurgency. The military council in
Addis Ababa had sent reinforcements to Eritrea ear-
lier this month.
The trouble in Asmara began when rebels at-
tacked with small arms and grenades. The army
responded immediately. Large-scale arrests were
made and many civilians were beaten. The harsh
army response is likely to increase the Front's
popular support and deepen the disaffection among
the predominantly Eritrean paramilitary police.
There has been only limited contact between
the guerrillas and government forces since Febru-
ary, when the army's growing involvement in poli-
tics curtailed its antiguerrilla sweeps in the
countryside. The Front controls most of the Eri-
trean countryside, but it does not appear to be
capable of driving the army out of the province.
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NOTES
USSR: Late last night the Soviets launched
a Salyut space station. They probably will monitor
conditions aboard the space station for a few days
before sending up two cosmonauts in a Soyuz space-
craft to board it. The crew is expected to remain
aboard for a period of one to two months.
Italy-Iran: President Leone during his recent
visit to Iran confirmed some $5-6 billion in com-
mercial deals that had already been under negotia-
tion. )
South Korea: There were no political prison-
ers among the approximately 3,000 South Koreans
given a Christmas amnesty by the government, but,
significantly, two Japanese citizens arrested ear-
lier this year for alleged anti-Pak plotting were
freed. The release of the Japanese was probably
prompted by statements from officials of the new
Miki government indicating an interest in repair-
ing the badly strained ties with South Korea.
President Pak is reported to have deferred re-
leasing political prisoners because opposition
activity has not, in his judgment, quieted suffi-
ciently. The major opposition party, in fact, re-
cently launched an anti-Pak campaign in leading
provincial cities.
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