THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 30 DECEMBER 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007905
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 30, 1974

Declassified in Pah - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00.936k612406610023-4
The President's Daily Brief
December 30, 1974
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 56( I )(2).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010023-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012400010023-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
December 30, 1974
Table of Contents
USSR-Egypt: Brezhnev is reported to have postponed
indefinitely his trip to Egypt and other Arab
states. (Page 1)
Bangladesh: Prime Minister Mujibur Rahman decrees
a state of emergency. (Page 2)
Cambodia: Prime Minister and army commander in
chief agree on increased civilian-military
cooperation. (Page 3)
Nicaragua: President Somoza has agreed to meet
the principal demands of terrorists holding
hostages in Managua. (Page 4)
Notes: Egypt-Syria-Israel; Thailand; Romania
(Page 5)
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USSR-EGYPT
General Secretary Brezhnev's visit to
Egypt and other Arab states is postponed
indefinitely, according to press reports
from Cairo this morning. "Informed Egyp-
tian sources" say that differences over
military and political questions were be-
hind the postponement.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmi and War Minis-
ter Gamasy, who made a hurried trip to Moscow on
Saturday, met for 35 minutes with Brezhnev, Foreign
Minister Gromyko, and Defense Minister Grechko yes-
terday, before agreeing to postpone the visit. A
joint communique is to be issued later today.
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BANGLADESH
Prime Minister Mujibur Rahman de-
creed a state of emergency Saturday which
restricts civil rights and broadens the
government's powers of arrest and deten-
tion. The emergency was declared, accord-
ing to the decree, because "the security
and economic life of Bangladesh have been
threatened by internal disturbances."
Mujib told newsmen that he may take fur-
ther action.
Mujib reportedly has been considering the dec-
laration of a state of emergency for some time.
The murder of several members of his Awami League
recently, including a member of parliament, may
have provided a plausible opportunity for his ac-
tion.
The US embassy in Dacca comments that Mujib
has seemed increasingly interested in moving toward
an authoritarian setup and that the emergency de-
cree appears part of a trend in that direction.
Specificially, Mujib has been weighing a change
from the present parliamentary government to a
more centralized presidential system as a means of
increasing his power to deal with the severe eco-
nomic and social problems that face Bangladesh.
Leading members of his party oppose such a shift.
The public so far is reacting calmly to the
decree. The fragmented leftist political opposi-
tion may try to mount a protest campaign, but for
the time being it is unlikely to get help from
anti-government military officers whose support
would be necessary for any serious move against
Mujib. Military and paramilitary forces have been
moved to key positions should their presence be
necessary to maintain order.
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CAMBODIA
Prime Minister Long Boret has appar-
ently shelved plans for an ambitious cab-
inet reorganization that would increase
civilian control over the military. His
decision permitted a reconciliation with
army Commander in Chief Bosthene Fernan-
dez with whom relations had been strained.
The two agreed late last week on increased
civilian-military consultation and civil-
ian budgetary control over the armed
forces.
This informal pact between Boret and Fernandez
probably holds out more hope for effective cooper-
ation between civilian and military leaders than
would the earlier considered cabinet reorganization.
The resolution of the personal feud between
Boret and Fernandez will work to the disadvantage
of Lon Non, President Lon Nol's controversial young
brother. Lon Non has been trying to capitalize on
the strained relations between the two leaders to
further his own political ambitions.
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NICARAGUA
Nicaraguan President Somoza has
agreed to the principal demands of ter-
rorists who are holding about a dozen
hostages in Managua. Somoza has guar-
anteed the terrorists safe passage to
Cuba, will pay them a ransom of at least
$1 million, and will release a number of
their imprisoned colleagues?members of
the Sandinist National Liberation Front.
Preparations reportedly are being made
for a flight to Havana possibly today.
The President has a well-known record of deal-
ing harshly with extremists. This time, he was
left with almost no room for maneuver after a well-
armed band stormed a suburban Managua home Friday
during a reception attended by a number of Nicara-
guan luminaries. Some of Somoza's closest associ-
ates and two relatives are among the hostages,
who include his brother-in-law--Ambassador Guillermo
Sevilla-Sacasa, dean of the diplomatic corps in
Washington--a cousin, Nicaragua's foreign minister,
the mayor of Managua, and the ambassador to the UN.
A US citizen and the Chilean ambassador are also
among the captives.
The Sandinist group is small, and after re-
peated losses to government security forces in re-
cent years, most of its members were in jail or
exile. The affair over the weekend could help to
improve the Sandinists' fortunes.
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NOTES
Thailand: The government's expulsion of former
prime minister Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn
from Thailand reduces the danger of serious polit-
ical disorder in Bangkok. Thanom, who had returned
unexpectedly from exile in the US, flew to Singapore
yesterday with his family only two days after his
arrival in Bangkok. The Singapore government has
agreed to allow Thanom to stay temporarily. Some
student leaders may try to prolong protest demon-
strations over alleged government complicity in
Thanom's return. With Thanom out of the country,
however, student activists probably will have trou-
ble keeping the issue alive.
Romania: The Romanians, who maintain only
minimum military involvement in Warsaw Pact activ-
ities, now are trying to pare down even that par-
ticipation. No Warsaw Pact exercises have been
held on Romanian soil in over a decade, and only
small ground and air staffs have participated in
pact exercises elsewhere. Romania's principal in-
volvement lies in naval cooperation in the Black
Sea.
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