THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 4 FEBRUARY 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006007933
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: February 4, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
February 4, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 58( I ),(2),(3)
.declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
t
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
February 4, 1975
Table of Contents
Ethiopia: Fighting broke out in downtown Asmara
late last night following a quiet day. (Page 1)
USSR-Somalia: The Soviets may be constructing a
cruise missile handling and storage facility
in Somalia for their Indian Ocean fleet.
(Page 2)
USSR-Syria: The Soviets may be trying to pressure
Egypt into accepting a deadline in its nego-
tiations on Sinai. (Page 4)
Cyprus: The negotiators failed to break their im-
passe in a final meeting yesterday before the
scheduled cutoff tomorrow of US military aid
to Turkey. (Page 5)
Notes: USSR-Egypt; Cambodia; Cambodia (Pages 6 and 7)
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ETHIOPIA
A heavy fire fight broke out late
last night in downtown Asmara following
a quiet day. Some US military facili-
ties were hit by small arms fire, but
there were no casualties.
Yesterday, the police resumed responsibility
for patrolling the city and almost all of the troops
returned to their barracks. The army, in a radio
broadcast, called for a return to normal and asked
stores to reopen for business. These moves are a
good indication that the government forces do not
feel seriously threatened by the rebels. It is also
a tacit admission that the intense firing in the
city over the weekend was an overreaction by the
armed forces to a limited rebel attack.
Despite the relative calm, shortages of water
and electricity are creating a critical situation
in the city. Our consul is planning to evacuate
American dependents today and French nationals may
join the exodus. He reports that he is under in-
creasing pressure from local citizens demanding
asylum or access to the consulate's limited water
reserves. The commander of the Kagnew communica-
tions station has requested permission to evacuate
all US personnel.
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USSR-SOMALIA
A Soviet construction project in
Berbera, Somalia a.,ears 25X1
to be a cruise 25X1
missite handt-bng and storage facility
for the Soviet Indian Ocean naval contin-
gent. The facility could also handle
surface-to-air missiles or torpedoes.
It is not suitable for ballistic missiles.
The installation would be the first such Soviet
facility of its kind known to exist outside the
USSR. Construction began in the fall of 1973 and
the facility could be operational by mid-1975.
Soviet forces currently operating in the In-
dian Ocean must rely on specialized missile facili-
ties at naval bases in the USSR, although naval
auxiliaries can resupply other weapons from their
limited stocks. The installation at Berbera will
increase the readiness of Soviet missile-equipped
ships and submarines on station in the area and will
permit these ships to remain for longer periods.
Moreover, completion of the Berbera installation
may lead to an increase in the number of missile-
equipped units operating in the Indian Ocean,
The Soviets apparently have decided that the
military advantages of having this missile handling
installation outweigh the negative political back-
lash that is possible if the installation becomes
public knowledge. The installation may be inter--
preted by conservative Arab and other littoral
states as evidence of new Soviet designs in the
Indian Ocean, and by others as evidence of the dan-
gers involved in big-power naval rivalry in the
ocean. Moscow may also get criticism regarding
its "intentions" to control the approach to the
Suez Canal, even though the installation has, in
fact, no direct bearing on control of the straits.
On the Somali side, this expansion of the So-
viet presence probably represents a weakening in
the position of those members of the Supreme Rev-
olutionary Council who have consistently opposed
Somalia's close ties with the Soviet Union. More-
over, the Soviets have even more reason now to see
(continued)
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that President Siad and the pro-Soviet members of
the council maintain their control. An increase in
Moscow's military aid may be the price.
Somalia's attempts to obtain financial aid from
the Arab world could be endangered if these facili-
ties become publicly known. Saudi Arabia and other
conservative Arab states, which are concerned about
Soviet intentions in the Middle East and Indian
Ocean and want to reduce Soviet influence in these
areas, may review their promisee to provide the
Somalis with over $50 'million in aid. Siad may
hope that he can have it both Ways.
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USSR-SYRIA
The USSR and Syria may be trying
to apply pressure on Egypt to accept a
deadline in its negotiations with Israel
concerning the Sinai.
The communique marking the end of Soviet For-
eign Minister Gromyko's visit to Syria yesterday
calls for the reconvening of the Geneva peace con-
ference within a month. It may also, in the Soviet
view, commit Damascus to forego bilateral negotia-
tions with Israel concerning the Golan front in
favor of the Geneva forum.
Other aspects of the visit seemed orchestrated
for their impact on the Egyptians. Gromyko's ban-
quet statement that the Russians "know how to eval-
uate real friendship" was an implicit slap at Egyp-
tian President Sadat.
Although the Soviets reiterated their commit-
ment to strengthen Syria's military capabilities,
there was almost no mention of substantive assist-
ance. Gromyko did no more than sign previously
negotiated agreements on economic and scientific
cooperation.
While in Damascus, Gromyko met with fedayeen
leader Yasir Arafat and, in a banquet speech, made
Moscow's first explicit call for a Palestinian
"state." Previously, the Soviets had endorsed only
a Palestinian "national home" or "statehood." The
Soviet-Syrian communique, however, omits any refer-
ance to either Palestinian "statehood" or "state."
? Gromyko met with Egyptian Foreign Minister
Fahmi for three hours soon after his arrival in
Cairo yesterday, where the two signed consular and
economic planning agreements and the cultural pro-
tocol for this year. These three accords were
negotiated some time ago. They had been left for
signature by General Secretary Brezhnev before his
scheduled visit to Cairo was postponed in late
December.
Gromyko's first and possibly only session with
-President Sadat is set for this morning. The Egyp-
tian press has played down their meeting, merely
noting that Sadat would see Gromyko "before he leaves."
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CYPRUS
Greek Cypriot negotiator Clerides
and Turkish Cypriot negotiator Denktash
failed to break their impasse in a final
meeting yesterday before the scheduled
cutoff tomorrow of US military aid to
Turkey. They are still at odds on the
question of Nicosia airport and could
not agree on a formula to allow some
Greek Cypriot refugees to return home.
Clerides offered to drop the Greek Cypriot de-
mand for a UN role in the airport's management if
Denktash set aside Turkish Cypriot insistence that
the airport be run by representatives of the guar-
antor powers--the UK, Greece, and Turkey. Greek
Cypriots are concerned that once the Turkish gov-
ernment acquired such a role, it would seek to per-
petuate it. Clerides suggested the airport could
be operated by representatives of the two communi-
ties in proportion to their population. Denktash
offered to consider Clerides' proposals ?but gave
no immediate reply.
Denktash offered to allow up to 5,000 Greek
Cypriots to return to their homes behind Turkish
lines, but said that Turkish forces would not pull
back. Clerides rejected the offer because? of the
small number of proposed returnees and because they
would be settled behind Turkish lines where they
might be harassed by Turkish forces. Greek Cypriots
living within the Turkish sector have been under
pressure from the Turks to move south.
In Athens, a close aide to Prime Minister Kara-
manlis told the US ambassador that the Prime Minis-
ter views the proposed meeting of the foreign min-
isters of Greece and Turkey with the US Secretary
of State later this month as -a "last chance" to
break the deadlock on Cyprus. Karamanlis is under
pressure from President Makarios to agree to inter-
nationalize the Cyprus issue if the intercommunal
talks remain stalemated much longer. Makarios re-
portedly requested Athens consent for such a course
late last month but was asked to delay for the time
being.
In a press conference yesterday, Makarios said
he was inclined to turn to another forum if the
talks do not make some progress by the end of this
month. He hinted that he may seek greater Soviet
support and involvement in the Cyprus problem.
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NOTES
The Soviets have reportedly delivered military
aircraft to Egypt for the first time since late 1973
in a shipment that arrived just prior to Foreign Min-
ister Gromyko's discussions in Cairo.
A senior Egyptian official has told the US
that a Soviet ship arrived at Alexandria Sunday
carrying MIG-23 and MIG-21 aircraft and anti-air-
craft missiles. In fact
shipment is apparently
the first installment on the arms promised the Egyp-
tians during the visit of Foreign Minister Fahmi
and War Minister Gamasy to Moscow last December.
Such a delivery will help Gromyko parry any Egyp-
tian demand for new agreements under which Moscow
would replace Egypt's war losses and modernize its
arms inventory. It could also serve to hold out
the promise of larger deliveries to come and take
some of the play away from the arms deal President
Sadat recently announced with the French.
Cambodian COmmunists yesterday successfully
used mines to sink two tugs and heavily damage an-
other in a Mekong River convoy returning to South
Vietnam from Phnom Penh.
The next upriver convoy was scheduled to leave
South Vietnam today, but it will probably be de-
layed until military commanders decide what to do
about the mines. The Cambodian navy has some mine-
sweeping equipment but little practice in using it.
In addition, preliminary reports indicate that the
mines encountered yesterday were detonated from the
shore. These mines cannot be handled by normal
mine-sweeping techniques.
(continued)
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Cambodian insurgents in the area of Phonm Penh
have.received a.heaVy increase in supplies from the
northeastern part of the country-- the entry point
for North Vietnamese and Chinese arms deliveries.
Intercepted communications since the beginning
of the year indicate that at least six convoys total-
ing more than 300 vehicles left the northeast. Two
of these convoys carried over 20,000 recoilless
rifle rounds, more than 6,500 mortar rounds, and,
over 4,000 Chinese 107-mm. rockets-one of the ?
largest such shipments .ever detected. Khmer Commu-
nist "defense minister" Khieu Samphan last spring
signed, an apparently open-ended military assistance
agreement with Peking. The insurgents also have
an:agreement with Hanoi to exchange rice for ma-
teriel.
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