THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 16 AUGUST 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014877
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 16, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
August 16, 19 75
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. I 1652
exemption category.5 8(
declassified onlai on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligenre
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August 16, 1975
Table of contents
USSR: Brezhnev spoke in familiar terms of his
desire for friendly US-Soviet relations when
he met on Thursday with the US Congressional
delegation headed by Speaker Albert. (Page 1)
Bangladesh: Yesterday's military-backed coup has
met no significant resistance. (Page 3)
Libyai
_I (Page 4)
Notes: Turkey; Portugal; Portuguese Timor; North
Vietnam; France-NATO (Pages 6 and 7)
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USSR
During his meeting Thursday with
the Congressional delegation headed by
Speaker Albert, General Secretary Brezh-
nev spoke in familiar terms of his de-
sire for friendly US-Soviet relations,
mutually advantageous trade, peace, and
disarmament.
Ambassador Stoessel reports that Brezhnev im-
plied he hopes to be able to sign a ten-year SALT II
agreement during his visit to Washington later this
year, but that he stopped short of predicting suc-
cess. The General Secretary said that cruise mis-
siles, the deployment of missiles on warships, and
the "geographic positions" of the two countries
are key issues.
Brezhnev took his usual tack on Jewish emigra-
tion, asserting that all Jews who want to leave
the USSR can do so except those who have worked on
Soviet security matters. He claimed that the num-
ber of Jews desiring to leave has declined.
Brezhnev did not dwell on trade matters, but
welcomed the Congressmen's statements on mutually
advantageous trade. He did not respond directly
to a suggestion by one of the Congressmen that Mos-
cow's purchases of US grain be placed on a more
planned basis.
The Soviet party leader praised the CSCE ac-
cord, saying it is the "best way" to strengthen
East-West friendship and Soviet-US relations in
particular. He implied it would chart a course
of conduct in Europe for at least the next decade.
Brezhnev hedged, however, by noting that while
some provisions of the accord are binding, others,
concerning the exchange of information, require
"agreement between the various parties."
(continued)
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Responding to questions, Brezhnev said the
Soviets favor a policy of "strict non-interference"
in Portugal. He sidestepped any significant comment
on the Middle East, merely reiterating Soviet will-
ingness to guarantee the existence of Israel.
Ambassador Stoessel thinks Brezhnev looked
somewhat better Thursday than he had in Helsinki,
although he still showed signs of a weight loss
and on several occasions seemed to be unsure of
himself. Despite an overall impression of fatigue,
Brezhnev's color was better, and he seemed alert.
He revealed that he had received dental treatment
daily while in Helsinki.
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BANGLADESH
Yesterday's military-backed coup
has met no significant resistance.
The ten-member cabinet announced by President
Ahmed is composed largely of noncontroversial members
of former president Mujib's government and his Awami
League party. The role of the armed forces in the
new regime is obscure, although the government has
received the support of leaders of the armed serv-
ices, police, and paramilitary forces. This includes
leaders of the 16,000-member National Defense Force,
who are veterans of the 1971 war of independence and
were especially close to Mujib.
Pakistan yesterday became the first country to
recognize the new regime, and the change in Dacca
should pave the way for better relations between
the two countries. There has been no significant
reaction thus far from New Delhi. The Indian gov-
ernment, which had close relations with Mujib,
will scrutinize the new regime closely, but is un-
likely to interfere unless resistance to the new
government develops and the nation is faced with
civil war. Ahmed is aware of Indian sensitivities,
particularly over the fate of the Hindu minority
in Bangladesh, and will presumably make every ef-
fort to dispel New Delhi's fears.
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LIBYA
(continued)
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NOTES
Small groups of Turkish radical leftists plan
to organize anti-US and anti-NATO demonstrations
this weekend in Izmir, Ankara, and Istanbul in
order to create the impression that there is wide-
spread anti-US sentiment in Turkey.
Leftist political parties and unions now have
more room to maneuver since martial law--imposed
last year during the Cyprus war--has been termi-
nated. One of the best organized revolutionary
groups had 26 members arrested after they occupied
the US Exchange Retail Store at Izmir on August 7.
The group claimed they were "liberating a Turkish-
owned building occupied by the imperialists." Dem-
onstrations this weekend are intended in part to
show support for the detainees. Turkish authori-
ties already have deployed combat units to Ankara
in anticipation of anti-American protests.
The Portuguese Communists are holding to an
assertive pose despite their growing problems.
They plan a rally tonight in Alcobaca in the
north where the Communists have been nearly driven
underground. Party members would not venture into
that area unarmed, and the rally may produce vio-
lence. In another bid to show the Communist flag,
the Communist-controlled labor federation is call-
ing for a brief general strike on Tuesday.
Yesterday's communique from Portuguese Timor
announcing the formation of a united front between
the two pro-independence parties against the pro-
Indonesia party is certain to increase Jakarta's
anxiety about the course of events there.
(continued)
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Some of the foreign prisoners captured during
last spring's fighting in the South are being moved
to North Vietnam.
According to a recent intercept, a transporta-
tion unit in the Ban Me Thuot area was instructed
to send "all 13 prisoners of war to Hanoi."
The message did not indicate why the prison-
ers were being brought north, only that they would
be turned over to the directorate of military jus-
tice which was the principal North Vietnamese
agency in charge of sentencing and handling Ameri-
can military prisoners during the war.
France will oppose any move to give NATO a
major role in overseeing implementation of the
agreement signed at the European security confer-
ence summit.
A high official of the French foreign minis-
try told US embassy officers that France believes
the multilateral phase of CSCE is over. He does
not see an active role for either NATO or the EC
in security conference follow-up activities, al-
though he acknowledged that NATO might be useful
as a forum for exchanging information on progress
made in bilateral exchanges. The French position
is that each country should be free to concentrate
on those CSCE issues most relevant to its own in-
terests.
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LOA!
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?
Top Secret
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