THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 25 SEPTEMBER 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014911
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: September 25, 1975

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
The President's Daily Brief
September 25, 1975
6
---774.077-gel,1&25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
it. I
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
0
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14: CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
FORM r Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14: CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
5-75 I.???? EDI T IONS
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1 I
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14: CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
.4
eztr
?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14-:?eiA-RDP79T00936'AsF2800010022-1
25X1
?
? ? 41
? 25X1
Declassified in Part 7 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/1.4 : CIALRDP79T00936A012800010022:1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
September 25, 1975
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Fighting continued in Beirut yesterday
as the agreement announced by Prime Minister
Karami failed to be implemented. Our embassy
there believes time is running out.
(Page 1)
Portugal: The Communist Party has suffered addi-
tional setbacks. (Page 3)
Notes: USSR; UN-Israel; Colombia; USSR-Norway;
NATO-Turkey (Pages 4 and 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LEBANON
Fighting continued in Beirut
yesterday as the agreement announced
by Prime Minister Karami failed to
be implemented.
Our embassy in Beirut reports that, although
there still is hope that Syrian Foreign Minister
Khaddam will achieve a settlement, time is running
out. Syrian Chief of Staff Shihabi, who accompanied
Khaddam to Beirut, returned to Damascus on Tuesday,
and Khaddam told reporters he was returning today.
Failure of the Syrian mediation effort would in-
crease the chance for Lebanon to slide into a full-
scale civil war.
Our embassy also reports that tensions in Zahlah,
the scene of fighting between Muslims and Christians
late last month, and in other areas are rising.
Clashes also have been reported in the southern
outskirts of Beirut between members of the Druze
sect and Christians. There has been little involve-
ment in the conflict thus far by the Druze, who
tend to identify with the Muslims. Sustained Druze-
Christian fighting could be an extremely serious
complication to the situation.
(continued)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Publicly, top Israeli leaders are keeping their
comments about the situation in Lebanon to a minimum
in an apparent effort to avoid inflaming the situa-
tion.
Foreign Minister Allon gave the most direct ex-
pression of Tel Aviv's primary concern in a recent
press interview when he warned Syria not to inter-
pret the reluctance of the great powers to intervene
in Lebanon as giving Damascus a free hand there.
Israel, he said, will not intervene as long as the
conflict is confined to the Lebanese themselves.
Two days ago an unnamed Israeli official was quoted
as telling newsmen that Tel Aviv would intervene only
if it judged that its security was threatened. The
official warned that Syrian intervention could lead
Israel to conclude such a threat existed.
Meanwhile, hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon
border are at a relatively low level. The Israeli
military probably has assumed an increased state of
readiness along the border
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14: CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
PORTUGAL
The Communist Party suffered the
latest in a series of setbacks on Tues-
day when the cabinet named 11 new sec-
retaries of state and gave the Commu-
nists only one of the posts.
The cabinet also announced that a navy man
friendly with Major Antunes has been named Prime
Minister Azevedo's chief of the cabinet. It had
been rumored that the post might go to the pro-
Communist admiral who headed the military propa-
ganda branch. Another announcement upsetting the
Communists was the cabinet's statement that the
decrees issued in the waning days of the Goncalves
government now will be reexamined. The Communists
had pressed for the promulgation of these decrees
as testament to the new government's fidelity to
the revolution.
Maneuvering by all of the political parties,
meanwhile, is intensifying. The Socialists, with
the help of their allies, are beginning a campaign
to challenge Communist domination of the national
trade union confederation. The Socialists already
have registered a clean-sweep victory in the most
important white-collar unions, but will have a
difficult time with the blue-collar organizations.
Some strains have appeared among these par-
ties, however. The former Popular Democratic Party
leader, Sa Carneiro, made some injudicious state-
ments against the military during his campaign to
regain control of his party. His comments seem
certain to antagonize the party's military support-
ers. Socialist leader Mario Soares also probably
has antagonized some followers by commenting to
the London Times that social democracy is not ap-
plicable in Portugal and the country needs "a com-
plete modification of its economic structures."
Soares added that the purpose of the new government
program is not to correct unjust aspects of capital-
ism, but to destroy it. He has been soft-pedaling
these views in recent months, probably to avoid
antagonizing Western supporters. He now may feel
that he has to demonstrate the difference between
his party and the conservative Popular Democrats,
who can be challenged as reactionaries by the Com-
munists,
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
sr?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
NOTES
Colombia
(continued)
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Recent Soviet missile firings into a disputed
area of the Barents Sea appear to be designed to
strengthen Moscow's position in bilateral negotia-
tions with Norway.
The Norwegians, while admitting that the impact
area is in international waters, have expressed con-
cern because of the danger to fishing and navigation.
Both countries have claimed the impact area as part
of their continental shelf in negotiations to de-
limit boundaries in the Barents Sea. The next round
of boundary talks begins in November. The missile
firings are likely to demonstrate to the Norwegians
that the Soviets are apt to be inflexible on the
disputed area.
25X1
Turkey
25X1
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1
,
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010022-1