THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 17 OCTOBER 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014930
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 17, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
October 17, 1975
5
0 62,5xi
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category, 5B(1),(21.(3)
declassified onlY on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
II? OA ?
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
October 17, 1975
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Beirut was generally quiet yesterday, al-
though some sniping continued to occur.
(Page 1)
Argentina: President Peron's resumption of her of-
fice, in the face of opposition from several
powerful sectors, is likely to intensify the
country's political and economic crisis.
(Page 2)
EC: As a result of Britain's insistence on a seat
at the producer-consumer conference in Decem-
ber, both London and its EC partners are seek-
ing support from the US in the dispute.
(Page 3)
Notes: USSR-France; Egypt; Morocco - Spanish
Sahara; Angola; USSR-Syria; Ethiopia; USSR
(Pages 4, 5, and 6)
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LEBANON
Beirut and its suburbs were quiet
during the night. Only occasional snip-
ing marred the calm in the capital yes-
terday as a number cf banks and shops
reopened. No incidents were reported
in Tripoli and ZahZah yesterday.
The Arab League foreign ministers' conference
ended yesterday without any concrete proposals to
end the fighting. The final communique appealed
for self-restraint and urged Arab League members to
provide Lebanon with financial aid. The absence of
Syria and the PLO eliminated any chance the confer-
ence might have had to achieve substantial results.
Libya also did not attend.
The national reconciliation, or dialogue, com-
mittee has not met for two days, and no schedule has
been announced for its resumption. The recently
formed political reform subcommittee did meet yes-
terday, with both leftist Kamal Jumblatt and Pha-
langist leader Pierre Jumayyil in attendance. The
prospects for any progress by the political subcom-
mittee, however, do not appear to be good.
Lebanese security officials have become in-
creasingly concerned over foreign involvement in
the crisis./
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ARGENTINA
President Peron's resumption of her
office, in the face of opposition from
several powerful sectors, is likely to
intensify the country's political and
economic crisis. There have been warn-
ings of violence during her rally today
and rumors that Americans will be tar-
gets.
Many middle-of-the-road political and union
leaders had joined the military high command in
pressing Peron to extend her leave of absence.
They believed that the governing team of Acting
President Luder, Interior Minister Robledo, and
Economy Minister Cafiero was making creditable
progress in the key areas of the economy and coun-
terterrorism. Other Peronists, particularly those
conservative labor bosses who have staked their po-
litical future on her retention of the presidency,
urged her return. Their support reinforced Peron's
own stubborn determination to continue her husband's
work.
The forces arrayed against Peron could have
prevented her return. They chose not to, however,
because she is the legitimate president, and most
Argentines still prefer a constitutional solution
to their leadership crisis. This sentiment, al-
though steadily eroding, was strong enough to con-
vince military leaders to give Up their efforts to
keep the President away from Buenos Aires. They
have apparently decided again to stand aside and
allow her government to fall victim to its own in-
competence. Public disenchantment, they apparently
reason, will create a situation amenable to more
direct military intervention in politics.
For the present, Peron's acceptance of the
role of a merely ceremonial head of state and the
success of Cafiero's economic program is crucial
to her survival. If she listens to the high com-
mand and allows Robledo and Cafiero a free hand,
her government could limp along for several more
months, with the military staying on the sidelines.
If she insists on trying to rule as well as reign,
the best she can expect will be another period of
enforced rest away from the capital.
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EC
As a result of Britain's insistence
on a seat at the producer-consumer con-
ference in Paris in December, both London
and its EC partners are seeking support
from the US in the dispute. Unless the
controversy is resolved, consumer coun-
try unity at the December meeting may be
seriously weakened.
Foreign Secretary Callaghan has bluntly reaf-
firmed the UK's intention to hold out for a place
apart from the seat designated for the EC. If
denied its own seat, Callaghan told Ambassador
Richardson, Britain will not consider itself bound
by the conference's outcome. The Foreign Secretary
said that the UK would be grateful for US backing,
although he is not asking formally for it.
Prime Minister Wilson feels he must demonstrate
to the British public that his government will not
agree to any EC stand on energy that might compro-
mise national control over Britain's North Sea oil.
London also believes that since there is no
chance of reaching common EC positions on non-energy
matters, Britain must be able to state its own case.
The UK, for instance, has proposed ideas on the
economic development of poorer nations that could
be watered down in a common EC approach. Callaghan
has referred specifically to Britain's key role in
international banking and finance as justification
for a separate chair at the conference.
West German Chancellor Schmidt has written to
Wilson, as well as to the other EC partners, stress-
ing the need for a unified Community representation
at the Paris meeting./
The Germans are clearly worried that London's
demand for a separate seat jeopardizes not only EC
solidarity but also the producer-consumer confer-
ence. Bonn--heavily dependent on imported oil and
other raw materials--has been counting on the im-
petus the conference would provide toward strength-
ening a consumer front.
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NOTES
The Soviet news agency Tass issued a report yes-
terday on French President Giscard's visit to Moscow
that is almost certainly designed to quiet specula-
tion about the import of the postponement of General
Secretary Brezhnev's second meeting with Giscard.
The French are also playing down the signifi-
cance of the postponement. In Kiev, where he spent
yesterday sightseeing, Giscard said that a political
cooperation document will be signed today that will
further develop detente. A French diplomat told
our embassy that the leaders will hold talks today
and sign several bilateral agreements and the polit-
ical cooperation statement. He acknowledged that
the statement was still being worked on.
Authorities in Egypt are worried that leftist
students, who organized an anti-government confer-
ence last month, will turn to violent protests after
the universities open on Saturday.
In an attempt to mollify the bulk of the stu-
dents, the government has announced that textbook
prices, long a source of student complaints, will
drop. In addition, President Sadat and other offi-
cials are scheduled to meet with students next week,
and the Arab Socialist Union has established a new
youth organization. The authorities are also con-
sidering a postponement of the school opening by
at least a week.
(continued)
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MILES
'CANARY ISLANDS 0
558668 10-75
FRANCE
PORTU
SPAIN
Madrid'
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ITALY
MOROCCO
El Aaiun
SPANI H
SAHA A
MAURITANIA
Nouakchott
SENEGAL
UPPER
VOLTA
NIGERIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
In a nationwide address yesterday, Moroccan
King Hassan announced that he will organize a
peaceful mass march into Spanish Sahara by 350,000
unarmed Moroccans.
Hassan's speech followed the release of an ad-
visory opinion by the International Court of Justice
that Morocco's historic ties with the Sahara neither
established territorial sovereignty nor precluded
the application of the principle of self-determina-
tion. The King claimed that he was not seeking a
fight with Spanish forces and urged Madrid not to
use force against the unarmed Moroccan marchers.
The Popular Movement for the Liberation of
Angola may be moving toward a unilateral declara-
tion of independence before November 11, the date
Lisbon is scheduled to transfer sovereignty.
In a speech earlier this week in Luanda, Move-
ment President Agostinho Neto declared that his or-
ganization will proclaim independence for Angola
"within a few weeks come what may." His remarks
may have been prompted by a growing concern within
the MPLA that Portugal is determined not to trans-
fer sovereignty to a single liberation group. Many
Movement officials now believe that the organization
must assume power on its own before November 11 or
risk losing the political advantages it now holds.
The USSR and Syria have been applauding their
recent round ofconsultations, but there are some
indications that they are not seeing eye to eye on
Middle East negotiations.
Syrian Foreign Minister Khaddam and Defense
Minister Talas, who remained in Moscow after Presi-
dent Asad's visit last week, returned home late
Wednesday. Their talks were described only as
"friendly and businesslike" and as an "exchange of
opinions"--language which, along with the brevity
of the communique on Asad's visit and the failure
of either side to publicize the toasts exchanged
by Brezhnev and Asad, suggests there were differ-
ences.
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(continued)
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In the face of mounting unrest, Ethiopia's
ruling military council in recent weeks increasingly
has resorted to repression against its opponents and
suspected dissidents.
Widespread arrests have been reported since the
council declared a state of emergency in Addis Ababa
last month in an attempt to put an end to a strike
by workers protesting the council's policies. The
proclamation suspended most civil rights and gave
the security forces almost unlimited powers of
search and seizure, including the right to shoot
anyone violating the ban on strikes. In Eritrea
Province, the government has intensified its use
of harsh and indiscriminate measures against the
civilian population in retaliation for assassina-
tions by insurgents.
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-,
Top Secret
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