THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 DECEMBER 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014974
• 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 9, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
December 9, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category,513(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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December 9, 1975
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Heavy fighting is continuing today in the
hotel section of Beirut. (Page 1)
Israel-Syria: The Syrians have been told by the UN
commander on the Golan Heights that 13 Israeli
surface-to-air missile launchers with missiles
were seen on December 2 within Israel's 20-
kilometer area. (Page 3)
Notes: USSR-Angola; Spain; Iceland-UK; India-
Bangladesh (Pages 4 and 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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LEBANON
Ambassador Godley has cabled a
gloomy description of the scene in
Beirut this morning, which he describes
as "the worst we have experienced." He
reports intense mortar, rocket, and
machine-gun fire in the hotel area, and
pillars of smoke visible from the US
chancery despite heavy rains.
Plans for a meeting today of leaders
of all Lebanese political factions were
canceled after leftist leader Jumblatt
and Muslim leader Salam refused to at-
tend.
Army commandos last night moved into Beirut's
commercial district to protect government buildings
and financial institutions. The action came after
the heavy fighting between Christian and Muslim
militiamen spread to central Beirut and the city's
hotel district.
Army spokesmen have sought to limit adverse
Muslim and Palestinian reaction to the move by as-
serting that the 100-man force is intended only to
create a "security belt," and not to enter into the
fighting.
This use of the army is the government's most
forceful action to end civil unrest this year. It
represents a compromise between Interior Minister
Shamun, who has long favored calling in the 18,000-
man army, and Prime Minister Karami, who has not
wanted to alienate his Muslim supporters by involv-
ing the army, which is led largely by Christian of-
ficers.
The resumption of heavy fighting comes at a
time when prospects were good for progress in the
political negotiations and when conservative Muslim
politicians had begun a cautious effort to isolate
the far left politically.
(continued)
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Radicals both outside and inside the major
Christian and Muslim militias were fearful that
Phalangist leader Jumayyil, who was in Damascus
during the weekend on a peace mission, might strike
a bargain with Syrian President Asad. The radicals
thus were eager to undermine his mission with a re-
turn to violence.
A Muslim delegation that included three former
Lebanese prime ministers traveled to Damascus on
Sunday, presumably to affirm that Asad had not prom-
ised Jumayyil any concessions that would threaten
the interests of Lebanese Muslims.
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ISRAEL-SYRIA
The Syrians have been told by the
UN commander on the Golan Heights, ac-
cording to the US ambassador in Damascus,
that 13 Israeli surface-to-air missile
launchers with missiles were seen on De-
cember 2 within 20 kilometers of the UN
buffer zone. Under the disengagement
agreement, no surface-to-air missile
equipment is permitted within 25 kilo-
meters of the zone.
Syrian Chief of Staff Shihabi told the US am-
bassador he has also received reports that Israeli
"rockets" of an unknown type arrived on the Heights
in late November, and that there has been an in-
crease in the number of Israeli tanks and artillery
on the Golan in recent days. Shihabi also claimed
that the Israelis have been storing significant
amounts of artillery shells in the area.
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NOTES
The Sk)anish government's harsh response to
demonstrat-ions over the past few days?including
two Socialist rallies in Madrid yesterday--appears
to be playing into the hands of the Communists.
The Communists apparently hope to provoke
police over-reaction to make the point that Franco-
type repression continues. The Communist-dominated
Workers' Commissions have called for strikes by con-
struction and metal workers in the Madrid area on
Wednesday and Thursday; the strikes could spread
to Barcelona and various Basque cities. The Com-
munist-controlled leftist coalition, the Democratic
Junta, has appealed to its Supporters for a demon-
stration of "democratic rupture with the political
laws of dictatorship" between December 10 and 16.
(continued)
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Iceland intends to raise its fishing dispute
with the UK at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting
in BrusseTT later this week.
Should there be no escalation in the cod war
in the meantime, the cabinet will defer a decision
on taking the issue to the UN General Assembly un-
til after the NATO meeting. Prime Minister Hall-
grimsson told the US ambassador that although Ice-
land is deferring an approach to the General Assem-
bly, Reykjavik may send "some sort of communica-
tion" to the Security Council. He did not indicate
whether this would occur before the NATO meeting.
Hallgrimsson did not specify to the ambassador
what he wants NATO to do. The ambassador gained
the impression that Hallgrimsson would settle for
expressions of concern over the dispute and would
accept Secretary General Luns' offer to mediate.
Discussions in New Delhi last weekend between
Indian officials and a high-level Bangladesh dele-
gation did not eliminate tensions between the two
countries, but appear to have sustained the gener-
ally positive atmosphere evident at talks in Cal-
cutta last week between Indian and BengaZee border
security officials.
A rally on Sunday north of Dacca organized by
a veteran radical did not have the strong anti-
Indian, pro-Muslim flavor that was expected, pos-
sibly because of pressure from the Bangladesh gov-
ernment to avoid any provocative statements.
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Top Secret
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