THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 19 DECEMBER 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014983
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 19, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
December 19, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of EO. 11652
exemption category SKIM AM
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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.11.1,1-,..) 1. I-, /--,/ 'JLN-L--J
USSR
Table of Contents
December
19, 1975
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-Angola:
Angola:
(Page 1)
The fighting has picked
up over
trading
the past
gains in
few days, with the two sides
different areas. (Page 3)
Lebanon: Armed clashes in the Beirut suburbs and
the Tripoli-Zagharta area threaten to draw
the large Christian and Muslim militias into
another round of sustained fighting. (Page 5)
Thailand: Foreign Minister Chatchai's trip to the
US last month seems to have helped put Thai-US
relations back on an even keel. (Page 7)
Portugal - West Germany: Chancellor Schmidt has
told newsmen that his government is contem-
plating extending credit to Portugal in order
to help Lisbon resolve an impending liquidity
crisis. (Page 8)
Notes: USSR; Mozambique (Page 9)
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USSR?ANGOLA
V
(continued)
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ONGO
BRAllAV LE
KINSHASA
Cabinda
LUANDA
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Lobito
Benguela
religile/a A 11c
No Li boa
uamb )
SOU WEST AFRICA
(Intern canal Territory)
12
558985 I 2-75 CIA
_STATUTE MILES
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ANGOLA
The fighting has picked up over the
past few days, with the two sides trading
gains in different areas.
The combined National Union - National Front
force that captured Cela from the Popular Movement
late last week has moved to within ten miles of
Quibala A second
National Union force, approaching Quibala from the
east, reportedly is within 14 miles of the town.
The capture of Quibala would put the allied
forces in a position to move along a major high-
way toward Dondo, the Popular Movement's only ma-
jor base protecting Luanda in this sector. The
hydroelectric plant that provides power to the
capital is located near Dondo.
In eastern Angola,
National Union forces are now moving
north from Luso toward Henrique de Carvalho, the
Popular Movement's base in the east.
Movement
forces were forming a defense line along a river
after blowing up a number of bridges in the area.
In northern Angola, a 300-man Popular Move-
ment force reportedly has advanced to within 60
miles of the National Front's base at Negage. So
far, however, the force apparently has not suc-
ceeded in breaking through the Front's outer de-
fenses southeast of the city. The ultimate goal
of the force is Carmona, the second most important
National Front base, after Ambriz on the coast.
(continued)
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Publicly, Savimbi has recently attempted to
disown Pretoria's assistance by claiming that any
South African forces are in Angola on their own and
by calling on African states to help drive them out.
His argument is not likely to be persuasive in many
African capitals.
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LEBANON
Armed clashes in the Beirut suburbs
and the Tripoli-Zagharta area threaten
to draw the large Christian and Muslim
militias into another round of sustained
fighting.
Lebanese security forces have failed to con-
tain clashes southeast of the capital involving
Christians allied with Interior Minister Shamun and
Muslims allied with Kamal Jumblatt's Progressive
Socialist Party. Fighting between Muslim and Chris-
tian factions in Tripoli yesterday reportedly in-
volved tanks and armored vehicles taken from the
Lebanese security forces.
Although the cease-fire is still holding in
the central part of Beirut and in the hotel dis-
trict, tensions elsewhere could prompt Christian
Phalangists and radical leftists headed by Ibrahim
Qulaylat to resume their battle for control of the
seafront area. The two sides turned over their
respective strongholds to the security forces ear-
lier this week in accordance with provisions of
the cease-fire. Nevertheless, they are still in
the area and could easily retake their positions.
President Franjiyah's denunciation of the
Palestinians almost
certainly has contributed to rising tensions.
Franjiyah accused the Palestinians of breaking
their agreement to stay out of Lebanon's internal
politics and favoring "one side over another."
Franjiyah's Zaghartan Liberation Army is involved
in the fighting near Tripoli.
(continued)
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The deteriorating situation in Beirut has
prompted a call from Arab League Secretary General
Mahmud Riyad for another special conference on
Lebanon. An earlier Arab League meeting hastily
convened in October was boycotted by Syrian and
Palestinian representatives. This latest call
appears to be sponsored by Egypt.
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THAILAND
Foreign Minister Chatchai's trip to
the US last month seems to have helped
put Thai-US relations back on an even
keel.
Prime Minister Khukrit seems equally pleased
with the outcome of the talks.
The
Thai reportedly have been pleased with what they
believe is a generous military assistance package,
even though no specific amounts were discussed.
Encouraged by the results of his talks in
Washington and perhaps impressed by Peking's warn-
ing of aggressive Vietnamese designs on Thailand,
Chatchai now seems to have adopted a tougher posi-
tion toward Hanoi./
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_ _ _ . _ _ _
PORTUGAL - WEST GERMANY
Chancellor Schmidt told newsmen on
Wednesday that the West Germans were con-
templating extending credit to Portugal
in order to help Lisbon resolve an im-
pending liquidity crisis.
The announcement followed Schmidt's discussions
with Portuguese Socialist Party head Soares, who is
on a week-long tour of European capitals to explain
recent developments in Portugal. Soares' mission is
partisan rather than official, but any aid commitments
he can produce will enhance the Socialists' popularity
in legislative election promised for next spring.
Soares has emphasized in his talks with foreign
leaders that the political situation in Portugal is
stabilizing but that the country urgently needs
economic assistance. Portugal's foreign exchange
reserves are expected to run out early next year.
The nation's gold reserves, valued at about $4 bil-
lion at the present rate, were expected to forestall
the crisis, but government efforts to sell or borrow
against the gold have been unsatisfactory. This has
resulted in large part from the gold market's current
instability and the reluctance of bankers to deal in
large quantities of gold.
While the cabinet is concentrating on the econ-
omy, military leaders have turned their attention
to renegotiating an agreement with the major polit-
ical parties over the division of government re-
sponsibility between military officers and civilian
politicians. The armed forces presented a draft
agreement to the parties on Wednesday, and the par-
ties have until December 30 to submit their responses
and proposals for a new pact. After the beginning
of the year, a five-man delegation from the all-
military Revolutionary Council will discuss the pro-
posals with each party and draw up a final document.
The five-man delegation is weighted in favor
of the faction of military officers who have agreed
to reduce the military role in national political
life but do not want to withdraw from the govern-
ment altogether./
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NOTES
Soviet propagandists have reacted in predict-
ably T/T7c7Tive fashion to your announcement of a
new Pacific Doctrine.
An extensive broadcast and an article in
Pravda on December 16 attacked the doctrine as a
proposition inconsistent with detente. A comment
in Izvestia was hard on both the US and China, the
US for allegedly seeking yet another formula to
justify maintaining a large military presence in
Asia, and China for allegedly going along with
Washington. In reality, while the Soviets hope
that the US will eventually withdraw militarily
from Asia, they probably regard our military forces
there as a brake on possible Chinese and North Ko-
rean adventurism and as a deterrent to closer
Chinese-US relations.
Anti-regime disturbances apparently involving
dissident members of the military and police have
broken out again in Lourenco Marques, the capital
of Mozambique, for the second day in a row. In-
formation on the disorders is sketchy, but at one
time Thursday, loyal forces appeared to have re-
stored order.
According to a South African press report,
the dissidents are reacting against a crackdown
ordered last weekend by President Samora Machel
on corruption and political agitation in the police
and the army. Although there have been no previous
signs of significant opposition to the government
from within the military or police, some discontent
with the regime's tight control over society and
with the declining economy has surfaced since Mo-
zambique became independent last June.
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c
To Secret
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