THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 19 JANUARY 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015007
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 19, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
The President's Daily Brief
January 19, 1976
2
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
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
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized CopyAT3Pr-o-v-ed-iWr-iiel-e-a;e"2.0-1-6-/06-/i4-:-CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
January 19, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Prime Minister Karami's statement that
he intends to resign could cause the collapse
of most remaining government authority and
lead to an all out battle between the army
and the Palestinians. (Page 1)
Angola: The Popular Movement apparently is shift-
ing its military operation southward. (Page 3)
USSR: There was little change in the position of
Soviet ships in the western Mediterranean and
African waters over the weekend. (Page 4)
USSR-Egypt:
(Page 5)
Notes: USSR; Cyprus (Page 6)
25X1
25X1
25X1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
BEIRUT
Damour
?
SYR IA
Vahr
.Tripoli
jagharta
ibrAhim
rl
/ /
I. Golan
I
I ; Heights
_
I i
0
?-???????- ..,------ ? k . _ -, I0 20
AEL
\ ? I Mites
.4zDamascus
SYRIA
HU) IA RAT
If IM4
559129 1-76
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy4P-r-(7veCif-o-r-le-lea?s-e---261-6/06/14-:-6lAiliDP79T00936A013100010004-7
LEBANON
Prime Minister Karami's statement
yesterday that he intends to resign could
cause the collapse of most remaining gov-
ernment authority and lead to an all out
battle between the Lebanese army and the
Palestinians. The cease-fire announced
over the weekend never really went into
effect; fighting continued in Beirut as
well as to the south.
President Franjiyah will come under great
pressure from Syria and moderate Lebanese politi-
cians--both Christian and Muslim--to ask Karami
to stay. Karami, a Muslim, has been the only ef-
fective brake on Interior Minister Shamun's strat-
egy of unrestrained use of the army. In return
for staying, Karami would probably demand that
President Franjiyah promise to halt the growing
use of the Lebanese armed forces and to force the
Phalangists to end their attacks on Palestinian
and leftist positions in Beirut and resume serious
political negotiations.
Franjiyah has several alternatives to retain-
ing Karami. He could appoint a weak Sunni Muslim
'prime minister, install a predominantly military
cabinet or rule by presidential decree. The Syr-
ians, Palestinians, and Lebanese leftists would
oppose any of these moves, making it impossible
for a government thus formed to negotiate an end
to the crisis in Lebanon.
Heavy fighting continued in Beirut despite
the cease-fire announced by Karami over the week-
end. Christian militia forces attacked a Muslim
district on the waterfront in an effort to estab-
lish a supply route across the Beirut River and
Muslim militiamen tried to dislodge Phalangist
forces in the downtown hotel district. The in-
ternational airport remains closed.
(continued)
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized CopyAT3Pr-OV'ed-f"O-re-Q-se-2'6-1-6-/06-/i4-:-6IA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Muslim leftists aided by Palestinians skir-
mished with rightist Christians aided by Lebanese
army elements south of Beirut at Damour and sev-
eral nearby Christian towns. Scattered fighting
also occurred in the Tripoli-Zagharta area in the
north and the Bekaa Valley to the east of Beirut.
A battalion and two antiaircraft companies of
the Palestine Liberation Army crossed into northern
Lebanon from Syria over the weekend,
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
gi?
Golf of Cada
Guine
'*
Conakry
Ivory
Coas
Abidjan
Atlantic Ocean
559128 1-76
Gulf of Guinea
11,41,411*
Con
0
Luanda
Brazzaville
IllrW
00 560 1000 KilomeleT
5 MIoo
Pointe Noire
Angola
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
ANGOLA
The Popular Movement for the Libera-
tion of Angola apparently is shifting its
military operations southward following
the collapse of the National Front for
the Liberation of Angola in the north.
Heavy fighting is taking place in central An-
gola between Popular Movement troops, supported by
Cuban men and artillery, and the forces of the Na-
tional Union for the Total Independence of Angola.
The National Union has been weakened by the with-
drawal of South African troops from combat areas.
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - SanitizedCopy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
_ _
USSR
There was little change in the posi-
tion of Soviet ships in the western Medi-
terranean and African waters over the
weekend.
The landing ship and oiler, which have been
located southwest of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for the
past four days, began moving southeast over the
weekend back toward an area off Pointe Noire.
The Kresta - II class cruiser and the Kotlin
class destroyer remain at sea in the vicinity of
Conakry. Two F-class submarines still are with
the Sverdlov class cruiser in the Alboran Basin
where they have been since Friday. A Soviet Kashin
class destroyer monitored the rotation of US car-
rier groups in the Gulf of Cadiz on Saturday and
has now entered the Mediterranean.
4
25X1
25X1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - SanitizedCopy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
_ _ _
USSR?EGYPT
25X1
25X1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
NOTES
Guarded Soviet optimism about Secretary Kissin-
ger's coming trip to Moscow was evident in a Pravda
article published yesterday.
The article, by one of the paper's regular news
analysts, said constructive action on strategic arms
limitations negotiations is "the touchstone of the
genuine intentions" of each side. It added that new
progress is possible only on the basis of earlier
agreements.
Apparently responding to "heavy pressure" from
Athens, Greek Cypriot negotiator Clerides withdrew
his resignation Saturday, thus removing one of the
obstacles to a resumption of intercommunal talks in
Vienna next month.
derides refused to spell out publicly his rea-
sons for resigning in the first place. If the
stalled talks are to resume as scheduled, there will
have to be similar pressure from Ankara on Turkish
Cypriot negotiator Denktash. UN Secretary General
Waldheim is worried that the talks may be scuttled
altogether if the Turks are backing away from their
agreement with the Greeks last month to reopen the
talks without preconditions.
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013100010004-7