THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 29 APRIL 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015095
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: April 29, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
?;
April 29, 1976
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( I ),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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April 29, 1976
Table of Contents
Egypt-Israel: UN observers confirm that Egypt has more forces
in
USSR-Cuba:
Lebanon:
the limited
(Page
armaments zone than are allowed by the agreement.
1)
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Leftist leader Kamal Jumblatt has protested holding
so soon after President Franjiyah approved the
law and has intimated that he may not participate
they are postponed. (Page 2)
elections
election
unless
Portugal: The Popular Democratic Party has modified its position
on pulling out of the provisional government. (Page 2)
Notes: USSR; Egypt-USSR; OPEC; Greece-Turkey; Jordan-Syria; Spain;
Ethiopia; Panama (Pages 4, 53 63 and 7)
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EGYPT-ISRAEL: UN ob-
servers confirm that
Egypt has more forces
in the limited arma-
ments zone than are
allowed by the Sinai
II disengagement agree-
ment. They report that
Egypt has 16 infantry
battalions within the
limited armaments zone;
the agreement limits
each side to eight.
USSR-CUBA:
The 16 battalions were located in
an area extending from Port Said
on the Mediterranean to an area
southeast of Port Tawfiq at the
mouth of the Gulf of Suez. With
the exception of one infantry bat-
talion and a few combat support
units at Port Said, the deployed
battalions and combat support
units probably are lead elements
of the five infantry divisions lo-
cated on the west bank of the canal.
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--continued
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LEBANON: Leftist leader
Kamal Jumblatt, who orig-
inally insisted that a
new president be chosen
before May 2, has now
protested holding the
elections so soon after
President Franjiyah's
approval of the election
law.
PORTUGAL: The Popular
Democratic Party has
modified its position
on pulling out of the
provisional government.
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Jumblatt apparently wants more time
to map out his strategy and has
intimated that he may not partici-
pate in the election unless it is
postponed. Although his threats
are being widely regarded as pre-
election maneuvering, they have
cast new uncertainty around the
election.
Jumblatt's protest may h
partially responsible fo
lation in the fighting y
A leftist group reported
Christian-held territory
port area. Clashes also
the mixed Christian-Musl
east of the capital.
ave been
r an esca-
esterday.
ly attacked
in Beirut's
erupted in
im villages
In a statement issued Tuesday
evening, the party said it had
placed its government posts "at
the disposal" of Prime Minister
Azevedo, implying that he could
shuffle the cabinet at his dis-
cretion.
Popular Democratic ministers did
not attend a cabinet meeting yes-
terday. A party spokesman said
--continued
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they would stay away until Azevedo
decides whether they should remain
in office.
The party was probably influenced
in changing its position by the
Army General Staff. The General
Staff reportedly told the Popular
Democratic secretary general that
it wanted to avoid a crisis over
the provisional government that
could give President Costa Gomes
a pretext for remaining in office.
3
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The Soviet Union's
statement yesterday re-
iterating its interest
in reconvening the Ge-
neva peace conference
seems timed chiefly to
coincide and compete
with discussions on the
renewal next month of
the mandate for the UN
force on the Golan
Heights.
Egypt and the USSR
signed their 1976 trade
protocol yesterday.
NOTES
The statement offers a new course
of procedure and is intended to 25X1
appeal to both the Palestinians
and Israel.
The new agreement calls for trade
valued at $642 million in 1976--
a third less than in 1975--and
allows for an Egyptian trade sur-
plus of $142 million to be used
to reduce Egypt's debt to the
USSR.
Beyond the expulsion of five So-
viets last week from the Hulwan
steel mill for an alleged "slow
down," Cairo has taken no overt
steps to reduce the level or char-
acter of its economic relationship
with the Soviet Union. Most of
the 1,800 Soviet technicians as-
signed to economic projects in
Egypt will probably remain until
their contracts expire or their
projects are completed.
--continued
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OPEC attitudes on oil
price levels appear to
have moderated since
last September's meet-
ing when most producers
were in favor of some
increases.
Greece and Turkey have
agreed to hold another
round of talks on the
Aegean continental
shelf.
Abu Dhabi's petroleum minister has
said that no firm recommendations
were reached on a price hike at
the unpublicized conclave of OPEC
oil ministers in Geneva last week,
but that the United Arab Emirates,
Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Ku-
wait now favor continuing the price
freeze until the end of the year.
Earlier reporting indicated that
Algeria also would support a
freeze. The petroleum minister
stated that Iran and perhaps some
others favor a small increase.
the meeting will probably
take place this June in Bern if
there is agreement on the terms
of reference. Neither side seems
ready to compromise, although the
results of the Law of the Sea Con-
ference now in progress could pro-
vide some new grounds for discus-
sion.
Athens' agreement to another meet-
ing, as well as the approaching US
Congressional debate on the Greek
and Turkish military assistance
packages, might incline Ankara to
postpone exploration in contested
waters.
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Jordan
Syria
Spanish Prime Minister
Arias' speech last
evening provided the
most detailed present-
ation of the govern-
ment's reform program
yet presented, but it
will satisfy neither
left nor right.
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Arias outlined specific reform
measures planned by the government
and offered a timetable for imple-
mentation. His call for a referen-
dum on constitutional reforms by
next October and general elections
early in 1977 sets a more leisurely
pace for the program than reformers
such as Foreign Minister Areilza
had been urging. Except for the
electoral law, all reform measures
are to be ready for submission to
parliament by May 15.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the
government's refusal to legalize
the Communist Party.
--continued
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Ethiopian
Panama is attempting
to extradite the cap-
tain of a US-registered
fishing boat presently
in Canal Zone waters.
The boat allegedly was fishing
within Panama's 200-mile limit.
A Panamanian ship has taken up
position near the Atlantic entrance
to the canal, possibly to intercept
the fishing boat if it is not de-
tained by Canal Zone authorities
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-
,
Top Secret
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