THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 8 JUNE 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015130
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 8, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
June 8, 1976
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of EO. 11652
exemption category 5/1(1).(2),(3)
declamified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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pnr? 771L' PP PcITWATT mu IT
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June 8, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon-Syria: Syrian ground forces, supported by aircraft,
moved deep into Lebanon yesterday with the apparent objec-
tive of securing the main coastal cities and roads leading
into the country from the east. (Page 1)
Israel-Syria-tebanon: Prime Minister Rabin appears under rel-
atively little pressure to react militarily to Syria's
moves in Lebanon. (Page 2)
Arab States: The Arab League foreign ministers will convene in
Cairo today to discuss Syria's intervention in Lebanon.
(Page 2)
USSR:
Egypt-Israel:
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Cuba-Angola: Prime Minister Fidel Castro announced in Havana
Sunday night that Cuba is gradually withdrawing military
personnel from Angola. (Page 5)
EC: Belgium, Luxembourg, and the EC Commission have protested
to Washington that the presence of only the four largest
EC members at the forthcoming economic summit in Puerto
Rico will adversely affect community solidarity. (Page 6)
Note: USSR-China (Page 7)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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EIL7f.4 RAT
MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
BEIRUT
AlQutayfah
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/
DAMASCUS
MILES 20
0 KILOMETERS 20
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LEBANON-SYRIA: Syrian
ground forces, supported
by aircraft, moved deep
into Lebanon yesterday.
Their objective appar-
ently is to secure the
main coastal cities, in-
cluding Beirut, and the
roads leading into the
country from the east.
We are still not certain about the
size of the Syrian force. Military
authorities in Tel Aviv reported
yesterday that the entire Syrian
3rd Armored Division is partici-
pating. In addition to this divi-
sion, several battalions of infan-
try and armor that were in Lebanon
before yesterday's push are proba-
bly involved.
Syria's increasing military involve
ment in Lebanon prompted widespread
clashes yesterday between fedayeen
from the Syrian-controlled Saiqa
group and the larger independent
Fatah group. Fatah and Lebanese
leftist forces apparently also
clashed directly with Syrian troops
in towns north and west of the Bay-
dar Pass. Fatah, which has attempted
to avoid a military showdown with
the Syrians, may no longer be able
to do so as the result of heavy
air attacks and shelling yesterday
of almost all Palestinian refugee
camps in Beirut.
Fatah chief Arafat's prestige will
be diminished by his inability to
prevent or effectively counter Syr-
ian action. Radicals within his
own organization will call for
still more active resistance to
Damascus' military initiative.
There were tenuous indications
that the Palestinians and Syrians
had agreed to a truce last night.
Damascus radio quoted an "official
source" in the Palestine Liberation
Organization as saying that the
two sides had agreed to "halt fir-
ing throughout Lebanon."
1
--continued
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ISRAEL-SYRIA-LEBANON:
Prime Minister Rabin
appears under relatively
little pressure to re-
act militarily to Syr-
ia's moves in Lebanon.
ARAB STATES: The Arab
League foreign ministers
will convene in Cairo
today to discuss Syria's
intervention in Lebanon.
The meeting is in re-
sponse to a call last
week by the Palestine
Liberation Organization.
Syria will undoubtedly
boycott the meeting.
Two of his prominent conservative
critics, Moshe Dayan and Menahem
Begin, leader of the Likud opposi-
tion in the Knesset, joined Israeli
government leaders last weekend in
saying that Israel should stay out
of the Lebanese conflict. Dayan
told the press that he opposes
Israeli intervention even if the
Syrians occupy Beirut and go below
the so-called "red line" the Rabin
government has repeatedly warned
Damascus against crossing.
Fifteen of the 20 Arab states have
thus far agreed to attend. Most
Arab states have been reluctant
heretofore to interfere with Syria's
handling of the Lebanon crisis.
Their consent now evidences grow-
ing apprehension about Syria's
actions and particularly about its
confrontation with the Palestinians.
Saudi Arabia is among the respon-
dents, suggesting some slackening of
Riyadh's general support for Syria's
role in Lebanon.
Egypt will press at the meeting
for the formation of a joint Arab
military force to replace or at
least balance Syria's forces in
Lebanon. The other Arabs, however,
will be reluctant to participate in
a pan-Arab force in the face of
Syrian opposition, and the logis-
tical problems involved in forming
and transporting such a force would
be extremely difficult.
--continued
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USSR:
The Arabs will most likely opt first
for a serious negotiating effort
to bring about a Syrian withdrawal,
possibly using the threat of Arab
intervention to force a pullback.
PLO leader Yasir Arafat, in fact,
has already called for an Arab sum-
mit to follow the foreign ministers'
meeting.
If negotiation should fail and
Syria appeared on the point of
neutralizing the Palestinian move-
ment, in the fashion of Jordan's
moves in 1970 and 1971, several of
the Arab states might be willing
to use force.
Iraq already seems prepared to use
at least the threat of force to
intimidate Syria.
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--continued
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CUBA-ANGOLA: Prime
Minister Fidel Castro
announced in Havana
Sunday night that Cuba
is gradually withdraw-
ing military personnel
from Angola in accord-
ance with an agreement
with the Angolan govern-
ment.
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Castro emphasized the long-term
nature of the pullout
and tied its completion to
the length of time needed to organ-
ize, train, and equip a profes-
sional Angolan military establish-
ment.
He reiterated that Cuban civilian
aid to Angola is increasing but in-
dicated that the number of civil-
ians would never approach the
strength of military personnel
when at its peak. He gave no fig-
ures for Cuba's future military
presence in Angola. He said only
that the remaining force would be
strong enough to guarantee Angola's
external security until the An-
golans were able to defend them-
selves.
Armed Forces Minister Raul Castro
visited Angola, Congo, and Guinea
over the past week. He probably
explained the Cuban action and
tried to resolve any concerns it
may have raised among Black Afri-
can leaders.
A convoy, apparently returning
from Angola, was to arrive in Cien-
fuegos, a major port on Cuba's
southern coast, last night.
--continued
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EUROPEAN COMMUNITY:
Belgium, Luxembourg,
and the EC Commission
have protested to Wash-
ington that the pres-
ence of only the four
largest EC members at
the forthcoming economic
summit in Puerto Rico
will adversely affect
community solidarity.
If it is bringing troops home, a
welcoming demonstration would give
Castro an opportunity to reinforce
his pledge to withdraw.
Similar demarches apparently have
been made to London, Bonn, Paris,
and Rome. The smaller members
believe that the EC's existence
should be recognized at the summit.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Thorn,
in his capacity as current EC pres-
ident, has asked to be invited.
The EC foreign ministers are due
to discuss likely summit issues
informally in Luxembourg this Sat-
urday. The larger members prob-
ably will assure their smaller
partners that no commitments will
be made in Puerto Rico which would
violate EC responsibilities. They
probably also will offer to give
prompt briefings on the results of
the summit.
It is uncertain whether such face-
saving measures will satisfy Brus-
sels and Luxembourg. Moreover,
Dutch officials were suggesting
last week that The Hague would not
consult on summit matters unless
some provision was made for commu-
nity representation.
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The opening of the ship-
ping season on the bor-
der rivers between the
USSR and China has again
been accompanied by in-
cidents--none of which
seem to have been unu-
sually serious.
NOTE
CHINA
NORTH
KOREA
USSR
Tatung Island
USSR
ussud
1 River
t
,Orero
Khanka
Vladivostok
Sea of Japan
0 lames
0 Muommm
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Top Secret
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