THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 JUNE 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015131
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 9, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
June 9, 1976
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 515(12,12),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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June 9, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: The Arab League foreign ministers adopted a resolution
late last night calling for an immediate cease-fire in Leba-
non. Late press reports from Beirut say Syrian President
Asad has accepted, but we have no confirmation from Damas-
cus. (Page 1)
Syrian forces in Lebanon met stiffer resistance than they
had expected yesterday. (Page 2)
President Asad is under increased domestic pressure as a r.-
sult of Syria's military escalation in Lebanon. (Page 2) 25X1
Jordan-USSR:
(Page 3) 25X1
USSR: The Soviets are stressing their interest in the early con-
clusion of a new strategic arms limitation agreeme-+
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(Page 4)
West Germany - Italy:
Rhodesia:
(Page 5)
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(Page 6)
Notes: Cuba; Angola; Greece; North Yemen - USSR (Pages
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7 and 8)
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LEBANON: The Arab
League foreign minis-
ters, who gathered in
Cairo late last night
to consider the Leba-
nese crisis, adopted a
resolution calling for
an immediate cease-fire
and the replacement of
Syrian troops in Leba-
non with an Arab secu-
rity force. Late press
reports from Beirut say
Syrian President Asad
has accepted the reso-
lution.
The resolution appears to be a
compromise between advocates of a
Palestinian call for an immediate,
unconditional withdrawal of Syrian
forces and those hoping to avoid
a direct challenge to Damascus.
The resolution describes the joint
Arab force as a "token" security
force and gives no timetable for
the replacement of Syrian troops.
The resolution also authorizes a
committee composed of the Arab
League Secretary General and rep-
resentatives of Algeria, Libya,
and Bahrain to go immediately to
Beirut to "cooperate" with "all
concerned parties" in arranging
the cease-fire.
Although the resolution expresses
support for the Palestinian revo-
lution and determination to pro-
tect it from "all dangers," it
carefully avoids direct criticism
of Syria's actions in Lebanon and
any suggestion that the Arab League
is dictating to Damascus.
The speedy action by the foreign
ministers clearly caught Damascus
off guard. According to reporting
early yesterday, Syrian Foreign
Minister Khaddam was planning to
arrive in Cairo today to counter
Palestinian charges. Syria's rep-
resentative at the session yester-
day warned that Syria would not
accept any resolution until Khaddam
"had been heard."
We have no confirmation from Da-
mascus that President Asad has,
in fact, accepted all provisions
of the resolution--as the Beirut
press alleges. We would expect
any Syrian endorsement to be qual-
ified to reflect Syria's adamant
opposition to the introduction of
other Arab troops in Lebanon.
--continued
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MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
59880 6-76
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Late yesterday, elements
of the Syrian armored
division on the Beirut
to Damascus highway re-
portedly had moved to
within a few miles of
the leftist stronghold
of Alayh, Kamal Jum-
Hatt's home town.
Syria's military esca-
lation in Lebanon has
thrown into even sharper
relief President Asad's
high personal stake in
achieving a solution
to the Lebanese crisis.
Asad, however, may have accepted
the League's call for a truce in
order to avoid total defiance of
a joint Arab decision. The Syr-
ians, moreover, have run into un-
expected, stiff opposition in Leb-
anon and may even welcome a respite.
Other Syrian forces were unsuccess-
ful in their attempt to enter the
southern port city of Sidon. Heavy
shelling was still going on there
late last night, and the Palestin-
ians fear a renewed Syrian assault
today.
Fighting elsewhere was at a low
level. In the north, Syrian-con-
trolled Saiqa forces in Tripoli
suffered a sharp setback--as they
have in other major Lebanese cities
Syrian regulars, however, expanded
their control in the surrounding
countryside.
Syrian and Israeli aircraft flew
reconnaissance missions over Leba-
non again yesterday, but there
were no incidents. It is still
not clear whether any Syrian air-
craft have been used in combat mis-
sions against leftist and Palestin-
ian targets.
The domestic returns from Asad's
military moves are not yet in, but
there are rumors of sharp divisions
within the regime. There are no
indications that Asad faces an im-
minent coup.
The urgency in Asad's present sit-
uation apparently was brought on
by a miscalculation of Palestinian
willingness to resist increased
Syrian intervention. Thus far, Syr-
ian regulars have not fared as well
as Asad expected against the Pales-
tinians.
--continued
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JORDAN-USSR:
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Given the outside Arab pressures
that are building on Asad, it seems
unlikely that he will be willing
to sustain military action against
the Palestinians much longer. On
the other hand, it would be diffi-
cult for him to respond to Pales-
tinian pressures for a substantial
withdrawal of Syrian forces.
The latest US embassy assessment
?sees Asad as continuing in firm
control. The absence of an Israeli
response to the heightened Syrian
intervention in Lebanon may have
substantially reduced the criticism
of Asad from within the all-impor-
tant military.
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--continued
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USSR: The Soviet lead-
ership and media have
re-emphasized interest
in the early conclusion
of a new strategic arms
limitations agreement
since the signing last
month of the US-Soviet
treaty on peaceful nu-
clear explosions.
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The USSR has played up the symbolic
significance of the new agreement
for US-Soviet relations in general
and for SALT in partiCular. Fol-
lowing General Secretary Brezhnev's
affirmation of Moscow's intention
to seek a new strategic arms pact
at the signing ceremony on May 28,
various Soviet spokemen have as-
serted that the peaceful nuclear
explosions treaty provides a stim-
ulus to agreements on "other dis-
armament question." An article
carried by Pravda last week exhorted
the US to move "as soon as possible"
toward a new SALT agreement.
The USSR's increased public atten-
tion to SALT apparently derives from
its hopeful readings of developments
in the US rather than from any sub-
stantial change in the Soviet nego-
tiating position. The Soviets have
been encouraged by your success in
recent presidential primaries in
the face of attacks on US policy
toward the USSR. They were also
pleased by your reaffirmation last
month of a continuing commitment to
SALT, and reported your Los Angeles
statement in the central press.
--continued
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Moscow probably still
remains skeptical of
the chances for achiev-
ing a new SALT agree-
ment this year.
WEST GERMANY - ITALY:
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There has been no indication that
the Soviets are willing to modify
their negotiating stance. Pravda
and other sources continue to crit-
icize the US along familiar lines, 25X1
specifically attacking the 6-1,
Trident, and long-range cruise mis-
sile programs.
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RHODESIA:
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The Cuban convoy in the
Caribbean has changed
course and is scheduled
to arrive in Mariel,
Cuba's main military
port, later today.
All Angolan troops in
Luanda were ordered con-
fined to barracks yester-
day for two days. Staff
headquarters explained
that a pending reorgani-
zation of the armed
forces and preparations
for Armed Forces Day
were behind the move.
The Greek government has
declared that it will
continue to allow port
visits by ships of the
US Sixth Fleet despite
recent demonstrations
and parliamentary criti-
cism directed against
them.
NOTES
It may be bringing home the first
sizable contingent of Cuban troops
withdrawn from Angola. If so, its
arrival would give Prime Minister
Castro an opportunity to reiterate
his pledge to withdraw.
Since Armed Forces Day is almost
two months away, the order is more
likely related to the factional
dispute within the Popular Move-
ment and may be part of a power
play by the military against the
political wing of the Popular Move-
ment. Last month the general
staff surfaced a plan to reorgan-
ize the military that President
Neto rescinded the following day,
stating that it had been issued
without his sanction. Neto may
actually have been thwarting an
attempt by the military leadership
to increase its influence.
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Greek security police clashed last
month with leftist demonstrators 25X1
on both Rhodes and Mykonos, which
caused the government to ask that
US ships depart in order to avoid
more serious violence.
A limited schedule of port visits
by US ships has been resumed, in-
cluding one to a port near Athens
last week that was carried out
without incident.
--continued
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North Yemen
Soviet
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LEBANON
--continued
Al
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Top Secret
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