THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 24 JULY 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015172
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: July 24, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
July 24, 1976
2
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Exempt from general
declassification uhedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category, SB( I ),(2)(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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July 24, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Haydar claims to be opti-
mistic about talks with Palestinians now under way in Damas-
cus but admits it will take several weeks to make any head-
way. (Page 1)
Egypt-Libya: President Sadat implied in a speech Thursday that
Egypt can no longer tolerate Libyan President Qadhafi.
(Page 2)
Kenya-Uganda-UK: Neither Kenya nor Uganda appears to have under-
taken any new troop movements in the past week.
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(Page 3) 25X1
Turkey-Greece: Turkey remains silent about the course of the re-
search ship Sismik I which departed Istanbul and entered the
Sea of Marmara yesterday. (Page 5)
Notes: China; Ethiopia; UK-NATO (Pages 6 and 7)
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LEBANON: Syrian Deputy
Prime Minister Haydar
told US officials on
Thursday that he was
optimistic about the
talks now underway in
Damascus between Pales-
tinians and Syrians,
but he felt it would
take several weeks to
make any headway.
Arab League representa-
tives in Beirut are
trying to arrange an
expansion of the newly
created buffer zone at
the main cross-over
point between the Chris-
tian and Muslim sectors
of the city.
Haydar admitted that President
Asad's warning to the Palestinians
in his speech on Tuesday had com-
plicated matters. Syria, he said,
could not move from the position
Asad had staked out in the speech.
George Habbash and other leaders
of the fedayeen rejectionists an-
nounced yesterday that they will
not be bound by any agreements
reached in Damascus. Their warn-
ing follows a statement by Leba-
nese leftist leader Kamal Jumblatt
that he would not treat with the
Syrians.
A Sudanese contingent previously
based in Sidon reportedly is mov-
ing to Beirut, and additional
Saudi troops are being sent from
Damascus to Beirut. These units
presumably will supplement the
Saudi contingent already in place
and will provide enough troops to
extend the buffer zone further
north along the main axis that di-
vides the city.
The Christians have publicly
agreed to let Arab League troops
establish posts on their side of
the buffer zone, but apparently
they are being cooperative only
for the purpose of disguising prep-
arations for further military moves
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--continued
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1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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TURKEY
GREECE,c,
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
LIBYA
CHAD
.Kufrah
tTobruk
SYRIA
'
LEBANON
?.1 7
ISRAEL
I I JORDAN
/
? el
Suez Canal
/
Sinai
Cairo* (ISRAELI- \ I
OCCUPIED)
EGYPT
SUDAN _
e SAUDI
ARABIA
4."\\
200 Miles
200 Kilometers
620130 7.16
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EGYPT-LIBYA: Propa-
ganda attacks by both
Egypt and Libya have
risen to a new and more
threatening pitch in
the last few days.
During a speech Thurs-
day, President Sadat
added a note of offi-
cial sanction by imply-
ing that Egypt could no
longer tolerate Presi-
dent Qadhafi.
In the north--off the coast near
Chekka--the Christians intercepted
and seized a boat from Beirut car-
rying arms to Palestinian fighters
in the Tripoli area. A ship of
Greek registry that presumably was
also carrying arms to the Palestin-
ians sank earlier this week in the
harbor at Tyre--the southern
coastal point for arms delivery to
the Palestinians--as the result of
an explosion in its hull.
Referring to Qadhafi as "the ma-
niac of Libya," Sadat said repeat-
edly that Egypt would not stand
for Libya's "international gang-
sterism." He noted that Cairo is
fully aware of Tripoli's subver-
sive activities.
Libya's official news agency re-
sponded yesterday with a denuncia-
tion of Sadat as a "Caesar" who 25X1
should not remain in office.
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Egyptian forces do not
appear to be in posi-
tion for a large-scale
operation, although the
necessary deployments
could probably be car-
ried out in a few days.
Recent Egyptian movements suggest
that Cairo is beginning to posi-
tion some forces so that they
could either support an attack
into northeastern Libya or be pre-
pared to put up a strong defense
--continued
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against Libyan forces now in the
Tobruk area. Cairo may also have
nothing more in mind than the ir25xl
timidation of Libya.
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KENYA-UGANDA-UK: A
high-level Kenyan offi-
cial told the US ambas-
sador this week that
current US air and sea
visits have played a
significant role in de-
terring Ugandan Presi-
dent Amin from military
action against Kenya.
Neither government appears to have
undertaken any new troop movements
in the past week or so. Ugandan
units near the border remain on
alert. Kenyan troops are still
some distance from the border, ap-
parently in a more relaxed state
of alert.
Ugandan President Amin so far seems
to be keeping his public pledge to
President Kenyatta to halt anti-
Kenyan propaganda and is now con-
centrating on the UK. According
to Radio Uganda, Amin plans to con-
front the new British acting high
commissioner with charges that
London is engaging in "malicious
propaganda" against Kampala.
--continued
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Amin has not yet carried out re-
ported threats to arrest the Brit-
ish high commissioner and other
Britons in Uganda. He apparently
believes such a move would force
London to press Kenya to end its
economic restrictions.
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TURKEY-GREECE: Turkey
remains silent about
the course of the re-
search ship Sismik I
which departed Istanbul
and entered the Sea of
Marmara yesterday.
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The vessel is presumably heading25X1
for the Aegean Sea and could ar-
rive sometime this weekend.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Prates Reef
Quemoy
(Chin-men)
TAIWAN
STRAIT
ga
Pescadores
0
50 Miles
50 Kilometers
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I Chinese:
/Taiwan
Forces loyal to the rul-
ing military council in
Ethiopia have reasserted
control over military
dissidents in Eritrea
Province.
NOTES
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The US consul in Asmara has re-
ceived reports that six dissident
officers were arrested this week.
One of them committed suicide, and
the other five are rumored to have
been executed. The commanding of-
ficer of the airborne battalion,
one of the army's most disaffected
units, reportedly was among those
arrested; the battalion apparently
has been moved to a town south of
Asmara.
Indicating the council's renewed
confidence was the arrival in As-
mara early this week of a council
member with instructions to try to
begin a dialogue with secessionist
guerrillas.
The council also seems confident
of its control of Addis Ababa.
Security patrols in the city are
light and generally inconspicuous.
The recent executions of civilians
and prominent military officers
have apparently had the intended
effect of intimidating potential
troublemakers.
--continued
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British Defense Minis-
ter Mason has assured
NATO that his govern-
ment's proposed 78-
million cut in defense
spending for the 1977-
78 fiscal year will
have little impact on
the UK's military con-
tribution to the Alli-
ance.
In a letter to NATO Secretary Gen-
eral Luns, Mason said he was deter-
mined not to reduce "front line"
forces committed to the Alliance--
an apparent reference to the 56,000
British ground troops stationed in
West Europe. He added that the
spending cuts, which he described
as unavoidable, would have "as
small an impact as possible" on
the operational capability of Brit-
ish armed forces. He acknowledged,
however, that some unspecified
weapons procurement programs may
be delayed.
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Top Secret
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