THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 JULY 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015178
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: July 31, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
July 3 1 , 1976
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category, 5B( I
declassified only on approval or
the Director of Central Intelligence
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July 31, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Christian and leftist leaders have given tentative ap-
proval to the Syrian-Palestinian accord, but the Syrians and
Palestinians are quarreling over the accord's preamble.
Cairo last night scored the agreement. (Page 1)
Libya-Lebanon: There are indications that the Libyans may have
increased their efforts to help the Palestinians and Leba-
nese leftists. (Page 3)
Libya-Tunisia: Libyan President Qadhafi has invited a Tunisian
representative to visit Libya this weekend to discuss the
chances of normalizing relations. (Page 4)
Italy:
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Angola: There does not appear to have been any sharp increase in
guerrilla activity. (Page 6)
Notes: Kenya-Uganda; Greece-Turkey; USSR (Ustinov); USSR (Brezh-
nev); Yugoslavia; Spain (Pages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12)
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LEBANON: Christian and
leftist leaders have
tentatively approved
the Syrian-Palestinian
accord signed in Damas-
cus on Thursday.
The Syrians and Pales-
tinians themselves are
quarreling over a pre-
amble to the agreement,
apparently drafted solely
by the Syrians.
The two most likely spoilers of
the agreement--Camille Shamun and
leftist leader Kamal Jumblatt--
issued statements yesterday ex-
pressing hope that a cease-fire
will be implemented. Neither,
however, could be drawn out on
other provisions of the agreement.
Phalanges Party leader Jumayyil
also endorsed the agreement, but
issued a blunt warning that the
Christians are not satisfied with
the accord's reaffirmation of the
1969 Cairo agreement as the basis
for regulating Palestinian activ-
ity in Lebanon. He implied that
the Christians will demand even
stricter regulations.
Jumayyil's remarks probably were
intended to let the Palestinians
know that the Christians are
united on this issue and do not
feel bound by an agreement they
did not negotiate. Despite re-
peated assurances from Damascus,
the Christians may be worried that
Syria and the Palestinians have
struck a private bargain.
The preamble blamed the war in
Lebanon on Egypt's conclusion of
the second Sinai agreement. The
quarrel has led to widespread con-
fusion even among the Palestinians
over the status of the entire ac-
cord.
Palestine Liberation Organization
chairman Yasir Arafat sent a mes-
sage to Egyptian President Sadat
--continued
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JL *-of A A 1 A .1 AJ,.? J. V A.
Cairo last night
scored the agreement,
according to press
reports.
The quarrel over the
statement and the con-
fusion it has created
will, at the very least,
delay Arafat's plans to
go to Damascus.
on Thursday denouncing the Syrian
statement. The message, in effect,
apologized for the prefatory state-
ment, but did not refer to the
agreement itself. Arafat appar-
ently then issued a second message
to all Fatah and PLO representa-
tives reaffirming his approval of
the agreement. Despite Arafat's
evident effort to distinguish be-
tween the preamble and the accord,
a Palestinian spokesman told re-
porters yesterday that an agree-
ment with Syria had not been
reached.
The Egyptians apparently were pro-
voked by the reference in the ac-
cord to the Second Sinai agreement.
The Cairo statement described the
accord as part of a scheme arranged
by Damascus and the Lebanese right-
ists to annihilate Palestinian and
leftist forces.
Although Arafat clearly wants to
settle with the Syrians and prob-
ably is willing to minimize the
incident, he cannot afford to jeop-
ardize the material and political
support he is now getting from the
Egyptians. Moreover, Arafat must
answer to some of his more militant
colleagues who have opposed dealing
with Damascus and may seize on the
Syrians' duplicity as a pretext for
backing out of the accord.
For their part, the Syrians have
little confidence that the Pales-
tinians will adhere to the agree-
ment and probably will not go out
--continued
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of their way to preserve it. The
Syrians are particularly worried
about the outside help the Pales-
tinians are receiving and report-
edly believe it is only a matter
of time before their adversaries,
rearmed and resupplied, break the
truce.
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LIBYA-LEBANON: Press
reports t.izat, a large
contingent of Libyan
troops and military
equipment landed at
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Although the contingent apparently
was sent to reinforce the Arab
League security forces, Libyan
Sidon yesterday
forces under the league's auspices
have often acted on the Palestin-
ians' behalf. Moreover, Libya has
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been carrying on a separate
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resupply effort via Sidon
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Mediterranean Sea
SAUDI ARABIA
620197 7-76
0 400
Kilometers
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A IL A A A LI A. A A-I A I. ? A .I. ? LI
LIBYA-TUNISIA: Tunisian
Interior Minister Bel-
khodja is expected to
visit Libya this week-
end at President Qad-
hafi's invitation to
discuss the possibility
of normalizing relations
between the two coun-
tries.
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Relations between Tunisia and Libya
have been particularly bad
Qad-
hafi remains fundamentally opposed
to Bourguiba, and we see little
prospect for any real reconcilia-
tion. Tunis, meanwhile, probably
believes that it has nothing to
lose by responding to the Libyan
initiative.
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ITALY:
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ATLANTIC
OCEAN
0
Kilometers
SOU -WEST AFRICA
MIBIA)
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Both government and Na-
tional Front forces in
the northwest operations
are hampered by supply
shortages, particularly
of ammunition and food.
the Front has infiltrated a
number of small guerrilla units
into northwestern Angola in the
past few weeks. These units have
been skirmishing with government
forces around four small towns in
that area, and evidently have cap-
tured two of them. Several groups
apparently are also scattered along
the coast between Ambrizete and
Ambriz. A large part of the insur-
gent activity reflected in the mes-
sages relates to the planting of
landmines and small-scale ambushes
in which casualties have been
slight.
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units to dis-
perse as widely as possible through-
out northwestern Angola and to be
ready to launch a series of attacks
against government forces on Au-
gust 1, Angolan Armed Forces Day.
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Given its supply problems, it seems
unlikely that the National Front
can dramatically raise the level
of its activities any time soon.
Government forces nonetheless will
have difficulty suppressing guer-
rilla operations, even with the
assistance of Cuban troops. North-
western Angola is densely forested
and affords excellent protection
from counterinsurgency operations.
--continued
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In eastern Angola, the government
has been carrying out numerous op-
erations around Luso. (
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De-
spite his optimistic
comments to the press
last night, Eteki will
be hard-pressed to
bridge differences be-
tween the two sides.
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Uganda's President Amin yesterday
praised Kenyan President Kenyatta
and told Eteki Kampala would ac-
cept a Kenyan proposal to send a
delegation to Nairobi for talks.
Amin's attitudes are subject to
abrupt shifts, and the Kenyans ap-
parently are viewing his latest
conciliatory words with consider-
able caution.
Nairobi appears to be seeking sup-
port from neighboring Ethiopia.
On Thursday Kenya's foreign minis-
ter was in Addis Ababa to begin a
round of periodic consultations,
normally held to resolve bilateral
problems.
Nairobi and Addis Ababa have a mu-
tual defense pact, but Ethiopia is
too preoccupied with its own in-
ternal problems to come to Kenya's
aid. Although Nairobi probably
recognizes it has little chance of
getting Ethiopian help, it appar-
ently pushed to have the meeting
now to give Uganda the impression
it has Addis Ababa's backing.
--continued
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The Turkish announce-
ment giving the course
the seismic exploration
ship Sismik I will fol-
low in the Aegean Sea
through August 20 has
relieved some of the
Greek-Turkish tension
associated with the
voyage.
A senior Greek Foreign Ministry
official told the US ambassador on
Thursday that he saw "no problem"
with the itinerary, apparently be-
cause it avoids areas actively con-
tested by Athens. A high-ranking
official in the Turkish Foreign
Ministry, meanwhile, told the US
ambassador in Ankara that the ship
would not enter Greek territorial
waters or conduct controversial
operations. He did admit that it
would spend a short time in con-
tested international waters.
Despite these assurances, each
side is taking measures that could
provoke a clash. The Sismik is
accompanied by a small Turkish na-
val escort and the Greeks have in-
dicated that they intend to watch
the ship "closely." Earlier this
week Prime Minister Caramanlis
told the US ambassador that he was
having renewed troubles with the
Greek military who believe he is
not acting with sufficient force
on this matter.
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The promotion, announced
yesterday, of Soviet
Minister of Defense
Dmitry Ustinov from
Army General to the
rank of Marshal of the
Soviet Union brings him
level in rank with
other top military offi-
cers who are his imme-
diate subordinates. It
also makes him the
equal in military rank
of General Secretary
Brezhnev.
In an interview in
Pravda on the eve of
the first anniversary
of the Helsinki agree-
ment, Soviet party
chief Brezhnev dwelled
on alleged Western in-
terference in Italian
politics.
Ustinov was promoted to Army Gen-
eral at the end of April when he
was named minister of defense. He
had previously held an inactive
rank as Colonel General of Engi-
neering Troops. Brezhnev--identi-
fied as army general in 1975--was
promoted to Marshal of the Soviet
Union a week after Ustinov's pro-
motion was announced.
The full implications of Ustinov's
and Brezhnev's military promotions
this spring are still not entirely
clear, and the speed with which
Ustinov has received this second
promotion is surprising.
Following the Soviet propaganda
line that has been prominent for
several weeks, Brezhnev charged
that Western statements regarding
the imposition of economic sanc-
tions if the Italian Communists
participate in the government are
a clear violation of the Helsinki
agreement.
Last year, the Soviets attacked
Western statements on Portugal
along the same line. Brezhnev's
latest comments are in large part
an effort to take the offensive on
Helsinki.
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Yugoslavia
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The amnesty decree is-
sued yesterday, which
will free a number of
Spain's remaining po-
litical prisoners and
restore civil rights
to the Republicans who
fought against Franco
in the Civil War, is a
move toward national
reconciliation.
The government probably hopes that
the amnesty will boost its efforts
to enlist support of the previously
illegal democratic opposition par-
ties in its political reform pro-
gram. The amnesty covers all po-
litical crimes such as involvement
in previously illegal political
meetings and issuance of propa-
ganda, but excludes persons con-
victed of crimes of terrorism caus. -
ing death or injury. The minister-
of justice said about one third of
Spain's estimated 600 political
prisoners will be released.
According to a government official,
inclusion of the military in the
amnesty was a particularly deli-
cate matter. The nine officers
convicted earlier this year of sub-
version will be released, and
armed forces members who fought
against Franco in the Civil War
will become eligible for pensions.
No military officer benefiting
from this amnesty would be per-
mitted to return to military serv-
ice, however.
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Top Secret
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