THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 AUGUST 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466746
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 23, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
The President's Daily Brief
August 23, 1976
2
--,Trseer4.5401_(1
0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E 0 11652
exemption category 58(11,(2),13)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
August 23, 1976
Table of Contents
Korea: Pyongyang's public reaction to the tree-clearing opera-
tion in the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom remains gener-
ally restrained, and the North Korean military alert has
been reduced. (Page 1)
Lebanon: Leftist leader Jumblatt has rejected Christian proposals
for the Palestinians' withdrawal from positions in the moun-
tains east of Beirut. Egypt continues to seek support for
holding an Arab summit. (Page 2)
Notes: Greece-Turkey; Egypt-Libya; Thailand; Nonaligned Summit
(Pages 4 and 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
KOREA: Pyongyang's
public reaction to the
tree-clearing operation
in the Joint Security
Area at Panmunjom is
worded in strong terms
and includes direct
criticism of you.
Within the North Korean
context, however, the
reaction is generally
restrained, and the
military alert has been
reduced.
South Korea has shown
renewed concern, as a
result of the MAC meet-
ing, about the possi-
bility that the US
might get involved in
bilateral negotiations
with North Korea on po-
litical matters.
The North Korean government has
not issued a public statement on
the US operation. The media have
portrayed the tree-felling as
proof that the US instigated last
Wednesday's violent incident. An
article in the party daily charged
that the two incidents were "di-
rectly linked with each other" and
aimed at provoking the North into
another war.
North Korea has not released to
the public the message Kim Il-song
in his capacity as supreme com-
mander of the armed forces, sent
to General Stilwell, which termed
the incident on Wednesday "regret-
table." That message was read at
the meeting of the Military Armi-
stice Commission that the North
requested shortly after the tree-
felling operation. The meeting
was attended only by the senior
representatives of the US and
North Korean delegations.
According to the US embassy, both
the South Korean defense minister
and foreign minister met with US
officials on August 22 to probe
our reaction to Kim Il-song's mes-
sage.
Seoul also seems concerned that
the US will be too easily satis-
fied by the relatively concilia-
tory tone of the North Korean mes-
sage. South Korean officials have
urged the US to continue to press
for a formal apology, punishment
of the offenders, and assurances
that such incidents will not be
repeated. They have urged that
US forces recently sent to South
Korea not be reduced until these
conditions are met.
--continued
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
MEDITERRANEAN
Tyre
SEA
DAMASCUS
IA
IS EL
Th
MILES 20
0 KILOMETERS 20
20319 8-76
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The USSR and China have
avoided comment on the
tree-clearing.
LEBANON: Heavy and in-
discriminate artillery
barrages continue in
Beirut despite several
attempts to work out
an agreement to end
the shelling.
There are signs that
the Palestinians are
beginning to suffer a
shortage of manpower.
Egyptian Foreign Minis-
ter Fahmi reportedly
continues to seek sup-
port for holding an
Arab summit.
Following the lines of their treat-
ment of the Wednesday incident, So-
viet and Chinese radio broadcasts
have replayed selected portions of
Pyongyang's account of the opera-
tion.
* * *
The major commercial center of
West Beirut was shelled Saturday
while the streets were filled with
shoppers--a departure from the
previous pattern of confining most
shelling in commercial areas to
night hours.
Leftist leader Jumblatt has cate-
gorically rejected Christian pro-
posals for the Palestinians' with-
drawal from positions in the moun-
tains east of Beirut. Fighting in
the Mount Lebanon area is still
confined largely to exchanges of
artillery and machinegun fire.
Palestinian officials have con-
firmed that PLO leader Yasir Ara-
fat issued a conscription decree
after the fall of Tall Zatar ref-
ugee cap. Fedayeen organizations
have now begun identifying Pales-
tinian men of military age.
Only four countries have officially
informed the Arab League secretariat
that they approve of a meeting,
but seven others are said to have
indicated support, thereby making
the majority necessary for hold-
ing the conference.
--continued
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
50X1
Asad will find it difficult to
hold out against a conference with
the Saudis pushing the idea. At
the same time, he can probably
count on Riyadh's cooperation in
trying to dilute any resolution
that would endanger his fundamen-
tal Lebanese policy.
--continued
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
There are no new devel-
opments in the Greek-
Turkish situation.
Egyptian President Sa-
dat's public promises
to take some kind of
action against Libyan
President Qadhafi are
putting Sadat in a
difficult position.
This morning's appar-
ent hijacking?possi-
bly to Libya--of an
Egyptian passengel
aircraft makes Sadat's
position even more
difficult.
NOTES
The Turkish research ship Sismik
I apparently continued its seismic
explorations over the weekend
while the UN Security Council
tried to draft a compromise reso-
lution on the Aegean dispute. The
Sismik is scheduled to return to
port early this week to prepare
for three more missions.
The International Court of Justice
has invited Turkey to send repre-
sentatives to the hearing Wednes-
day on Greece's application for
an interim injunction calling on
Ankara to halt its exploration in
disputed Aegean waters.
* * *
Sadat cannot keep up the harsh
talk for long, while still avoid-
ing an overt move against Libya,
without further damaging his popu-
lar standing--already undercut by
severe domestic economic problems.
He has now been quoted by one
Cairo newspaper, referring to re-
cent bombings and in the context
of his refusal to accept mediation
offers pressed by Arab leaders at
the Nonaligned Conference in Co-
lombo, as saying that "we cannot
stand idle when it comes to kill-
ing the people of Egypt."
Security officials are coming un-
der fire for their failure to stop
the bombings. According to an
official of the Egyptian Interior
Ministry, crowds shouted hysteri-
cally against investigating police
officers at the scene of the re-
cent explosion on an Alexandria
train.
--continued
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Former Thai military
leader Praphat left
Bangkok for Taiwan yes-
terday.
The political declara-
tion of the nonaligned
summit in Colombo, Sri
Lanka, criticizes the
US within the context
of situations in Korea,
Puerto Rico, Panama,
and the Middle East.
Clashes between university students
and a right-wing organization that
left two dead and 30 to 40 injured
apparently were cited to persuade
Praphat to leave earlier than he
had previously agreed.
Although Praphat's departure re-
duces pressure on Prime Minister
Seni, the entire episode has fur-
ther weakened the government's po-
sition. The absence of any viable
alternative to Seni at the moment
is his strongest suit for remain-
ing in place. He may find it nec-
essary, however, to reshuffle his
cabinet.
Nevertheless, the political and
economic declarations of the con-
ference did not take the movement
significantly further to the left.
India, Yugoslavia, and Sri Lanka
played unexpectedly active roles--
particularly in hammering out the
political declaration--by opposing
initiatives of such radical states
as Cuba and Vietnam. Algeria,
heretofore the effective leader
of the radical wing of the move-
ment, was preoccupied with its
dispute with Morocco over Western
Sahara and failed to focus on most
of the issues before the conference.
The final resolutions of the sum-
mit--many of them pressed by indi-
vidual states and not included in
the declarations--will reflect
more radical positions. Full
texts of summit documents are not
yet available.
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200020006-1