THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 27 AUGUST 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466837
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 27, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
The President's Daily Brief
August 27, 1976
'Z
-.......11.'07:)--Sec(1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E 0 I 1652
exemption category. 5B( l).(2).(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
August 27, 1976
Table of Contents
Egypt-Libya-USSR: The Egyptians may now be in the process of mov-
ing to the Libyan border the major ground force units that
would complete the kind of buildup needed for a showdown
with Tripoli. There are no indications that Soviet military
forces have undertaken any contingency moves. (Page 1)
Lebanon:
(Page 3)
China: China is unlikely to match last year's mediocre grain out-
put unless the weather improves markedly. (Page 4)
South Africa: The three-day work stoppage in Soweto showed that
student militants have made important headway in their ef-
fort to involve urban blacks in a disruptive protest move-
ment. (Page 5)
Notes: USSR-Korea-China; Japan; West Germany - Italy (Pages
7 and 8)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
r
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
TRIPOLI
NIGER
, GREECE'?
,\
TURKEY
CRETE 'CYPRUS '
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
--- --
.Benghazi Tobruk
.21; -- ,, ...?. Gulf of Sollum
New "- .._
Airfield
LIBYA
CHAD
Al Jaghbub. .Siwah
SYRIA
LEBANON
ISRAEL
I JORDAN
t./e)
Suez Canal
Fayid. Sinai
(ISRAELI-
CAIRO OCCUPIED) I
SAUDI
ARABIA
EGYPT
SUDAN
0 200 Miles
0 200 Kilometers
620355 8-76
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
EGYPT-LIBYA-USSR: The
Egyptians may now be in
the process of moving
to the Libyan border
the major ground force
units that would com-
plete the kind of
buildup needed for a
showdown with Libya.
Over the past few months, Egypt
has proceeded at a deliberate pace
to bolster forces near the border.
A schedule of movement for Egyp-
tian troops from an area near the
Suez Canal
Trains
loaded with troops, armored per-
sonnel carriers, and other mili-
tary equipment were to leave Fayid
on each of four successive days,
beginning yesterday, on a trip
that was to take four hours.
We do not yet know the size, iden-
tity, or the ultimate destination
of the formations involved. Al-
though the units could be en route
to an exercise, we believe they
are headed for the Libyan border.
The movement of a
large number of ground force units
to the border from eastern Egypt
would take at least several days.
The Egyptian air force may also be
making additional preparations.
An Egyptian destroyer--one of four
warships that earlier information
indicated would move to the area--
arrived in the Gulf of Sollum yes-
terday. The Egyptians have closed
--continued
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Libya is showing in-
creasing concern about
the Egyptian military
buildup.
the gulf to foreign shipping--os-
tensibly for maneuvers--for four
10-day periods that began on
Wednesday and will extend through
late October.
Egyptian political preparation for
a move against Libya also appears
to be continuing. The Cairo press
yesterday harped on the hijacking
last Monday of an Egyptian air-
liner, allegedly by Libyans, as
well as on the inequities of the
Qadhafi regime. Although the US
embassy in Cairo detects some ten-
dency in the press to draw back
from the idea of a firm commitment
to take action against Qadhafi,
the basic theme that retaliation
against him is coming is being sus-
tained.
an in-
crease in Libyan military trans-
port flights to the border area
during the past 10 days. Since
August 17, there have been at
least eight C-130 flights to Nasir
airfield near Tobruk; in the pre-
vious 30 days, no transport flights
were detected to that area. Libya
has also restricted flights of
civil aircraft to Tripoli and Ben-
ghazi.
The Libyans have sent armored ele-
ments to Al Jaghbub, some 250 kilo-
meters (160 miles) south of Tobruk.
Al Jaghbub is about 115 kilometers
(70 miles) northwest of the point
/ The Libyans have noted
25X1
25X1
25X1
--continued
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
There are no indica-
tions that Soviet mili-
tary forces have under-
taken any contingency
moves.
*
LEBANON:
increased Egyptian military activ-
ity near Siwah and other isolated
areas along the northern part of
the border with Egypt.
Soviet airborne troops have begun
some activity which we believe is
in preparation for an exercise to
take place at the end of this
month or early next month.
The Soviets have not reinforced
the Mediterranean Squadron or or-
dered any unusual naval movement.
*
*
--continued
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
*
CHINA: China is un-
likely to match last
year's mediocre grain
output estimated at 260
million tons, excluding
soybeans, unless the
weather improves mark-
edly.
*
*
High government officials have ex-
pressed disappointment over the
early harvest and concern about
the late one. Premier Hua Kuo-
feng reportedly stated in early
--continued
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
SOUTH AFRICA: The
three-day work stoppage
among Soweto residents
appears to have ended.
June that the early harvest could
be 20 to 30 percent lower than
that of last year.
It is too soon to predict output
for the fall, but the odds are
against a crop good enough to off-
set the shortfalls in the early
harvest. Transplanting of rice
and other crops was from one to
three weeks late in south China.
After sowing, crops took longer
than usual to mature because of
unseasonably cool summer temper-
atures.
Late planting usually means lower
yields; the delay also leaves the
crop vulnerable to fall frost.
Drought is reportedly developing
in pockets of central, east, and
northwest China. The prospects
for coarse grains are believed to
range from fair to good in north
and northeast China.
According to Premier Hua, China
is drawing down its grain stocks
to avoid new purchases. Roughly
2 million tons of wheat are sched-
uled for delivery from Canada and
Australia during the remainder of
this year and until March 1977.
The Chinese have the option of
purchasing another 2 million tons
under long-term agreements with
these suppliers.
* * *
The boycott showed that student
militants have made important head-
way in their effort to involve ur-
ban blacks in a disruptive protest
movement against the apartheid sys-
tem. On August 23 about 80 percent
of the 200,000 industrial workers
who usually commute from Soweto to
Johannesburg were absent from their
jobs.
--continued
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Many of the pamphlets
distributed in Soweto
last weekend reportedly
carried the name of the
African National Con-
gress, the black organ-
ization that has been
outlawed in South Africa
since 1960.
Economic pressure on
black workers could
limit further work stop-
pages.
Absenteeism declined only slightly
during the next two days, a marked
contrast with the first boycott
three weeks ago, which quickly
fizzled out. The spread of random
fighting between Soweto residents
and Zulu tribesmen who were not
participating in the boycott also
contributed to absenteeism. The
intervention of the Zulus has no
political significance.
It is possible that remnants of
the congress inside South Africa
could be asserting some influence
over the student movement that has
burgeoned since June. Meanwhile,
exiled congress leaders have wasted
no time in exploiting the violence
for propaganda purposes.
South Africa's economy currently
suffers from falling gold prices
and a recession. The results have
fallen heavier on blacks than
whites, and black unemployment has
risen rapidly.
--continued
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The Soviets' continuing
restrained reaction to
the recent Panmunjom
incident suggests that
their primary concern
is that the incident
have no detrimental im-
pact on their relations
with the US.
The Chinese also are
continuing to play down
the significance of the
incident.
Japan
US
NOTES
Soviet propaganda support for North
Korea is still very limited. The
only positive gesture thus far has
been a statement by the Soviet-
backed World Federation of Trade
Unions protesting the US military
build-up in Korea and calling up
the US to withdraw its forces from
Korea. Although the Soviets pay
lip service to North Korea's posi-
tion on US troop withdrawals, they
still see their interests as best
served by a continuation of the
status quo on the Korean peninsula.
Private Soviet comment seems to be
aimed at dissociating the USSR from
North Korea's actions. The most
extensive comment has come from a
Soviet specialist on the Far East
who, according to a US embassy of-
ficer in Moscow, denounced "irre-
sponsible and hot-headed leaders
of non-countries" like North Korea
who seek to embroil the greater
powers in a war. Such comments are
in line with Moscow's long-standing
opposition to adventurism by North
Korean leader Kim Il-song.
25X1
--continued
7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
*
West Germany has agreed
to reschedule Italy's
payment of a $2 billion
gold-backed loan that
falls due on September
5.
25X1
*
*
Italy's present foreign exchange
holdings would have permitted only
partial repayment of the loan on
schedule. The amount of gold
pledged against the loan appar-
ently will be increased to offset
the decline in the market price
of the metal. West Germany also
expects Italy to remove its cur-
rent restrictions on trade as soon
as possible.
8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200040003-1