THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 2 OCTOBER 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466861
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 2, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
I
October 2, 1976
2
Top S cret 25X1
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Exempt from general
declassification scheduk of E 0 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(21,(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
October 2, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Christian forces began their attack yesterday on Alayh,
one of two remaining Palestinian-leftist strongholds on the
Beirut-Damascus highway. (Page 1)
USSR - Middle East: The USSR's proposal for a resumption this
month or next of the Geneva conference on the Middle East
may have been prompted both by Secretary Kissinger's diplo-
matic shuttle in southern Africa and the sudden opening of
the Syrian military offensive in Lebanon. (Page 2)
Egypt-Libya:
Both Egypt and Libya
have recently received deliveries of military equipment--
Egypt from China and Libya from the USSR. (Page 3)
USSR-Egypt: A Soviet naval tug has returned to the Gulf of Sol-
lum anchorage, just outside Egyptian territorial waters.
(Page 5)
Angola: The Angolan government is conducting a major military
operation against National Union insurgents near the Namib-
ian border. (Page 5)
Notes: France; USSR-Uganda (Page 7)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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ian Controlled
MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
Predomi antly
Mus Fm
Pop ated
o trolled
Juniyah
?Balabakk
Syrian
Controlled
Beirut
Internetion
Airport/
NTES TED AREA
redomin
Sidon
/
DAMASCUS
Gook;
Heigh
820491 10-78
MILES 20
0 KILOMETERS 20
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LEBANON: Christian
forces yesterday began
their attack on Alayh,
one of two remaining
Palestinian-leftist
strongholds on the Bei-
rut-Damascus highway.
The Palestine Libera-
tion Organization re-
jected Syria's terms
for a cease-fire late
on Thursday and vowed
to fight on.
_
The Christians are now moving on
Alayh from the north. Syrian
forces that moved south from their
operations in the mountains have
limited their support for the
Alayh operation to artillery at-
tacks on the town. They have also
encircled Bhamdun, the second left-
ist stronghold on the highway.
Operations against both Alayh and
Bhamdun will probably be more dif-
ficult than the two-day mountain
offensive. Both towns are similar
in size to Sidon, where the Syr-
ians suffered costly losses ear-
lier this year before abandoning
their attempt to take it.
The mountain towns seized this
week were largely empty, whereas
Alayh and Bhamdun are still inhab-
ited. Most of the Palestinian
forces driven from the mountains
have moved into Alayh and appar-
ently intend to put up stiff re-
sistance. 25X1
There are growing indications of 25X1
frayed relations between Palestin-
ian and leftist forces over the
leftists' conduct during the Syr-
ian offensive this week.
1
--continued
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Syria is apparently try-
ing to associate Pres-
ident Sarkis with its
offensive, although
Sarkis has tried pri-
vately to make clear
that he had nothing to
do with it.
USSR - MIDDLE EAST:
The bSSR's proposal yes-
terday for a resumption
this month or next of
the Geneva conference
on the Middle East cul-
minates several weeks
of Soviet diplomatic
activity.
Damascus radio yesterday broadcast
a press conference given by a com-
mander of the Syrian-sponsored
"Vanguards of the Lebanese Army"
who asserted that his forces had
taken the town of Aynturah on the
explicit orders of Sarkis. Actu-
ally, Syrian forces had captured
the town.
The direct association of Sarkis
with the mountain offensive will
further embarrass the President.
He is already under pressure from
leftists to take a stand against
the Syrian presence in Lebanon,
and this latest development will
reinforce the Palestinians' sus-
picion that he is merely a tool of
Syria.
Arab press sources also say that
the USSR will surface an initia-
tive in the next few days for the
arrangement of a cease-fire in
Lebanon.
The proposal at this time for a
return to Geneva may have been
prompted both by Secretary Kissin-
ger's diplomatic shuttle in south-
ern Africa and the sudden opening
of the Syrian military offensive
in Lebanon on Tuesday. A Soviet
embassy officer in Cairo commented
privately on Thursday that the Syr-
ian move took Moscow by surprise.
The USSR's Geneva exercise has
been a sterile one in the past,
and there is no reason to believe
the Soviets have any hope of
greater success this time. Simi-
larly, judging from recent state-
ments by Sryian President Asad,
any Soviet initiative on Lebanon
will have trouble getting off the
ground.
2
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Asad has never before
spoken so openly of his
differences with the
USSR.
EGYPT-LIBYA:
25X1
25X1
In the course of a press interview,
he acknowledged that General Sec-
retary Brezhnev had asked for a
Syrian withdrawal in July but dis-
missed the request as nothing more
than an "expression of a point of
view." He implied that the Soviets
were ignorant of the real factors
in Lebanon, and indicated that Syr-
ian forces would remain there un-
til their job was done.
* * *
25X1
25X1
3
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The Egyptians appar-
ently are conducting
minor military provoca-
tions along the Libyan
border and possibly
some sabotage within
Libya.
Both Egypt and Libya
have recently received
deliveries of military
.equipment--Egypt from
China and Libya from
the USSR.
These activities may be intended
to test the Libyan reaction as
well as the capabilities of Egyp-
tian assets in Libya, in anticipa-
tion of a future larger scale op-
eration. The Libyans are not ris-
ing to the bait, however. 25X1
25X1
Under agreements reached in Janu-
ary and March, China will deliver
30 MIG-17 engines to Egypt this
year and will provide aircraft and
tank engines, naval missiles, and
submarine battery systems in 1977.
This equipment will be used for
repair and maintenance of Egypt's
aging Soviet equipment.
Libya received on Wednesday the
first of at least six Osa II
guided-missile patrol boats from
the USSR. The missile boats are
part of a $730-million military
aid agreement concluded in 1974.
More than half of the equipment
involved in that agreement has now
4
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TUNIS*
Tu isia
\ 41.
Niger
`*c3
Malta
'51\
refp
a.
?
Crete
Mediterranean Sea
Libya
Chad
300 Miles
300 Kilometers
411?
c Gulf of Sollum
Tobruk
.Th? Alexandria
Sollum ?
Turkey
Cyprus
CAIRO
Egy
Sud
Syria
BEIRUT
Lebanoh *
Tel Aviv-Yafotr4'jAMMAN
isra?411/: *
/Jordan
an
4
f
620493 10.76
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-EGYPT: A Soviet
.naval tug has returned
to the Gulf of Sollum
anchorage, just outside
Egyptian territorial
waters near the Libyan
border.
ANGOLA: The Angolan
government is conduct-
ing a major military
operation against Na-
tional Union insurgents
near the Namibian bor-
der.
been delivered. Earlier deliver-
ies included over 50 MIG-23s,
tanks, SAM and Scud missiles, and
6 TU-22 medium bombers.
The last previous Soviet ship in
the anchorage had left on Sunday,
presumably because Egyptian mili-
tary exercises were being held in
the area.
Several days later
ships fired on two
buoys in the gulf.
apparently damaged
Egyptian naval
Soviet mooring
The attacks
but did not
sink the buoys,
25X1
The damage will be apparent to the
Soviets but will not dissuade
them from continuing to use the
anchorage.
Government forces are being sup-
ported by Cubans and apparently
also by guerrillas of the South
West Africa People's Organization.
Both SWAPO and the National Union
draw their basic support from the
same tribal group, which inhabits
southern Angola and northern Nami-
bia.
5
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Li()%ha Pan
c.lectric Project
NAMIBIA
WALVIS BAYS
(SOUTH AFRICA)
South
Ai/antic
Ocean
0 250 Miles
0 250 Kilometers
Windhoek
Cape Town
SOUTH
AFRICA
MOZAMBIQUE
Pretoria
Ki01 m(jbab
SWAZILAND
Maseru
LESOTHO
Indian Ocean
C)
Maputu
?-\1
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
South African forces have appar-
ently been carrying on limited op-
erations of their own in southern
Angola with the assistance of lo-
cal tribesmen. Angolan government
forces captured a South African
soldier and three Angolan asso-
ciates in the border area in late
August. At a press conference in
Luanda, the South African acknowl-
eged that the group was engaged in
escorting antiregime Angolans to
training camps in Namibia.
Pretoria confirmed earlier this
week that it has suspended con-
struction at two points on the
joint Angolan - South African Cu-
nene hydroelectric project. Work
in one area was halted at the re-
gest of the Angolan government.
* * *
--continued
6
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
President Giscard has
failed to rally popular
support for the French
government's economic
stabilization program.
The USSR reportedly
signed a new arms agree-
ment with Uganda on
Tuesday, which may pro-
vide for the replace-
ment of the MIG-21
fighters destroyed dur-
ing the Israeli commando
raid on Entebbe Airport
in early July.
NOTES
The Gaullist deputies have reluc-
tantly agreed to support the aus-
terity program, but elements of
the center and right as well as
the opposition are criticizing the
program. The Socialist-Communist
coalition, which adamantly opposes
the plan, yesterday announced it
would support a national strike
that three major labor organiza-
tions have called for October 7.
President Giscard also faces a
challenge from within his own coa-
lition. Former prime minister
Chirac has announced that he will
lead a personal crusade against
the left in the 1978 elections, a
move that will undercut Giscard's
efforts to attract a broadly based
majority. It may also expose the
plan presented by Prime Minister
Barre to further sniping from the
right.
* * *
No details are available, but Ugan-
dan President Amin hailed the
agreement as "effective and timely.
Amin has wanted to obtain replace-
ment aircraft from the USSR, which
provided Uganda's first MIG-21
fighters in 1974. Following one
of several meetings between Amin
and the Soviet charge in Kampala
after the Entebbe episode, the
Ugandan media reported that the
re-equipment of the Ugandan Armed
Forces had been discussed.
7
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Top Secret
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