THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 9 OCTOBER 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466867
• 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 9, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
The President's Daily Brief
/
October 9, 1976
2
Top S rc l,
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Exempt from general
declass41,cation scheduk of E 0 11652
exemption catelory 5B( I ).(2),(3)
dechisolied only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
LATE ITEM
Wall posters appeared in Peking today saying that
Hua Kuo-feng had been appointed Chairman of the Commu-
nist Party, according to a press report.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Rhodesia:
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
October 9, 1976
25X1
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Palestinians and leftists are continuing to brace for
a Syrian-Christian offensive, despite talk of a possible
renewal of negotiations. Saudi Arabia has begun withdrawal
of its combat forces from Syria, probably in part to prevent
them from being drawn into the Lebanese fighting. (Page 2)
China: A reference in Chinese media to the Politburo "headed by
Comrade Hua Kuo-feng" tends to boost Hua's public stature
but probably does not mean that an official decision has
been made to name him the new head of the party. (Page 4)
USSR-Angola: General Secretary Brezhnev and President Neto have
signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation. (Page 5)
Notes: USSR; Italy; France; France; Jamaica. (Pages 6, 7, and 6)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
RHODESIA:
25X1
25X1
25X1 25X1
25X1
25X1
--continued
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
25X1
*
LEBANON: Palestinians
and leftists are con-
tinuing to brace for
a Syrian-Christian of-
fensive, despite talk
of a possible renewal
of negotiations between
representatives of the
Syrians, the Palestin-
ians, and Lebanese
President Sarkis.
*
*
Arab League mediator Hasan Sabri
al-Khuli announced yesterday that
Damascus had agreed to attend an-
other round of talks today. The
Syrians have not yet named a dele-
gate to the conference, however,
and it is possible that they have
no intention of attending.
Most reports indicate that the
Syrians expect nothing to come of
continued contacts with the Pal-
estinians, and are planning to
resume military operations in the
near future.
Although the Syrians could agree 25X1
to attend a new round of talks as
a public relations exercise--they
have typically been careful to
place the onus for stalemated nego-
tiations on the Palestinians--new
discussions are unlikely to produce
a breakthrough.
--continued
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
Beirut A yh
International
Airport c NTESTED AREA
redomina tly
820500 10-76
0 KILOMETERS 20
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Saudi Arabia has begun
the withdrawal of its
combat forces from
Syria, a move that has
been under considera-
tion since early this
year.
25X1
About 6,000 Saudi troops have
been in Syria since the October
1973 war. According to the US
defense attache in Damascus, about
200 troops will remain in Syria
to support the small Saudi peace-
keeping force in Lebanon.
The US embassy believes that Saudi
Arabia, whose wealth and prestige
have increased significantly since
1973, may no longer see a need to
station a token force in the con-
frontation area in order to demon-
strate its leadership in the Arab
world.
The Saudis may also be concerned
that they would be drawn into the
Lebanese fighting. Saudi troops
are already serving with the Arab
peacekeeping forces in Lebanon,
and it would be difficult for
Riyadh to refuse requests for addi-
tional troops so long as it had
units stationed nearby in Syria.
* * *
--continued
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CHINA: A reference in
Chinese media to the
Politburo "headed by
Comrade Hua Kuo-feng"
tends to boost Hua's
public stature but prob-
ably does not mean that
an official decision
has been made to name
him the new head of the
party.
Until the use of this terminology
yesterday, the media had been
scrupulous in referring to Hua by
his official title as first vice
chairman of the party. Hua has
headed the party since Mao's death
on September 9, and the use of
this new formulation only confirms
a situation that has existed for
the last month.
The decision to refer to Hua as
heading the Politburo, in pro-
nouncements aimed at both domestic
and foreign audiences, raises some-
what his political stock and could
prove useful when the party meets
formally to name a new leader.
The Politburo, which apparently
met for a few weeks following
Mao's death, seems to have resolved
some of the immediate questions
posed by that event. Peking an-
nounced yesterday that Mao's body
will be put on public display in
a memorial hall in Peking. The
delay in making this announcement
suggests the disposition of his
body may have been a contentious
issue.
Peking also announced yesterday
preparations for the publication
of the collected works of Mao.
Mao's works have never been com-
piled and published in their en-
tirety, and this undertaking may
prove to be politically sensitive.
There is undoubtedly much in Mao's
as yet unpublished works that var-
ious party leaders may prefer to
keep out of the public eye.
* * *
--continued
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR-ANGOLA: General
Secretary Brezhnev and
Angolan President Neto
signed a treaty of
friendship and coopera-
tion yesterday in Moscow.
The USSR has concluded such trea-
ties with only a few third-world
countries--India, Egypt, Iraq, and
Somalia. The text of the new
treaty has not yet been published,
but a Tass summary indicates that
it generally follows the format
and substance of the other trea-
ties with third-world states, out-
lining a commitment to cooperation
in a wide variety of fields.
Neto's talks in Moscow have appar-
ently focused on strengthening
party ties and on the needs of An-
gola's economy. The Angolans seem
anxious to see Moscow play a
greater role in their country's
post-war development, but Neto has
also been making efforts to expand
ties with the West--most recently
exchanging ambassadors with Sweden
and resuming diplomatic relations
with Portugal.
The treaty apparently provides for
strengthening military cooperation--
implying continued Soviet military
aid. It is possible that under
this clause the Soviets will try
to gain access to military facili-
ties in Angola, but there are in-
dications that Neto will resist.
* * *
5
--continued
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
*
The leadership of
Italy's Christian Demo-
cratic Party will con-
vene this weekend for
its first full-scale
strategy session since
the parliamentary elec-
tion in June.
NOTES
25X1
25X1
*
*
Debate is certain to center on the
question of how to manage relations
between Prime Minister Andreotti's
Christian Democratic minority gov-
ernment and the Communist Party,
whose parliamentary cooperation is
essential to Andreotti's survival.
Many Christian Democrats believe
that Andreotti is leaving too many
important details of his economic
program to parliament, which is
leading to Christian Democratic -
Communist collusion in the legis-
lature.
Some party members are concerned
that the precedents being set by
the Prime Minister could lay the
basis for Communist chief Berlin-
guer's "historic compromise"--a
governing partnership between the
two parties.
--continued
6
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The nationwide strike
in France on Thursday,
called to protest Prime
Minister Barre's eco-
nomic stabilization pro-
gram, failed to elicit
the massive labor sup-
port the strike organ-
izers had anticipated.
France
25X1
*
25X1
*
*
The US embassy estimates that some
75,000 demonstrators participated
in a protest march in Paris. Al-
though the turnout was greater
than that of similar demonstrations
over the past few years, the crowds
appeared dispirited and poorly or-
ganized.
* * *
*
*
*
--continued
7
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
25X1
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Settlement of Jamaica's
two-year contract dis-
pute with Alcoa earlier
this week brings the
country's bauxite and
alumina operations un-
der closer government
control.
Under the agreement, Jamaica will:
--purchase a 6-percent share--
worth about $10 million--in a
new joint company that will op-
erate Alcoa's Jamaican bauxite
and aluminum properties;
--buy all of Alcoa's mining and
non-operating lands, worth about
$2.5 million;
--settle disputes through private
international arbitration.
The agreement also brings Jamaica
closer to settlements with Kaiser
and Reynolds, which probably will
be completed by the end of this
year.
The government's agreement to re-
duce the bauxite production tax--
which could cost it as much as $13
million in revenues next year--
reflects a desire to encourage
companies to increase their Jamai-
can operations, which now account
for nearly two fifths of US baux-
ite and alumina supplies.
The companies are disturbed by
past moves to boost taxes, which
have doubled the cost of imported
bauxite to the United States to
$20 to $25 per ton, and are also
disturbed by mounting civil unrest
to which they see no end. Instead,
they are diversifying their supply
sources by investing in Australia,
Brazil, and Indonesia.
8
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1
Top Secret
t.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010008-1 ,