THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 DECEMBER 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466926
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: December 18, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000400020007-1
The President's Daily Brief
December 18, 1976
2
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Exempt (rain general
declassification scheduk of E 0 11652
exemption category 58(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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OPEC:
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
December 18, 1976
Table of Contents
(Page l)
Iran - South Yemen: Saudi diplomatic efforts to arrange the re-
lease of the Iranian F-4 pilot shot down and captured by
South Yemen last month have apparently stalled, possibly as
a result of the Shah's stiffening demands. (Page 2)
USSR: The USSR this week launched two large spacecraft using a
single launch vehicle in what apparently was the first test
in a new program. (Page 3)
Zaire-Zambia: President Kaunda of Zambia and President Mobutu
of Zaire are meeting to discuss ways to expedite the reopen-
ing of the Benguela railroad which runs through Angola.
(Page 4)
Note: Syria-Lebanon (Page 6)
At Annex we discuss a new milestone in the Brezhnev cult in the
USSR.
,
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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* * *
1
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4L.
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EGYPT
SUDAN
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UWIT
SAUDI ARABIA
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NORTH
YEMEN
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-Aden
Gulf of Aden
IRAN
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BAHRAIN
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UNITED
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Oho farProvince
ADMINISTRATIVE LINE
SOUTH YEMEN
.Bandar Abbas
OMAN
Muscat
Plane shoot down area

0 Kilometers 200
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
IRAN - SOUTH YEMEN:
Saudi diplomatic efforts
to arrange the release
of the Iranian F-4 pi-
lot shot down and cap-
tured by South Yemen
last month have appar-
ently stalled, possibly
as a result of the
Shah's stiffening de-
mands.
If there is opposition
to the Iranian involve-
ment, the Shah is ap-
parently prepared to
destroy the wreckage
rather than allow Aden
to raise it alone.
The pilot was originally to have
been flown from Aden in a Saudi
plane earlier this week, but he
has not yet been released.
South Yemeni officials have appar-
ently agreed to hand over the pi-
lot on December 20 but his return
could be delayed again if the meth-
od of recovering the wreckage
of the downed plane is not satis-
factorily settled. The Shah is
now insisting that a team of Iran-
ian officers be present when the
aircraft is raised, and that the
presence of Saudi observers would
be insufficient.
Iran has dispatched a destroyer
and a fleet auxiliary to the gen-
eral area of the downed plane,
which is lying about a quarter
mile offshore near the South Yemen
Oman border. They are presumably
prepared to interdict any unila-
teral South Yemeni efforts at re-
covery.
The Saudis have agreed to sound
out the South Yemenis on Iranian
participation in the recovery op-
eration, although the Saudis appar-
ently believe that a Saudi presence
ought to be sufficient. The Iran-
ians have given no indication of
willingness to budge on the issue.
* * *
--continued
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR: The USSR this
week launched two large
spacecraft using a
single launch vehicle
in what apparently was
the first test in a new
program.
This test may be related to the
USSR's manned space effort, possi-
bly research and development of a
ferry vehicle. The two spacecraft,
launched from the Tyuratam missile 25X1
test range, were deorbited after 25X1
completing a single revolution of
the earth.
Several pieces of information lead
us to believe these spacecraft are
related to the Soviet manned space
program: 1
and
the spacecraft landed in the re-
covery area for manned spacecraft.
We believe that the spacecraft re-
mained intact during re-entry, sug-
gesting that they could be related
to a new Soviet ferry vehicle pro-
gram and could have been used to
test a new type of re-entry method.
Other vehicles intended to re-enter
the atmosphere safely separate
into several pieces prior to re-
entry, and only a portion lands
intact.
* * *
--continued
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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M^ alabo
*- *
Equatoila? l I
Guinea -.-
i...
:k Libreville
Gabon
Cabinda
Bangui
African Republic
Ugand
Kampa a
Vic Im la
Brazzaville
Imo
undi
Kinshasa
Tanza 'a
Dares
Salaam
*Luanda ?aloud
Lobito.
Angola
Walvis Bay
(S At)
Na ibia
(Sout est Africa)
Windhoek
Botswana
Gaborone
Maputo
b?ane
Atlantic
Ocean
bique
Indian
Ocean
0 500 MILES
0 500 KILOMETERS
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
ZAIRE-ZAMBIA: Presi-
dent Kaunda of Zambia
and President Mobutu of
Zaire are meeting to
discuss ways to expe-
dite the reopening of
the Benguela r,diZroad
which runs through An-
gola.
Relations between Zam-
bia and Angola will
have to be improved and
the National Union
forces--who oppose the
Neto regime in Angola
and are based in Zam-
bia--will have to be
restrained before Zam-
bia will be able to use
the railroad through
Angola.
In the mid-1970s, Zambia shipped
half of its exports, including
most of its copper, on this rail-
road. The closure of the route
in 1975 because of the insurgency
in Angola forced Zambia to divert
its shipments to the Tanzam rail-
road and other routes. Although
the Tanzam can carry most of Zam-
bia's exports now, Kaunda would
like to have the option of using
the Benguela route.
Zaire too is interested in the re-
opening of the Benguela route be-
cause the Rhodesian railroad it
normally uses has come under fre-
quent attack by Rhodesian guerril-
las.
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Kaunda has recognized the Neto gov-
ernment, and the two countries are
taking steps to open diplomatic
missions./
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Zaire also wants to improve rela-
tions with Angola and has cut off
nearly all of its support of An-
golan groups still fighting the
Neto government.
Wider Southern African issues may
also be discussed by Kaunda and
Mobutu, especially the Rhodesian
situation, in light of the lack
of progress at the Geneva talks.
Kaunda may see Mobutu as another
moderate voice to temper the more
radical views of presidents Neto
and Machel.
* * *
--continued
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Mediterranean
Sea
SAUDI ARABIA
100 mdes
100 Kilometers '
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
We have new photography
on Syrian troop dispo-
sitions and of a new
airfield in the Chris-
tian sector of Lebanon.
NOTE
U-2 photography con
firms the return of Syrian units--
sent to the Iraqi border last sum-
mer--to their normal positions
along the Golan Heights. Syria
withdrew the division-size force
last month in apparent reciproca-
tion for Iraqi withdrawals.
In Lebanon, satellite photography
of mid-November shows a new air-
field in the early stages of con-
struction in a Christian-controlled
area southwest of Tripoli. The
Christians are probably planning
to use the airstrip as an alterna-
tive point of entry for arms should
they lose access to port facili-
ties. Leftist and Palestinian
forces began construction of air-
fields in southern Lebanon for
similar purposes last summer.
--continued
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
A NEW MILESTONE IN THE BREZHNEV CULT:
HIS FORTHCOMING 70TH BIRTHDAY
Leonid Brezhnev will celebrate his 70th
birthday tomorrow, and the regime's han-
dling of this event may shed a new light
on his relationship with his colleagues
and his attitude toward the succession.
Neither the Party Congress in February nor the Cen-
tral Committee plenum in October took significant
steps toward resolving the impasse over whether and
how to provide a successor to Brezhnev. Instead,
there has been evidence suggesting that Brezhnev
has improved his position to some extent since the
Congress and that he intends to try to remain in
office indefinitely.
This apparent enhancement of Brezhnev's position
has been accompanied by a growing "cult of person-
ality," although his colleagues differ markedly in
their willingness to employ the most eulogistic
formulations. The 70th birthday celebration will
provide an indication of whether we are about to
see a new stage in the development of the cult, and
it may help to resolve some of the uncertainty
about the present limits of his power.
Until this year, a cautious and gradual
approach had been used in developing the
new Brezhnev cult, but it has more re-
cently taken a sizeable step forward.
In October this year, Andrey Kirilenko, in a widely
noted speech on the occasion of his own 70th birth-
day, went so far as to refer to "the Central Com-
mittee headed by Brezhnev," a formulation widely
used for Khrushchev, but until now rarely for Brezh-
nev. Over the past few years, the tendency to be-
stow awards and honors upon Brezhnev has also grad-
ually accelerated.
Praise for Brezhnev linked to the upcoming birthday
celebration has already considerably surpassed at-
tention lavished upon Khrushchev on a similar oc-
casion in April 1964.
--continued
Al
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Growth of the Brezhnev cult has been ac-
companied by statements intended to con-
vey an impression that his authority has
similarly been enhanced.
Brezhnev's authority, especially in the making of
high-level personnel appointments, nevertheless
still appears to be conditional and dependent on
the agreement of his colleagues. Moreover, while
the limits of his power clearly are broader than
they were a year ago, Brezhnev's efforts to extend
them further appear to be meeting resistance.
Controversy behind the scenes has probably accom-
panied preparations for celebrating Brezhnev's 70th
birthday. His success in overcoming opposition to
the most eulogistic rites will provide a measure
of the extent of his present power.
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Top Secret
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