MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A000200360001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 30, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release 2005/04/22 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000200361 d-1Secret
Middle East
Africa
South Asia
State Department review completed
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I
January 30, 1975
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Kuwait: Election Results . . . . . . . . . . . . I
Somalia: Seekiny Better Relations With
the US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Jan 30, 1975
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A preliminary assessment of the results of
the Kuwait National Assembly elections on January
27 indicates that pro-government deputies will
continue to dominate the 50-seat legislature, but
that opposition to the Sabahs--Kuwait's ruling
family--will be greater than ever before.
Showing unexpected strength in the voting were
young, liberal candidates pledged to domestic social
changes. Most of the 16 newly elected deputies fall
into this category.
The Kuwaiti left suffered a serious reversal,
retaining only four of the eight seats it held; the
left's traditional spokesmen, however, were re-
elected. The government worked hard and spent freely
to defeat the leftists, but many old-line Sabah con-
servative deputies also went down to defeat.
Reflecting the election results, the new
assembly is likely to devote a good deal of time to
the legalization of political parties and social
issues such as women's rights, coeducation, and the
role of immigrants in Kuwait.
Although the new assembly will to some extent
represent: an erosion of Sabah power, the US embassy
believes the ruling family's discomfort will be
tempered by the fact that the o osition is not
inclined toward radical views.
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Somalia
Seeking Better Relations With the US
Somalia, anxious to improve ties with the US,
has removed what Mogadiscio believes has been the
major obstacle to better bilateral relations.
Somalia's ambassador in Washington.has informed
the US that his government has decided to-cancel
Somali registration of foreign ships that have used
the Somali flag "for purposes beyond government
control." The Somali action is apparently directed
at ships--mainly French-owned--that have been in
trade with North Vietnam.
The Somalis clearly.hope the move will prompt
the US to provide some economic assistance. Virtually
all US aid to Somalia was suspended several years
ago as a result of Somali-flag vessels
trading with North Vietnam and Cuba. The loss of
aid amounted to far more than the Somalis gained
from the shipping registration arrangement. Until
now, however, the independent-minded Somalis had
refused to change their policy.
The Somalis have in the past made other efforts
to improve relations with the US. However, their
deep suspicions of the US, fed by Washington's ties
to Ethiopia, Somalia's traditional enemy, have
always limited progress toward better relations.
The US has recently.given Mogadiscio a small
amount of emergency drought aid. Somalia's economy
has been hard hit by the long drought affecting sub
Sahara f
Jan 30, 1975
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Top Secret
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Approved For Release 2005/04/22 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000200360001-1