THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 5 JANUARY 1977

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466940
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 5, 1977

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000400040003-1
The President's Daily Brief
i
January 5, 1977
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--7oTSrfiat2,5X1
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E 0 11652
exemption category 5B( 1
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000400040003-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000400040003-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
January 5, 1977
Table of Contents
USSR: Soviet grain harvest losses exceed the tonnage imported
annually from the US. (Page 1)
West Germany - Middle East: West Germany is seeking a role in
the effort to arrange a Middle East settlement. (Page 2)
Rhodesia: Rhodesian black leaders have formed two new parties
to operate inside Rhodesia. (Page 3)
France-Iran: The French have agreed to aid Iran in developing
nuclear and solar energy programs. (Page 4)
East Berlin: East Germany has taken new measures to strengthen
its claim to full sovereign control over East Berlin.
(Page 4)
Note: Poland (Page 6)
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USSR: The USSR's need
for sizable grain im-
ports each year stems
in part from excessive
harvesting losses. We
estimate that as a re-
suit of poor technology
in growing and harvest-
ing, at least 10 per-
cent of the grain grown
in the USSR is not har-
vested, a loss rate
more than double that
of the US.
Soviet harvesting prac-
tices also adversely
affect grain quality,
thereby contributing to
further losses in the
course of transporta-
tion, processing, and
storage.
Annual losses of unharvested grain
may range from 15 to 25 million
tons. If the Soviets could cut
their loss by even one half, the
increased yield would more than
exceed the 6 to 8 million tons per
year they have agreed to import
annually from the US from 1976 to
1980. Without improved harvesting,
Soviet grain production is expected
to remain 10 to 15 million tons
short of actual needs for several
years.
Because of peculiarities in the
varieties of grains grown in the
USSR, the Soviets usually harvest
their grain when the moisture con-
tent is too high for efficient
harvesting and storage. Moist
grain is prone to mechanical and
biological damage, which reduces
its value, especially for such
uses as feed, seed, and strategic
reserves.
Insufficient equipment, an increas-
ing and unstudied use of chemical
fertilizer, as well as slow prog-
ress in improving grain varieties
are also factors in Soviet grain
production and harvest losses.
Soviet measures to reduce grain
losses do not appear adequate:
--New grain varieties will be
introduced during the next few
years, but they will be seeded
in only one third of the grain
area, and many of the new vari-
eties have the same shortcomings
as the old ones.
--continued
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WEST GERMANY - MIDDLE
EAST: West Germany is
seeking a role in the
effort to arrange a
Middle East settlement.
--A planned 50-percent increase
in the number of farm trucks
would not eliminate all of the
bottlenecks in transportation of
grain.
--New Soviet combine models are
being introduced too slowly to
bring rapid improvement in the
combine fleet, and even the new
models have design problems
which limit their usefulness.
Foreign Minister Genscher said
publicly last week that it would
be "useful" if all those interested
in a Middle East solution would
take steps to promote the Geneva
conference. He has recently talked
to the ambassadors from Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel,
stressing to the Arab ambassadors
that the Palestine Liberation Or-
ganization should be persuaded to
recognize Israel's right to exist.
Genscher also said that he intends
to visit Jordan, Syria, and Israel
in the next several months, and to
host a visit by the Egyptian for-
eign minister in Bonn. He will
urge that final borders should be
"almost identical" with those ex-
isting in 1967.
Genscher apparently hopes for a
discussion of the Middle East at
a ministerial meeting of the EC
scheduled for January 31, and he
has said any EC endeavor on the
Middle East would be made in "close
coordination" with the new US ad-
ministration.
--continued
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RHODESIA: Rhodesian
blacks have formed two
new parties to operate
inside Rhodesia.
The West Germans have also estab-
lished direct contact with the PLO
representative at the UN 1
How doggedly the West Germans will
pursue their largely undefined
diplomatic initiative is unclear.
They will wish to wrap themselves
in the EC mantle--and to consult
with the US--but if they are not
supported by their allies, they
may abandon their effort.
* * *
One of the parties, the Zimbabwe
United Peoples Organization, is
being founded by two black cabinet
ministers who resigned from the
government to form a "moderate
party capable of negotiating a
peace settlement" with the gov-
ernment.
This new group, which may have
been encouraged by white cabinet
ministers, is unlikely to attract
the support of any prominent black
nationalists, but Prime Minister
Smith will probably consider "nego-
tiating" with it.
The other new party, the People's
Movement, was organized by a na-
tionalist who recently broke with
Bishop Muzorewa's faction. Its
announced purpose is to provide a
voice inside Rhodesia for Robert
Mugabe, leader of the Zimbabwe
African National Union.
--continued
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FRANCE-IRAN: The French
have agreed to aid Iran
in developing its nu-
clear and solar energy
programs.
EAST BERLIN: East
Germany has taken meas-
ures apparently aimed
at strengthening its
claim to full sovereign
control over East Ber-
lin.
The government may clamp down
quickly on the second group.
Mugabe is anathema to Smith be-
cause his faction represents most
of the Rhodesian guerrillas.
* * *
Under the terms of agreements con-
cluded with Iran, France will:
--Provide technical assistance
to establish a nuclear research
center.
--Train Iranian technicians to
operate nuclear reactors.
--Provide Iran with two 900 mega-
watt nuclear reactors, to be in
operation by 1982-1983, and give
Iran the option to buy three
more.
Iran's director of energy research
believes solar energy is the most
attractive alternative for rural
electrification over the long term.
A feasibility study has been com-
pleted, and a solar energy unit
capable of producing 100 kilowatts
of electrical and 200 kilowatts of
thermal power is being developed.
Iran hopes to use such units in
small villages and for sale to
neighboring countries.
* * *
New visa procedures have been im-
posed on all non-German visitors
entering the East German capital
from West Berlin. In effect, a
visa valid only until midnight of
the day of issuance is now re-
quired even for one-day visits.
--continued
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Previously, such foreigners were
permitted an overnight stay in
East Berlin without a visa. The
new regulation does not apply to
West German citizens, permanent
residents of West Berlin, or mem-
bers of the Allied forces.
The East Germans also have removed
border control points at the bound-
ary between East Berlin and East
Germany. The control posts were
used primarily to ensure that
visiting Westerners had proper
visas for East Germany and to pre-
vent Allied vehicles from straying
beyond East Berlin. This removal
at this juncture may be part of
the Honecker regime's effort to
get rid of those symbolic anomalies
which undercut its contention that
East Berlin is an integral part of
East Germany.
East German leaders have adopted
a more strident position toward
Bonn recently, in part reflecting
the leadership's sensitivity to
West German media exploitation of
East Germany's internal problems.
West German officials are con-
cerned that the Honecker regime
may impose new procedures for
West Germans wishing to travel to
East Berlin. About 1,300,000 West
Germans travel annually to East
Berlin.
* * *
--continued
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Polish leaders, using
stop-gap measures to
satisfy consumer de-
mands, slid through the
critical Christmas holi-
days without any new
demonstrations.
NOTE
The Poles remain skeptical of the
regime's ability to come up with
any real solution to the country's
serious economic problems.
Any overreaction by the leader-
ship to public criticism or imposi-
tion of stronger economic measures
could, of course, lead to new out-
breaks of public disorder.
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