THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 18 MARCH 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015058
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 18, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
March 18, 1976
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 513(1),(4(33
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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March 18, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: After a telephone conversation with Syrian
President Asad, Brigadier Ahdab yesterday pub-
licly withdrew his threat to force President
Franjiyah's resignation. (Page 1)
China:
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USSR-Somalia: President Siad, who has been in Mos-
cow since the party congress, appears to be
lobbying hard for increased Soviet support for
his policies in the Horn of Africa. (Page 4)
Notes: Yugoslavia-Panama; Thailand (Page 5)
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LEBANON
Brigadier Ahdab yesterday publicly
withdrew his threat to force President
Franjiyah's resignation.
/Ahdab announced that his National
Reformist Movement will await the out-
come of the Syrian-sponsored political
negotiations.
Most of the Lebanese and Palestinian leaders
who went to Damascus early this week returned to
Beirut yesterday cautiously optimistic that a polit-
ical settlement can be worked out. Only Socialist
leader Kamal Jumblatt, who condemned Syria's mili-
tary and political intervention and refused to join
the talks in Damascus, continues to call for a mili-
tary showdown.
All parties to the Damascus negotiations ap-
parently agreed that President Franjiyah must re-
sign. They reportedly are now considering a pro-
posal that the President be replaced by a caretaker
government that would oversee the election of a new
civilian president. Franjiyah might agree to such
an arrangement; a precedent was set in 1952.
Damascus radio last night broadcast a state-
ment by Asad affirming that the Syrian mediation
effort will continue. Asad called on all sides
"to maintain their self-control" during the nego-
tiations. This close and public identification of
Asad with the negotiations suggests that Damascus
sees some signs of progress in the talks.
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CHINA
(continued)
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USSR-SOMALIA
Somali President Siad, who has been
in Moscow since the Soviet party congress,
appears to be lobbying hard for increased
Soviet diplomatic, military, and economic
support for his policies in the Horn of
Africa. He may be encountering diffi-
culty, however, in gaining Moscow's open
backing for his ultimate goal?annexa-
tion of the French Territory of the Afars
and Issas.
Pravda's bland account of Siad's meeting with
President Podgorny last week suggested that Moscow's
commitment to Mogadiscio continues, but that the two
leaders differ on the specifics of support. No
mention was made of the FTAI dispute, suggesting
that Moscow is reluctant to identify itself with
Siad's position. The Soviet armed forces news-
paper Red Star also failed to mention the FTAI in
its front-page coverage of Siad's discussions with
Defense Minister Grechko.
Moscow has said little publicly on the FTAI
problem and privately has cautioned Siad to rely
on political pressure and subversion to achieve
his ends in the territory. The Soviets evidently
do not want Siad to precipitate a war with Ethiopia
that would compel them to come to his assistance to
the detriment of their relations with Addis Ababa.
Moscow would also like the French to bow out
of the situation with a minimum of disruption to
Franco-Soviet relations. Tass, for example, ap-
plauded French Foreign Minister Sauvagnargues' re-
cent statement that Paris intends to grant inde-
pendence to the FTAI after "broad consultations"
with all political parties and a referendum at-
tended by "international observers."
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NOTES
Yugoslav President Tito
on the canal issue during his talks in
Panama earlier this week
The Yugoslav President bal-
anced his "full support" for Panama on the canal
question with the observation that successful ne-
gotiations are in the interest of both states.
Panamanian news coverage avoided anti-US themes
during the visit, presumably on orders from the
Torrijos government.
Thai security forces are preparing for the
possibility of leftist-inspired anti-US demonstra-
tions in Bangkok this Saturday--the deadline im-
posed by the government last year for the with-
drawal of all foreign military forces from Thai-
land.
The size and nature of the demonstrations will
depend in part on the outcome of current Thai-US
negotiations over a residual US military presence.
There is also a danger that groups in the military
may try to exploit the situation this weekend. If
student and labor groups stage violent demonstra-
tions, the army might declare martial law. All com-
bat forces in the Bangkok area were put on full alert
early today.
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,
Top Secret
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