THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 21 JANUARY 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015009
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: January 21, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
January 21, 1976
2
Top Secrd5x1
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category, 513(1 )(2),(3)
declassified on1V on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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January 21, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: The fighting continued undiminished yes-
terday in most areas of the country. (Page 1)
USSR:
(Page 3)
Angola - South Africa:
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(Page 5)
Notes: Morocco - Algeria - Spanish Sahara; Spain;
USSR (Pages 7 and 8)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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MEDITERRANEAN
SEA
BEIRUT
Tripoli
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SYRIA
HUIIA RAT
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Damascus
SYRIA
0 20
Miles
559147 1-76
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LEBANON
The fighting continued undiminished
yesterday in most areas of the country,
despite the cease-fire arranged by Pres-
ident Franjiyah and Syrian President
Asad. Both leaders met yesterday with
representatives of the warring factions.
Christian Interior Minister Shamun, whose
private militia has been heavily involved in the
blockade of Palestinian refugee camps, reportedly
rejected the cease-fire. The plan called for
lifting the blockade of the camps in exchange for
an end to the siege of Damour and several other
Christian cities south of Beirut. Late press re-
ports indicate that Muslims and leftists have
captured Damour.
The Palestinians and their Muslim and left-
ist allies also objected to halting the fighting
in the face of new advances by the Christians on
Muslim areas of Beirut.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Karami has not
pressed his threat to resign, despite the failure
of the cease-fire to take hold. Prominent Sunni
Muslims have made it clear they would refuse to
participate in the government if Karami submitted
a formal resignation that was accepted by Presi-
dent Franjiyah.
/President Asad talked with leftist leader
Kamal Jumblatt in Damascus yesterday and is sched-
uled to meet other leftist and Muslim leaders later
this week.
Syrian and Lebanese leaders, with the notable
exception of Shamun, appear to have intentionally
kept silent on political and military developments
over the last several days. This silence and a
breakdown in communications between Beirut and
other areas of the country have prompted what ap-
pear to be exaggerated press accounts of sweeping
attacks by Muslims and Palestinians in the north
around Tripoli and in the Bekaa Valley region
near Zahlah.
(continued)
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Muslim and leftist forces have had the upper
hand in the north for some time, and may have in-
creased their pressure on the predominantly Chris-
tian communities in Zahlah. They also may have
launched a countrywide campaign against government
facilities and military installations. There is
no evidence, however, that they have gained control
of the northern and eastern regions.
Our defense attache in Damascus was told by
the commander of the Palestine Liberation Army that
the Yarmuk Brigade--the military arm of Fatah--
recently entered Lebanon and is now located south
of Zahlah. The Yarmuk force may include as many
as 2,500 troops. The PLA commander also said that
five of the PLA's seven battalions are now in Leb-
anon. No mention was made of the total number of
troops involved.
The Israelis are monitoring develop-
ments in Lebanon very closely, but are
continuing to react in a low-key manner.
Defense Minister Peres is the only top Is-
raeli official who has commented directly on the
Lebanese situation in recent days. Speaking to
graduating Israeli army officers last Monday, he
explicitly directed his comments toward Syria,
warning that if a "foreign army" intervened in
Lebanon, Israel would be forced to take the "nec-
essary defensive measures."
Other Israeli officials are emphasizing the
moderation shown by Syria during the crisis. They
are playing down the recent movement of Palestin-
ian troops from Syria into Lebanon and are suggest-
ing that President Asad may be using these forces
to pressure the Lebanese factions into reaching a
political compromise.
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USSR
(continued)
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Current Military Situation
BRAll ILLE
KINSHASA
San Anto,ni National
Ambrizet
4.1'eridge
National Front
troop contingents
Damba
? .Uamba
Santa Pombo
WAND
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Novo Redondo
Popular Movement
three-pronged offensive
? expected
Bengual
Bie
(Silva Porto)
reogaeie
Teixeir
441Hoply
559148 1-76 CIA
SOU H-WEST AFRICA
(Intern tional Territory)
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ANGOLA - SOUTH AFRICA
(continued)
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The military situation in northern Angola, for
the time being, is relatively quiet. The Popular
Movement appears not to have advanced beyond Ambrizete.
Intercepts indicate little activity around Santo
Antonio do Zaire, the Front's last major strongpoint
in the north. The Front also still has contingents
at Sao Salvador--reported earlier to have been evac-
uated--and at Damba, Sanza Pombo, and Uamba.
In central Angola, heavy fighting is continuing
around Cela, Luso, and Teixeira de Sousa but neither
side has scored any gains. National Uni.n leader
Savimbi is prepar-
ing to resist an expected three-pronged offensive
against Luso, An-
dub, and Lobito-Benguela.
Press reports
that the National Union will airlift several thousand
troops to assist the National Front probably are
without foundation. The National Union cannot spare
troops for northern operations at this time.
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LOA!
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Cto
NORTH
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
4?0
LISBON
POR
,,Sea
ibraltar anea-
K I
M editer r
Madeira Islands
(Port)
Canary Islands c:.;,
(Spain)
EL AAI
IA (
SPANISH
SAHARA
MAURITANIA
NOUAKCHOTT
MA
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NOTES
Moroccan
Algerian-
Spanish police used tear gas and clubs to pre-
vent leftists from holding the rally they had planned
in Madrid last night.
The would-be demonstrators, fewer than 8,000
of them, were diverted into side streets before they
could begin their march. The government was appar-
ently able to prevent the rally without using ex-
treme measures that would have brought accusations
that it was reverting to the repression of the
Franco era.
(continued)
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The Soviet landing ship and oiler that have
been in the Gulf of Guinea have moved to the vi-
cinity of Conakry and probably will arrive there
sometime today.
Two Soviet naval oilers currently are in port
at Conakry and the Kresta-II guided-missile cruiser
and Kotlin-class destroyer are at sea nearby. The
positions of other Soviet ships in the western
Mediterranean have not changed since yesterday.
The Kashin-class destroyer that followed the USS
Saratoga into the Mediterranean remains near Malaga
where the US ship is making a port call. Two F-
class submarines and the Sverdlov-class cruiser
have not left the Alboran Basin since they returned
from their brief trip into the Atlantic last week.
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Toti Secret
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