THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 31 MARCH 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015069
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 31, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
March 31, 1976
2
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category, 5B(I ),(2).(3)
declassified anti on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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Declassified in Part - SanitiZe'd-C-O-py?APP-r-o-veCTi-Jr-ReleiSe-2of6/07/i0-:-C-IP;LR.DP79T00936A013200010034-3
March 31, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Fighting is continuing in Beirut as Kamal
Jumblatt and other Lebanese leftists resist
pressure from Syria to agree to a cease-fire.
(Page 1)
USSR: The Soviet navy is moving ahead with the
evacuation of Alexandria, which must be com-
pleted by April 15. (Page 2)
Zaire: President Mobutu is moving to associate his
government with the radical position on south-
ern African issues. (Page 3)
Notes: Rhodesia; Cyprus (Page 4)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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LEBANON
Fighting is continuing in Beirut as
Kamal Jumblatt and other Lebanese left-
ists resist pressure from Syria to agree
to a cease-fire.
Jumblatt today reiterated his demand that Pres-
ident Franjiyah step down before a truce begins.
Jumblatt also publicly criticized the Syrians for
cutting off arms and ammunition to the leftists.
Both Jumblatt and Palestine Liberation Organ-
ization leader Yasir Arafat have been under increas-
ing pressure from Damascus to accept a truce.
There were no indications yesterday of unusual
activity by either Syrian or Israeli forces.
1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Azores
(Port.)
Canary Islands (Sp.)
.o.
GAM
GUINE
BISSAU
WEST
SA
Conakry
ROCCO
TURKEY
Mediterranean
ISIA CYPRUS
Sea
ISRAE
JORDAN
ALGERIA
EGYPT
SAUbI
ARABIA
YEMAN (5)
AN (A)
GUINEA
SIERRA,
LEONE
LUBE
IVORY
COAST
BENIN
NIGERIA
ETHIOPIA ,
Gulf of Guinea
. EQ. GUINEA
o
?
,
Atlantic Ocean
0 500 1000 Miles
500 1000 Kilometers
UGANDA
KENYA
IA
RWANDA
ZAIRE
BURUNDI "
TANZANIA
ANGOLA
Comoro is.
IVIALAW
ZAMBIA -
SOUTH-WEST
AFRICA
(NAMIBIA)
WALVIS BAY
RHODESIA
BOTSWANA
AMBIQUE
ALAG
REPUB
SWAZILAND
THO
SY
IC
Mauritius
ca
Reunion
(Ft.)
559535 3-76
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USSR
The Soviet navy is moving ahead with
the evacuation of Alexandria, which must
be completed by April 15.
There are now eight Soviet naval units at Tar-
tus, Syria. Before the Egyptian decision regarding
Alexandria, the Soviets kept only a naval repair
ship permanently stationed in Tartus. The port
lacks the extensive repair facilities found in Alex-
andria, but it would be adequate for mooring some
of the support ships.
The Soviets are substantially reducing their
naval forces in west African waters. A Kresta-II
guided missile cruiser that had been off the West
African coast since mid-January now is off Western
Sahara, apparently heading back to the Mediterra-
nean. Two other Soviet ships, an F-class submarine
and a small tanker, have left Conakry in the past
few days and also may be on their way to the Medi-
terranean.
An Alligator-class landing ship a destroyer,
and a tanker are still at Conakry
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Southern Africa
Central African Republic
Cameroon
Ethiopia
Ma
lt
Yaounde
Equato
Gui
Libreville
Uganda
Kampala
Victoria
*Nairobi
? bura
undi
Cabind
Kinshasa
Tanzania
liar es
Salaam
()Luanda
que
Walvis Bay
(S. At.)
Botswana
Gaborone
Atlantic
Ocean
5553 3-76
South
*Pretoria
Swazila
as
sa ho
puts
bane
Indian
Ocean
MILES 500
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ZAIRE
President Mobutu is moving to asso-
ciate his government with the radical
position on southern African issues. His
earlier criticism of Soviet and Cuban in-
tervention in Angola has been replaced by
warnings to all major powers to stay out
of southern Africa.
In view of his failure to influence events in
Angola, Mobutu wants to refurbish his credentials
as a leading African nationalist. He does not want
to be in a position of publicly opposing other Af-
ricans who might endorse a Soviet and Cuban role--
should it come to that--in forcing majority rule in
Rhodesia and Namibia.
Early this month Mobutu strongly endorsed the
decision of Mozambican President Machel to close
his country's border with Rhodesia. Before the
Rhodesian settlement talks collapsed, Zaire's con-
trolled news media implicitly endorsed guerrilla
war and criticized the efforts of nationalist leader
Joshua Nkomo to achieve a negotiated settlement
with Ian Smith.
Nevertheless, in conversation with US embassy
officers in Kinshasa, high Zairian officials con-
tinue to reflect Mobutu's concern over Soviet and
Cuban intentions. These officials have stated that
Zaire's more militant public posture will be par-
alleled by discreet support for moderate solutions
in Rhodesia and Namibia that they hope will preempt
Soviet and Cuban involvement.
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NOTES
Presidents Kaunda of Zambia, Nyerere of Tan-
zania, Machel of Mozambique, and Khama of Botswana
have failed again to persuade Rhodesian nationalist
Joshua Nkomo and his rival, Bishop Abel Muzorewa,
to bury their differences.
there is no Indication as to what if any new
plans were agreed upon. The presidents apparently
have little hope that any new attempt at a peaceful
settlement can be mounted, although our embassy in
Lusaka believes that Nkomo and possibly Kaunda are
still ready to grasp at any straw that might avert
all-out warfare.
Greek Cyp-
riots mark the start of their anti,-colonl.al guer-
rilla war against the British in 1955.
The anniversary last year was marked by ex-
changes of gunfire all along the cease-fire line
separating Greek Cypriot and Turkish forces. There
have been indications that US officials and prop-
erty may be potential targets of terrorist attacks.
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Top Secret
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