THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 27 SEPTEMBER 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014913
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: September 27, 1975

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012800010024-9
The President's Daily Brief
September 27, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B( I1,(2).13)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
September 27, 1975
Table of Contents
Lebanon: The fragile truce in Beirut appeared to
be taking hold yesterday, but scattered shoot-
ing broke out last night. (Page 1)
Portugal: The country's anti-communist leaders
have set up a new security force in an effort
to restore military discipline. (Page 2)
Cuba: Some Cuban officials have defined US demands
for compensation as the most contentious of
the negotiable issues between Washington and
Havana. (Page 3)
Japan_:,/
(Page 4)
Oil: OPEC ministers will meet again today to seek
agreement on the increase of oil prices.
(Page 6)
Notes: South Africa - Angola; USSR; North Vietnam
China; SEATO (Pages 7 and 8)
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LEBANON
The fragile truce in Beirut ap-
peared to be holding yesterday, but
last night scattered shooting broke
out in the eastern suburbs. Our em-
bassy in Beirut believes there is
only a 50-percent chance the cease-
fire will last.
War weariness and ammunition shortages on both
sides have helped hold down the fighting. The key
calming factor, however, has been the convening
of the national reconciliation committee. So far,
the committee has achieved very little, as neither
the Christians nor the Muslims have shown a will-
ingness to compromise. A major breakdown of the
cease-fire before the committee's next meeting on
Monday probably would wreck the reconciliation ef-
fort and could lead to full-scale civil war.
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PORTUGAL
The country's new anti-communist
leaders have set up a "military inter-
vention group" in an effort to restore
military discipline and put an end to
leftist soldiers' defiance of the new
government.
The group, which will be headed by an army
general who will report directly to President Costa
Gomes, was formed by the Revolutionary Council,
presumably to put down communist and extreme-left-
ist demonstrations like the one on Thursday that
was led by leftist soldiers. The relationship be-
tween the group and the present internal security
command--led by General Carvalho--is not clear, but
its establishment appears to be a direct slap at
Carvalho, whose extreme leftist political views are
out of step with the anti-communist majority in the
Revolutionary Council. Carvalho's command is badly
fragmented politically, and the Council probably
feels it cannot be relied upon.
Carvalho's membership in the Council itself
could be in jeopardy because he occupies a position
?reserved for the security forces chief. Army chief
Fabiao also may be the target of the Council's ac-
tion because he has called for military discipline
but has failed to enforce it among his troops.
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CUBA
Some Cuban officials have defined US
demands for compensation as the most con-
tentious of the negotiable issues between
Washington and Havana.
These officials view the US and Cuban claims
as political problems that involve matters of prin-
ciple on both sides and therefore see the solution
as some sort of a "formula" allowing both sides to
save face. Fidel Castro reportedly has suggested
as one possibility scaling Cuban demands for repa-
rations to match US demands for compensation, so
that no actual payment would be required by either
side.
The Cubans believe that agreement on the Guan-
tanamo naval base will not be difficult because
both sides recognize that its strategic importance
is minimal. They claim Cuba is interested in its
commercial potential, not its military value, which
suggests that they may be amenable to some type of
agreement prohibiting the military use of the base
by a foreign power. They say that Cuba wants the
US to evacuate the base eventually, but has set no
particular timetable for our departure.
Havana's
with the US
is worried that Cuba's activities on behalf of
Puerto Rican independence have damaged prospects
for a normalization of relations, admits to
having underestimated US sensitivity on the subject
but alleges that Cuba served as a restraining influ-
ence at the Puerto Rican solidarity conference in
Havana in early September by rejecting a motion to
create a permanent organization for coordinating
pro-independence activities.
leading proponent of reconciliation
it is probably true that Havana,
changed its mind about creating a per-
manent coordinating body, presumably after learning
of the strong diplomatic representations made by
the US to Cuba's supporters in the UN. This indi-
cates that Havana is indeed willing to temper, at
least temporarily, its activities on behalf of
Puerto Rican independence in order to avoid torpedo-
ing altogether chances for a Cuban-US reconciliation.
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JAPAN
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OIL
Members of the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries failed
again yesterday to reach agreement on
the size of the price increase. They
will attempt to break the impasse today.
Saudi Oil Minister Yamani is apparently main-
taining his opposition to any increase larger than
5 percent on October 1, and an additional 5 percent
in January. Most other OPEC states--led by Iran--
are still pressing for at least a 15-percent price
increase./
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NOTES
South Africa
Angola
Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev appeared
rested, relaxed, and relatively energetic during
his meeting Monday with the Apollo-Soyuz crews,
according to our embassy in Moscow.
Brezhnev's comments were made extemporaneously,
without hesitation or searching for words, and his
enunciation was considerably better than has recently
been observed. He did not appear to be tiring dur-
ing the 35-minute meeting. One of the purposes of
Brezhnev's appearance may have been to demonstrate
that he is in good health and is capable of vigor-
ous leadership.
(continued)
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The only concrete result thus far of North
Vietnamese party chief Le Duan's visit to China
is a terse announcement on Chinese economic as-
sistance.
The talks may have encountered difficulties
inasmuch as, in contrast with normal practice,
neither side has yet issued a communiqug on the
visit. The agreements signed on Thursday call for
an interest-free loan and a supply of "general com-
modities" to North Vietnam in 1976. The reference
to an interest-free loan is new and suggests that
Peking has altered its view of economic aid respon-
sibilities to Hanoi, and feels itself less obligated
to provide grant aid.
The annual council meeting of the Southeast
Asia Treaty Organization this week decided to phase
out the organization over the next two years.
It was implicitly agreed that the Manila Pact,
the legal underpinning of the organization, would
remain in force in response to Thai desires. The
Philippines did not press its proposal to terminate
the pact along with SEATO.
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