THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 8 OCTOBER 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466866
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 8, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
The President's Daily Brief
October 8, 1976
2
Top ecr1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Exempt from general
declassification scheduk of E 0 11652
exempooncsIe6nrY 5134 I
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Exempt from general
declassification scheduk of E 0 11652
exempooncsIe6nrY 5134 I
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THAILAND: The new mil-
itary regime in Bangkok
appears firmly in con-
troZ.
The strongly anticommu-
nist posture of the new
regime has provoked
sharp comment from Ha-
noi.
25X1
The curfew that was imposed on the
first night of martial law has
been lifted.
Admiral Sa-ngat and his colleagues
continue to take pains to convey
the impression that they intend to
pave the way for an eventual re-
turn to representative government.
Twenty-four generals have been ap-
pointed to the new ruling body--
the National Administrative Reform
Council--but the military leaders
are having difficulty identifying
and persuading prestigious and com-
patible civilians to serve on the
council with them.
Sa-ngat has indicated that the new
council should expect to manage
Thailand's affairs for only a few
months until an interim civilian
government backed by the military
can be formed, but council members
differ widely on their probable
term in office. A national assem-
bly is being envisioned to rewrite
portions of the constitution, pre-
sumably to increase the prime min-
ister's power and to assure that
the new government will be more
stable.
Vietnam accuses the Thai military
of collaborating with the US in
arranging the return of exiled dic-
tators in a deliberate scheme to
provoke the downfall of parliamen-
tary government. Hanoi warns that
if the new government follows a
pro-US policy it will face serious
consequences.
* * *
--continued
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
RHODESIA: The leader-
ship of Bishop Muzorewa's
nationalist faction
will meet tomorrow in
Salisbury to consider
various settlement pro-
posals.
25X1
Many white Rhodesians
appear to have accepted
the likelihood of a
black Rhodesian govern-
ment within two years.
The Muzorewa fac-
tion is against allowing whites
to remain in control of the de-
fense and security forces during
the transitional period, a view
shared by other nationalist groups.
Few businessmen in Salisbury are
preparing to leave the country.
Those with moderate views hope to
remain indefinitely in a black-
ruled Rhodesia, while some conser-
vatives still do not fully believe
that Prime Minister Smith will ac-
quiesce in majority rule.
The intention of many whites to
remain in the country could change
quickly if the blacks succeed in
gaining control of the defense and
law and order portfolios under an
interim government. The whites
fear that this would lead to wide-
spread violence by the unruly
guerrilla forces and that contin-
uing disunity among the black
groups may also lead to violence.
2
--continued
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
CUBA:
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
25X1
A spokesman for what
presumably is a Cuban
exile group claims his
organization placed a
bomb aboard the Cuban
airlines plane that
crashed Wednesday in
Barbados.
Many whites favor Joshua Nkomo,
who is widely regarded as the most
moderate black leader, to become
the first black head of government.
* * *
25X1
25X1
Since June, Cuban exile organiza-
tions have claimed responsibility
for attacks against Cuban offi-
cials and installations and pro-
Castro organizations in Barbados,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and
Trinidad and Tobago, in addition
to those in Panama and Mexico.
Havana has sent a team to Barbados,
and if further investigation con-
firms sabotage, the Cubans can be
expected to use the incident to
dramatize the threat from Cuban ex-
ile terrorists.
* * *
3
--continued
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Recent US efforts to
arrange a peaceful
transition to indepen-
dence in Namibia have
prompted Cuba to under-
score its continuing
commitment to the "lib-
eration" of Namibia.
In the Soviet Union,
visiting Angolan Presi-
dent Agostinho Neto
also is getting high-
level treatment.
25X1
NOTES
25X1
Sam Nujoma, president of the South-
West Africa People's Organization
is being accorded all the courte-
sies and fanfare usually reserved
for friendly chiefs of state dur-
ing his current visit to Cuba.
The Cuban party daily carried a
lengthy editorial denouncing the
plan for Namibia's independence as
a joint neocolonialist concoction
of Washington and Pretoria that is
doomed to failure. Nujoma was
quoted as saying that SWAPO, "as
the vanguard of the Namibian peo-
ple, will have no alternative ex-
cept to continue and intensify the
armed struggle for liberation as
the only effective road that will
lead the people to power."
When he arrived in Moscow yester-
day, Neto was greeted by President
Podgorny, Foreign Minister Gromyko,
and First Deputy Premier Tikhonov,
who probably is filling in for ail-
ing Premier Kosygin. Later in the
day General Secretary Brezhnev
hosted a dinner for Neto.
4
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/12 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000300010007-1
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