THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 15 MAY 1975

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
0006014798
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
14
Document Creation Date: 
August 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 24, 2016
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
May 15, 1975
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon DOC_0006014798.pdf407.76 KB
Body: 
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 The President's Daily Brief a. May 15, 1975 6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035 9 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Exempt from general declassification schedule of E.O. 11652 exemption category, 5B(11.12).(3) declassified only on approval of the Director of Central Intelligence W Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY May 15, 1975 Table. of Contents, Laos: The Pathet Lao are encouraging increasingly hostile street demonstrations against US gov- ernment installations and personnel. (Page 1) Iran (Page 3) CSCE: Most delegations at the European Security conference believe that the next ?few weeks in Geneva will be crucial. (Page 6) Notes: France; Israel-Lebanon (Page 8) FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 sy ti .4 7 Preckfininant1y communist-control *Vine 0,f, Fe r-uary 1973 cease-fir NS,? U MILES 1O 557873 5-75 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY LAOS The Pathet Lao are encouraging stu- dent activists, political opportunists, war veterans, and labor organizations to mount increasingly hostile street demon- strations against US government instal- lations and personnel in Vientiane and other major urban areas. The Pathet Lao's minimum objective appears to be the elimination of USAID and other American or- ganizations from provincial Laos. If the state- ments of communist Deputy Prime Minister Phoumi Vongvichit are to be believed, however, the Pathet Lao may be willing to tolerate--at least for the moment--a reduced US official presence in Vientiane. They also appear willing, and in some cases even anxious, to receive unconditional US assistance, provided such aid is channeled directly to the coa- lition government now effectively under their con- trol. The demonstrations against USAID facilities in Luang Prabang have ended, but are continuing in Savannakhet. Student agitators in Savannakhet have occupied the USAID compound and are still holding hostage three of its American employees and the area's rightist provincial governor. According to a late report, the Americans are being well treated and are in phone contact with USAID officials. The students are demanding that the coalition government send a delegation to remedy their grievances, which are a carbon copy of those recently espoused by the so-called "People's Liberation Movement" in the southern rightist stronghold of Pakse. Aside from the ouster of USAID, these demands include: --"Neutralization" of Savannakhet and the rest of the central Laotian panhandle provinces and their direct administration by the coalition government. --Removal from office of most civilian and military rightist officials, and the formal ouster of Prince Boun Oum na Champassak as inspector general of the Kingdom. (continued) 1 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY --Freedom of movement and commerce between non- communist and Pathet Lao zones in central and southern Laos. No Americans have been seized during the demon- strations in Luang Prabang, but the USAID compound there has been thoroughly vandalized and a number of local business establishments looted. All offi- cial US personnel and their dependents were safely evacuated by air from the royal capital to Vientiane late yesterday. Demonstrations began last night in Thakhek-- still another southern rightist bastion--and others are scheduled over the next several days in Vientiane. 2 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY I RAN (continued) FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY 3 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15: CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035 9 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY (continued) 4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15: CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY 5 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY CSCE Most delegations at the European security conference believe that the next few weeks in Geneva will be crucial. The pace of the conference has increased per- ceptibly, some issues have been settled, and a working group has begun planning for a final summit-level meeting. Nev- ertheless, if the conference is to con- clude this summer--as the Soviet and virtually all other delegations hope-- many issues will have to be resolved in a relatively short time. While Soviet negotiators recently have shown flexibility on some matters, they have stalled on others and even reopened debate on several issues considered settled months ago. Basically, the So- viets apparently are counting on the Western partic- ipants to give in and stop trying to wring conces- sions. The West European delegations are having difficulty matching the determination and resolve of the Soviet Union. The Soviets recently accepted a French compro- mise proposal that ended a long deadlock concerning the declaration of principles that the conference has been formulating as a guide to international relations. The conference has yet to reach agree- ment, however, on the wording of a "saving clause" implying that the rights and responsibilities of the US, UK, France, and the USSR in Germany and Berlin are not affected by the conference's deci- sions. Many of the neutral delegations read the present draft as an affirmation of the "Brezhnev doctrine" on intervention in Eastern Europe. Soviet negotiators have also shown some flexi- bility on one of the major military-related "con- fidence-building measures," but only after the West- ern and neutral delegations made an important con- cession to Moscow. The Soviets said that they could accept the Western idea of providing advance notice about national and multinational military maneuvers, if the notification were voluntary. (continued) 6 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY The Soviets have continued to stall on matters concerned with the freer movement of people and ideas. Western negotiators now intend to present a single text covering all such topics. They argue that such an initiative now would put maximum pres- sure on the Soviets to come to reasonable terms. The Soviets' attitude on this subject, however, is such that they may well continue to stall. The question of follow-on machinery to the con- ference also remains to be resolved. The Soviet side says it wants a post-conference consultative committee with a broad mandate to discuss issues affecting security and cooperation in Europe. The committee would have a permanent secretariat, one of the more objectionable features of the proposal as far as the West is concerned. There is some rea- son to believe that the Soviets--perhaps worried by the great opportunity a' standing mechanism would give to the Romanians and other bloc members to needle Moscow--eventually will settle for something less permanent. The Western delegations formally support a Danish proposal that calls for senior officials to meet three years after the conference ends to assess the results and decide whether further meetings are needed. The West Europeans, however, are sharply split on the issue. The Dutch, Belgians, and French advocate as little follow-on activity as possible, while the British and now even the Danes are pre- pared to accept relatively frequent meetings of experts and senior officials. Other NATO members continue to support the formal Danish proposal. On this issue, as on many others, the NATO allies are hoping that the US will. take the lead. 7 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 French South Pacific Test Center 557885 5 75 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T009-36A01-2600010035-9 FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY NOTES France is expected to conduct its first under- ground nuclear test in the South Pacific before the end of the month. The French issued a "notice to mariners" in February warning ships and planes to stay outside a 42-mile danger zone surrouning the Mururoa and Fagataufa atolls through the end of the year. Only one or two tests, both underground, are expected this year. Israel's military activity in southern Leb- anon over the past three days appears aimed as much at the Lebanese as at the fedayeen. Harassment of Israeli reconnaissance patrols by Lebanese mortar fire last week apparently was the principal cause of the recent Israeli actions, which included raids into villages- and the taking of prisoners. The approach of today's anniversary of the Arab attacks at the time of Israeli inde- pendence in 1948--often the occasion for fedayeen terrorist incidents--was probably another factor. Israeli units routinely patrol inside Lebanon's southern border, but had not enteredvillages or taken captives since the major clashes with feda- yeen and Lebanese army units last January. No casualties have been reported from this week's activities, and Israel announced yesterday that it had released some of the villagers taken during the raids. FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035 9 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9 Top Secret Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/15 : CIA-RDP79T00936A012600010035-9