THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 14 OCTOBER 1975

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006014927
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: October 14, 1975

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The President's Daily Brief
October 14, 1975
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. 11652
exemption category 5B(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
October 14, 1975
Table of Contents
Lebanon: The situation remains relatively calm;
Prime Minister Karami, however, apparently
foresees little progress beyond the solution
of immediate security problems. (Page 1)
Portugal: Prime Minister
nounced new steps to
control, but did not
posals to counteract
itary indiscipline.
Azevedo last night an-
bring the economy under
offer any specific pro-
public disorder and mil-
(Page 2)
Turkey: The results of Turkey's midterm parliamen-
tary elections on Sunday have somewhat strength-
ened Prime Minister Demirel's position. (Page 3)
Spain: Military officers are divided as to the
role they should play in politics and in re-
storing public order. (Page 4)
Note: France-USSR (Page 5)
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LEBANON
Lebanon remains relatively calm as
implementation of the latest truce con-
tinues. Sniper activity and occasional
gun battles persist in several Beirut
suburbs and in the Tripoli-Zagharta area.
A spontaneous reconciliation between a Muslim
district in Beirut and a neighboring Christian com-
munity--where fighting has been especially intense--
is widely regarded as one of the most hopeful devel-
opments of the past few weeks.
The improved security situation in the city has
permitted the resumption of some essential services,
including the resupply of hospitals and the deliv-
ery of much-needed food and fuel. The business and
banking communities, however, are taking a wait-
and-see attitude toward the cessation of fighting.
In his discussions with Ambassador Godley,
Prime Minister Karami has appeared to foresee little
progress beyond the solution of immediate security
problems. Karami seemed only slightly encouraged
by the decision of Arab League foreign ministers to
hold a special session this week to discuss the
Lebanese situation. The meeting is scheduled to
convene in Cairo on Wednesday. Kuwait reportedly
will submit a proposal for the formation of a joint
Arab force to guarantee the cease-fire. It is ques-
tionable whether the Arabs, as a group, can accom-
plish much more than Syria has done alone.
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PORTUGAL
Prime Minister Azevedo in a speech
last night announced new steps to bring
the Portuguese economy under control.
He did not, however, offer any specific
proposals to counteract the immediate
problems of public disorder and mili-
tary indiscipline.
Azevedo, who received pledges of support from
the cabinet and the military Revolutionary Council
late last week, had been expected to call for
strong curbs on leftist dissidents. Instead, he
merely said the government "will answer the attempts
to overthrow it by continuing to govern." President
Costa Gomes' indecisiveness and unwillingness to pro-
voke a confrontation probably account for Azevedo's
inability to respond to leftist provocations.
In his speech, the Prime Minister appealed for
popular support to improve the economy, which suf-
fers from an unemployment rate of more than 10 per-
cent, declining production rates, and an exception-
ally large budget deficit. He urged workers to with-
hold excessive wage claims, increase production, and
end the illegal occupation of farms and houses. His
pleas will probably have little effect, since many
of the labor disputes and illegal occupations have
been incited by the far left and the Communist Party
in an effort to shorten the life of the Azevedo gov-
ernment.
Azevedo said the entire population will be
forced to undergo a "period of relative austerity"
in order to turn the economy around. Government
measures will include price hikes, an increase in
indirect taxation, restrictions on imports, and re-
inforcement of public investment.
The Prime Minister took pains to explain the
government's decision to seek foreign loans to cover
the budget deficit--an approach that is anathema to
Portuguese leftists.
Several West European governments have indicated
their willingness to extend immediate loan assist-
ance to Lisbon; recent EC and US pledges of support
are in the form of project aid and cannot be imple-
mented quickly. The loans, however, are contingent
on Portugal's putting together a viable economic
program.
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TURKEY
The results of Turkey's midterm par-
liamentary elections on Sunday have some-
what strengthened Prime Minister Demirel's
position. His conservative Justice Party
won half of the 54 Senate seats at stake
and 5 of the 6 vacant National Assembly
seats.
In percentage of the total vote, Demirel's
party improved its position compared with that of
1973 but still polled a lower percentage than the
major opposition party--Bulent Ecevit's Republican
People's Party. The latter won 25 seats in the
Senate and 1 in the Assembly.
The statistics on the share of the total vote
may not accurately reflect the nationwide strengths
of the two parties. A larger percentage of the
seats contested Sunday were in strongholds of the
Republican People's Party than would be the case in
a general election.
Turkey's minor parties did poorly. US embassy
officials believe Turkey may be moving back toward
a two-party system after two years during which no
party has had a majority in parliament. During this
period, the country has been served by a succession
of weak coalition governments.
Among the small parties that lost ground was
the National Salvation Party--the government's
coalition partner. The uncompromising position of
its leader, Necmettin Erbakan, on a variety of is-
sues has largely immobilized Demirel's government.
The party's poor showing in the election could give
Demirel more flexibility in dealing with a broad
range of problems, including Cyprus.
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SPAIN
Three more middle-level officers
were arrested last week in Barcelona in
connection with the investigation of an
underground network of dissidents in the
military. Nine officers arrested last
July are now detained in Madrid awaiting
trial for illegal political activity.
Four of these nine are being held incom-
municado, a sign that they face serious
charges.
Some Spanish authorities are concerned that
overly harsh treatment of the arrested officers
will drive more junior officers into the dissident
camp, the need to defuse
the situation was a reason behind military command
changes announced over the weekend. The new com-
mander in Madrid is said to be more likely than his
predecessor to recommend light sentences.
The dissident group--known as the Democratic
Military Union--is composed of officers and non-
commissioned officers from the army, navy, and air
force.
Goals of the organ-
ization include Franco's abdication, establishment
of a plural party system, and improved standards
of efficiency in the armed forces.
The military is divided as to what role it
should play in restoring public order in Spain.
Ultrarightists would like to see the army partic-
ipate in the campaign against Spanish terrorists,
but a majority of senior officers seem to disagree.
They believe such a role would discredit the army's
image and make it more difficult for the military
to maintain order in the post-Franco period.
This latter view was evident in two speeches
by senior Spanish officers over the weekend. Navy
Minister Admiral Pita de Veiga said Spain was living
through delicate moments and that it was the mil-
itary's task to "stand firm so that politicians can
do their politicking." General Guitana, commander
of the military academy, took an even more reserved
position when he said simply that "the army is above
politics."
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NOTE
French President Giscard d'Estaing arrives in
the USSR today for another in the series of periodic
Franco-Soviet summits.
Although the main purpose of the trip is to
preserve the appearance of a "special relationship,"
the Soviets will probably seek a generalized French
endorsement of detente and of the results of the
European security conference.
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Top Secret
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