THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 23 MARCH 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015062
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 23, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A013200010027-1
The President's Daily Brief
March 23, 1976
2
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E.O. I 1652
exemption category, 513(1),(2).(3)
declassified onli on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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March 23, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: The cabinet has approved a constitutional
amendment that could clear the way for the re-
placement of President Franjiyah within a few
days. (Page 1)
Notes: Egypt-Libya; USSR; USSR-Cuba (Page 3)
At Annex
Turkey
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Ajaltun
MILES
As
Suhayla
Mediterranean Sea
Anti' yas
Beirut
urnat
Ar Rabiyah Shahwan
Juda
Ydah
Brummana
Babdat
uriyah
Nah,
Res. at Matn
Alayh
Bhamdun
Baysur
MEDITERRANEAN
? ripoli
.Zagharta
Lebanon
.Zahla
Kaf r
Matta
Syria
Damascus
0 MILES 20
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LEBANON
The Lebanese cabinet yesterday ap-
proved a constitutional amendment that
could clear the way for parliament to
elect a replacement for President Fran-
jiyah within a few days.
The amendment provides for election of a new
president any time within six months of the expira-
tion of a six-year presidential term. Franjiyah's
term expires in September.
The proposed amendment must be approved by
parliament and signed by the president. Legisla-
tive approval seems certain, as a large majority
of parliament last week signed a petition calling
on Franjiyah to resign. Franjiyah presumably will
sign the measure, since he proposed it himself.
He could change his mind, however, if fighting in-
tensifies or if leaders of the large Christian po-
litical parties raise new objections.
The cabinet reportedly expects Franjiyah to
resign by May 9, but he has commented publicly
that a newly elected president would need a long
period to prepare himself "before he assumes his
office."
Publicly, the Syrians are refusing to take
sides in the presidential selection and are con-
centrating instead on restoring civil order in
Lebanon. Damascus shows every sign of determina-
tion to use its influence to ensure that whoever
is chosen as the new president is installed with
at least a facade of legality.
Fighting was heavy in the Beirut area yester-
day, as Phalangist and leftist militias battled
for control of the hotel district. The Christians
seized almost the entire area early in the day,
aided by unprecedented heavy shelling of western
Beirut with 155-mm. howitzers located in Bayt Miri
They were later pushed back in several locations.
Christian army units loyal to Franjiyah ap-
parently are also in the Bayt Miri area from which
they are shelling the Druze village of Alayh.
(continued)
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Alayh is held by followers of Socialist leader Ka-
mal Jumblatt who have been threatening to attack
the nearby presidential palace.
Jumblatt still refuses to cooperate with the
Syrian peace initiative. Yesterday he again ap-
pealed to Syria to back his call for Franjiyah's
immediate and unconditional resignation on grounds
that it reflected the "true interests of Syria and
Arabs."
The US defense attache in Damascus believes
that Syrian forces are now in a very high state of
alert because of events in Lebanon. He observed
Syrian surface-to-air missile units and conventional
antiaircraft artillery units along the front with
Israel in a high state of readiness.
The attache also saw unusual armor movements
near Al Kiswah--the home garrison of the 1st Armored
Division--as well as some unusual activity by Syrian
military personnel in other areas. Other US per-
sonnel reported unusual Syrian military activity
along the Golan Heights over the weekend. This
activity may be related to Syrian maneuvers re-
portedly being held in the area.
The heightened alert by Syrian air defense
units along the Golan may indicate that the Syrians
plan to take additional measures in Lebanon and that
they are concerned about how Israel might react.
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NIGER
GREECE,
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
LIBYA
CHAD
--- , ,Gulf of Sollum
*Sollum ----,Moruh
EGYPT
TURKEY
SYRIA
LEBANON
I SRA E L
JORDAN
';11)
Cel
A I
? /. A
Sinai A t
'occup,ro),?
SUDAN
0 200
MILES
59497 3-76
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NOTES
Egypt is increasing its military readiness
along its border with Libya presumably as the result
of a further deterioration in relations between
presidents Sadat and Qadhafi.
Egyptian authorities have arrested 27 Libyans,
supposedly members of sabotage teams, following an
attempt early this month to kill or kidnap two for-
mer Libyan officials living in Cairo. Libya has
retaliated by expelling some 26,000 Egyptians work-
ing in Libya.
. It is highly unlikely, however, that
Cuba's first nuclear power station can become oper-
ational before 1981. Moreover, there are no indi-
cations that Havana has plans for a nuclear weapons
program.
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TURKEY
(continued)
Al
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Top Secret
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