THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 12 JUNE 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006015134
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: June 12, 1976

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The President's Daily Brief
June 12, 1976
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Exempt from general
declassification schedule of ED. 11652
exemption category 5B( 1
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
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T 71 n 7-, CI T 7 r" T cl T T
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June 12, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: Syrian forces continued their efforts to improve their
positions outside Beirut and Sidon. (Page 1)
Syrian President Asad may not be as beleaguered now as he
appeared to be when his crackdown on the Palestinians first
met heavy resistance. (Page 1)
Syria-Iraq-Iran: Damascus has withdrawn forces from the Golan
Heights to deal with the Lebanese crisis and Iraqi pressure
on Syria's eastern border. (Page 3)
The Shah of Iran has stressed to Saudi King Khalid that
"anything which might hurt President Asad must be blocked."
(Page 3)
USSR-Angola: The Soviet Union tried to use the visit of Angolan
Prime Minister Nascimento to Moscow late last month to estab-
lish close military ties with Angola. (Page 3)
USSR: Moscow is again expressing interest in a Soviet-US under-
standing on arms control in the Indian Ocean. (Page 5) 25X1
Canada:
(Page 6)
Rhodesia:
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(Page 7)
Notes: Romania; Venezuela; USSR; Uganda (Pages 9 and 10)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Mosul
Latakia
Mediterranean
Sea
Bayr az Zawr
Eu'h
Al Clutayfah
DAMASCUS
GOLAN
HEIGHTS
Baghdad
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Tel Aviv-P4EST5i
y a fo \?ANK
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ft/ JORDAN
Dead
Sea
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316
SAUDI ARABIA
40
1
0
100 miles
100 Kilometers
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LEBANON: Syrian forces
yesterday continued
their efforts to rein-
force and improve their
positions outside Bei-
rut and Sidon. No prog-
ress has been made to-
ward implementing the
Arab League's proposal
for a joint Arab peace-
keeping force for Leba-
non, and considerable
confusion surrounds the
status of the force.
Syrian President Asad
has done some rapid
fence mending on both
his right and left and
may not be as belea-
guered now as he ap-
peared to be when his
crackdown on the Pales-
tinians first met heavy
resistance.
League Secretary General Riyad
took delegations with him from
Sudan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia
to Damascus yesterday to discuss
details of the force. He announced
that the size and disposition of
the Arab contingents are still to
be negotiated with Syria and the
Lebanese parties.
There is no indication that Libyan
and Algerian forces entered east-
ern Lebanon from Syria on Thursday
as reported in the press. We have
detected no signs that Algerian
forces have vet left home.
Jallud is continuing his efforts
to arrange a truce in Lebanon and
late yesterday had reportedly
gained Syrian approval of a pro-
posal for at least the partial
withdrawal of Syrian troops from
their current positions. It is
not clear, however, whether the
Syrians intend to honor their
agreement or are using Jallud's
mission to gain a tactical advan-
tage.
Asad is making progress on both
military and diplomatic fronts de-
spite his admitted miscalculation
of reaction to Syria's military
moves and the need to commit more
forces to Lebanon than he had ex-
pected.
Palestinian and leftist forces in
Sidon and Beirut are under attack,
and their principal forces in the
mountains east of Beirut have been
driven back to defensive positions.
--continued
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Asad is genuinely con-
cerned by Iraq's latest
military moves, but may
benefit indirectly from
Baghdad's actions.
Syria continues to make gains in
northern Lebanon. Damascus is at-
tempting to create a new "Arab Leb-
anese Army" that may add to Syria's
leverage during eventual negotia-
tions over a reconstituted Leba-
nese security force.
Asad has managed so far to finesse
both the Arab League mediation ef-
fort and the more narrow Libyan
ploy to draw Syria into a radical
coalition with Algeria, Libya, and
Iraq. Asad's quick agreement to
accept Algerian and Libyan media-
tors was an acknowledgment that
he could not act with complete in-
dependence, but it also served to
split Algeria and Libya from Iraq.
Algerian and Libyan involvement
has not prevented Asad from pursu-
ing his goal of consolidating Syr-
ia's military position. The dif-
ficulties Libyan mediator Jallud
has been having with the Palestin-
ians probably have already reduced
his ability to press Asad to be
more flexible.
Iraq's obvious eagerness to take
advantage of any unrest in Syria
is likely to prompt the conserva-
tive Arab states--notably Saudi
Arabia--to reduce pressure on Asad.
These states are now more alarmed
at the possibility that the Syrian
President may be in jeopardy than
by his actions in Lebanon.
Asad at various times has played
on the theme of his vulnerability
in order to secure political and
financial support from the conser-
vative Arabs who regard him as a
moderate leader. He is likely to
do so again in order to get the
Saudis to resume their financial
--continued
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SYRIA-IRAQ-IRAN: The
Lebanese crisis and
Iraqi pressure along
Syria's eastern bor-
der have forced Da-
mascus to withdraw
forces from the Golan
Heights.
The Shah of Iran told
the US ambassador on
Thursday that he had
discussed the Iraqi-
Syrian problem with
Saudi King Khalid dur-
ing the Zatter's recent
visit to Tehran.
USSR-ANGOLA: The USSR
tried to use the visit
of Angolan Prime Minis-
ter Nascimento to Mos-
cow late last month to
establish close mili-
tary ties with Angola.
aid and to reduce Egyptian criti-
cism. The outcome of the Syrian-
Egyptian reconciliation meeting
may well turn out to be more than
cosmetic.
President Asad told Jordanian of-
ficials early this week that he
intended to reinforce the Iraqi
border area. The US defense at-
tache in Syria saw an SA-6 missile
brigade and an armored brigade
moving north between Damascus and
Al-Qutayfah yesterday and presumes
they are destined for the border.
Syria dispatched fighter aircraft
to the eastern part of the country
on Thursday.
Baghdad has reinforced its task
force in western Iraq. There are
now at least two armored divisions
as well as some armor, infantry,
and support units from other divi-
sions there.
The Shah had stressed to the King
that "anything which might hurt
President Asad must be blocked."
He told Ambassador Helms he would
shortly send a message to Riyadh
urging that Saudi Arabia do all it
can to support both Syria and Jor-
dan at the expense of Iraq.
The Shah indicated that he would
strongly advise Egyptian President
Sadat to support Asad. Sadat is
scheduled to visit Tehran on Tues-
day.
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--continued
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Mos- 25X1
cow may hope that it could even-
tually obtain use of Angolan ports
and airfields as staging areas for
long-range naval and air operations.
The Neto regime probably would be
willing to agree to normal port-
call and bunkering rights. It
might, however, be reluctant to
provide "access" which would en-
tail the establishment of perma-
nent facilities in Angola.
The joint communique issued at the
close of Nascimento's week-long
visit emphasized that a wide-rang-
ing, comprehensive series of agree-
ments in the economic, commercial,
cultural, and diplomatic fields
had been concluded and that a dec-
laration on the "fundamentals of
friendly relations and cooperation"
had been signed. As for military
assistance, the communique noted
only that agreement had been
reached on certain unspecified
measures aimed at strengthening
Angola's "defense capabilities."
--continued
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USSR: Moscow is again
expressing interest in
a Soviet-US understand-
ing on arms control in
the Indian Ocean.
In the most forthright statement
on arms control in the Indian Ocean
ever to appear in the Soviet media,
Yury Zhukov in Pravda recently
stressed the potential importance
of talks between the USSR and the
US on "ways to liquidate military
bases and limit naval forces in
the Indian Ocean." Subsequently
a staff member of the USA Insti-
tute told a US embassy officer in
Moscow that the Soviets were espe-
cially interested in discussing
mutual restraint in constructing
shore installations.
Moscow may feel that its prospects
for matching US shore facilities
are very poor. The USA Institute
staffer suggested as much when he
commented that Moscow's access to
the facilities it now has in Soma-
lia is not as secure as US rights
to Diego Garcia, and the facili-
ties themselves nowhere near as
extensive as those planned by the
US.
Renewed Soviet expressions of in-
terest in arms control in the In-
dian Ocean is in keeping with the
effort the Soviets have been mak-
ing since the 25th party congress
to portray themselves as the great
power most interested in disarma-
ment.
5
--continued
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CANADA:
25
25
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Zambia
Southwest
Africa (Narni is
Mozambi ue
Mozambique
Cionnal
Botswana
Road
Railroad
200 MILES
South frica
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RHODESIA:
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--continued
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Romanian party secretary
Stefan Andrei has post-
poned his arrival in
the US until June 15
Venezuela
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NOTES
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- --
EY-11) PEIL- DDUCTTIVNIT 11NTT
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The Soviets appear to
be developing a large
naval ballistic mis-
sile for installation
aboard a new submarine
considerably larger tha
than any other Soviet
submarine built so far.
The new missile and
the first of the new
Soviet submarines could
be operational by about
1980.
Ugandan President Amin
reportedly suffered only
minor wounds in the as-
sassination attempt
Thursday night. Accord-
ing to a press report,
Amin was seen in Kam-
pala yesterday, appar-
ently none the worse
for the attempt on his
life.
Photography taken in May suggests
that the Soviets are building a
test platform for the new missile
at the Nikolayev shipyard. The
size of the openings in the new
test platform suggests that the
missile will have a much larger
diameter than any other Soviet sub-
marine-launched ballistic missile.
A missile that large would not fit
into any of the existing Soviet sub-
marines, but a submarine large
enough to carry it may be under con-
struction. Last year, what may have
been hull sections for a very large
submarine were photographed at the
Severodvinsk shipyard in the north-
western USSR.
The Soviets have said that they
would build an advanced missile
submarine--called the Typhoon--if
the US proceeds with plans to build
the Trident.
Amin will take revenge against
whomever he believes responsible
for the incident. These persons
could include members of his body-
guard and of tribes that have op-
posed him.
Amin may also make threatening
moves against neighboring Tanzania
and Kenya. Both governments have
given aid and sanctuary to dissi-
dent Ugandan exiles.
Ugandan radio is saying the gre-
nades used in the assassination
attempt were "American and Israeli
types."
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Top Secret
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