CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/01/01

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02008403
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: May 24, 2019
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2019
• Publication Date: January 1, 1952

Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2008403
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SECURI INFORMATION
1 January 1952
Copy No.
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. /6
NO CHANGE IN
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NEXT ViEW DATE: SIA:_f2 f
AUTH- H,
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Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOPS
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SECUR1TJA1FORMATION
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SUMMARY
FAR EA-ST
Bridge built on possible invasion route to Indochina (page 3).
2. Split in ruling clique presages early coup in Thailand (page 3).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Comment on Iranian criticism of Point IV aid (page 5).
4. Egyptian King urges Prime Minister to settle Anglo-Egyptian dispute
(page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Italian Premier discusses European Army problems with General
Eisenhower (page 6).
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FAR. EAST
1. Bridge built on possible invasion route to Indochina:
Aerial photographs
reveal that a bridge capable of supporting
railway equipment has been rebuilt this past
summer over the Namti River, which forms the
boun ry between China and Indochina, near its confluence with the Red
River.
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Comment: This bridge forms an important
� link in the railroad from Hanoi to Kunming, one of the three major routes
connecting China and Indochina (see map on following page). Much of this
railroad has been inoperative during the past ten years. These photographs
tend to confirm other evidence that reconstruction of the railroad is underway.
3.3(h)(2)
flatcars pulled by motor vehicles fitted with flanged wheels are now oper-
ating over a fifty-mile section of this railroad in Viet Minh territory north-
west of Hanoi.
2. Split in ruling clique presages early coup in Thailand:
"High Thai officials" in ostensible support of
the King may be expected to attempt a coup
d'etat "at any time" against the present military
regime. The informant, who is close to the
states that mounting tension between Police General Phao and .3.3(h)(2)
Assistant Army Commander Sarit is forcing early action and the "heaviest
fighting to date" will probably occur.
The King is in danger of assassination at the
hands of the ruling clique because of his firm opposition to its demands
for constitutional changes.
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\if KEY-
Internationall Bomndary
Main Road
River
4-4---1.---".1%1-1-- Railroad
4- - - Railroad (incomplete)
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NEAR EAST - AFRICA
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3. Comment on Iranian criticism of Point IV aid:
The Tehran radio announced on 29 December
that a disagreement had arisen between the United States and Iran over
conditions imposed by the US on the allocation of aid to Iran. The United
States, according to this broadcast, had demanded that its representatives
shbuld be allowed to control the expenditure of Point IV funds.
Mossadeq has already indicated his unwilling-
ness to give assurances required by the Mutual Security Act from those
countries receiving combined military and economic aid. The criticism
of Point IV expressed by the above broadcast suggests that Mossadeq may
also refuse to sign any agreement presented to him for economic aid alone.
4. Egyptian King urges Prime Minister to settle Anglo-Egyptian dispute:
King Farouk has given the Egyptian Prime
Minister until 15 January to formulate a
reasonable program for settling the Anglo-
2)
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Egyptian dispute, If a break de-
velops between the two over this issue, the Prime Minister is determined
not to resign but to force the King to dismiss him.
Comment: The King has indicated on several
recent occasions that he favors the appointment of a new government more
amenable to effecting a settlement with the British. The considerable
resentment aroused by his appointment of two pro-Westerners to the
royal Cabinet last week, however, makes it unlikely that the King will
dismiss the Prime Minister in the immediate future.
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Italian Premier discusses European Army.problems with General
Eisenhower:
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3.3(h)(2)
Premier de Gasperi told General Eisenhower 3.3(h)(2)
on 28 December that he believes it will be
possible to get agreement on the fundamental
principles of the European Defense Community
by the time of the Lisbon meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
now scheduled for February. He seemed, however, to doubt that a un-
animously acceptable draft treaty will be ready by then. He urged that
the United States persuade Benelux to go along and hoped that the United
States could get Britain to take similar action.
Comment: Do Gasperi's tone of pessimism
� was reflected in a press release following the recent meeting on the
European Defense Community. Although the conferees agreed in princi-
ple on the EDC, they did not adopt the plan for supranational management
at this time and were unable to agree on the form of its budget. A second
conference will be held in Paris late in January.
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