CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/02/17

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02698155
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: May 24, 2019
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2019
• Publication Date: February 17, 1952

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17 February 1952 3.5(c)
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Copy No.
49
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
I ; DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO TS S
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTI-4k H/0014
DATElle /. I REVIEWER
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Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
FAR EAST
1. Soviet air defense unit probably participating in Korean war (page 3).
2. Bombers of Chinese 8th Division leaving Manchuria (page 3).
3. Large-scale troop movements into Yunnan again reported (page 4).
4. French official states views on Indochina situation (page 4).
5. Burmese Cabinet shakeup expected (page 5).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
6. Cabinet change in Egypt rumored (page 6).
LATIN AMERICA
7. Comment on proposal for partly-nationalized oil company in Venezuela
(page 6).
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FAR EAST
1. Soviet air defense unit probably participating in Korean war:
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about
mid-November 1951 an air defense commander
subordinate to the Soviet 5th Fleet moved from
the Port Arthur Naval Base to Antung, which
controls Communist jet combat operations in northwestern Korea,
At the same time, aircraft of a 5th Fleet fighter
division appear to have moved from Port Arthur into the combat area and
to have begun Begin-
ning shortly thereafter, there were frequent Chinese Communist references
to flights of "Soviet" MIG-15's in the combat area. 3.3(h)(2)
Comment: This is the first indication of the
direct participation of an air defense organization of the Soviet Armed
Forces in Korean air operations.
The 5th Fleet air defense officer in question
� apparently continues to communicate with his Soviet superiors. It is
probable that his presence in the Antung area represents either an attempt
to give him and his personnel combat experience, or a measure to estab-
lish closer Soviet control over that portion of the combat operations which
are considered a Soviet responsibility.
. Bombers of Chinese 8th Air Division leaving Manchuria:
Eleven TU-2 light bombers of the Chinese 8th
Air Division were scheduled to make a "transfer
move" from Mukden to Panzfou, 100 miles
northwest of Nanking, The
t equipped with at least 34 TU-2's, has peen oaseu at u e
Mukden West airfield.
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Comment: 8th Division
bombers made attempt to bomb a UN-held island off north-
western Korea, but in general TU-2's have seldom appeared in combat.
Aside from this division, there is only one operational light bomber
regiment in Manchuria.
3. Large-scale troop movements into Yunnan again reported:
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I large numbers of Chinese Communist troops
I have been moving from Szechwan to Yunnan
province, and also toward the southern border of Yunnan.
Comment/
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At least 30,000 Chinese Communist troops
have been accepted along the China-Burma border for several months.
4. French official states views on Indochina situation:
The French Minister of Associated States,
Letourneau, who has just completed an in-
spection trip throughout Indochina, told the
American Minister in Saigon that while the
outlook is "by no means hopeless it is far from optimistic." He was
discouraged by the performances of Bao Dai and Premier Huu, and had
warned them that France might not continue its sacrifices unless the
Vietnamese Government showed signs of improvement
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Although Letourneau vehemently denied any
possibility of a rapprochement with the Viet Minh, he carefully avoided
comment on rumors that France might negotiate with the Peiping regime to
cease its aid.
Comment: Increasing popular dissatisfaction
with the Vietnam Government," partl.cularly in the critical Tonkin delta
region, has been evident in many recent reports.
French commercial circles in Indochina are
known to be in favor of reaching some arrangement with the Chinese Com-
munists which would halt further aid to the Viet Minh.
5. Burmese Cabinet shakeup expected:
The American Embassy in Rangoon reports 3.3(h)(2)
that the Burmese Premier is expected soon to
approve a Cabinet shakeup dictated by the
Socialists. Changes are to include the instal-
lation of Socialist Party leader U Ba Swe as Defense Minister and the
appointment of Thakin Tin, chief author of the Land Nationalization Act,
to the newly-created post of Minister for Land Nationalization. The
Embassy comments that this reshuffle appears to promise a stronger Cabinet
and that no change in foreign policy is indicated.
Comment: Both U Ba Swe and Thakin Tin are
self-admitted extreme leftists who have never concealed their anti-
Western attitudes and their admiration of Communist China and the USSR.
They also retain friendly relations with leaders of the pro-Communist
Burma Workers and Peasants Party.
The American Army Attache in Rangoon was
recently informed that Commander in Chief Ne Win was opposed to an
appointment of U Ba Swe as Defense Minister and that rumors of a coup
were "cropping up" again among government officials.
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NEAR EAST - AFRICA
6. Cabinet change in Egypt rumored:
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present Egyptian Cabinet under Ali Maher may
soon be replaced by a government headed by
Hilali Pasha, a former high official in the
powerful Wafd Party. If this should occur, Parliament would be dissolved
and the country ruled by decree for several months.
the rumored 3.3(h)(2)
Hilali Cabinet would deal ruthlessly with Wald Party corruption. Positive
concessions by Great Britain on the Suez base and Sudan issues might en-
able Hilali to win popular support away from the Wafd Party.
Comment: King Farouk would gain little ad-
vantage now in dismissing the present government, which won the initial
support of Egypt's major parties, including the Wafd, and which is in
the good graces of the British Government.
Since Ali Maher became Premier on 28
January, some student opposition has been noted, occasional terrorist
activities have occurred, and the Wafd Party has made veiled threats to
withdraw its support from the government.
Hilali was rumored to be in line for the
Egyptian premiership when the Wafd government was ousted on 27 January.
If he should suddenly replace Ali Maher, he too would face the prospect
of losing Wafd support and would almost necessarily be forced to dissolve
Parliament, which the Wafd controls. Rule by decree would increase
Egypt's internal problems, no matter who were Premier.
LATIN AMERICA
7. Comment on proposal for partly-nationalized oil company in Venezuela:
A newly-formed group of American business-
men have petitioned the Venezuelan Government for oil concessions and
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have offered that government partial control of any resulting operations.
The group, appears to have considerable
capital at its disposal and has taken the position that an arrangement such
as it proposes "would be a palliative rather than a stimulus" to sentiment
for nationalizing the industry. United States Embassy officials are ap-
prehensive about the activities of this group.
Although there has always been a latent re-
sentment of foreign control of the oil industry, Venezuelan sentiment
favoring nationalization has never found an influential spokesman either
from the right or the non-Communist left. Venezuelans have been general-
ly satisfied with the benefits accruing to the country from foreign develop-
ment of its petroleum resources.
The proposal for a partly-nationalized company
therefore appears to be premature. There is no indication at present that
the Venezuelan Government is particularly anxious to accept it, but 4ny
publicity for the proposal might create a new focus for nationalistic senti-
ments'.
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