CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1953/03/06

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02893480
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: July 15, 2019
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2019
• Publication Date: March 6, 1953

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SE TY INFORMATION
6 March 1953
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
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DOCUMENT NO.
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AUTH; 70-
REM:EWER
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SECU INFORMATION
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
1. Burma explains position on UN appeal (page 3).
2. Chinese UN delegate to disclaim responsibility for troops in
Burma (page 3).
SOVIET UNION
3. Pravda re-emphasizes role of party leadership (page 4).
4. Prominent Yugoslav's views on probable effects of Stalin's
death (page 4).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
5. Bao Dai opposes follow-up of recent Vietnamese elections (page 5).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
6. Mossadeq maintains position on oil and Point IV (page 5).
EASTERN EUROPE
n7. Sharp increase in 1952 Soviet exports to Bulgaria (page 6).
WESTERN EUROPE
8. Denmark refuses to permit US inspection of grounded MIG-15
(page 7).
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GENERAL
1. Burma explains position on UN appeal:
the decision to bring the Chinese Nationalist
problem to the UN was made because of the
government's political embarrassment. Mili-
tarily, the situation was said to be well in
hand.
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3.3(h)(2)
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Comment: The Burmese Government's
political embarrassment has arisen principally from Communist exploi-
tation of public resentment at the recent depredations attributed to Li
Mrs forces.
Although the Foreign Office depreciated the
military problem, government forces have 3.3(h)(2)
suffered heavy reverses at the hands of the Nationalists during the past
few weeks and further deterioration of the military situation could under-
cut any diplomatic steps toward a solution.
2. Chinese UN delegate to disclaim responsibility for troops in Burma:
If the problem of Chinese Nationalist troops
in Burma is raised in the United Natiops
General Assembly, the Nationalist GoVern-
ment will disclaim responsibility for 9iose
forces on the grounds that it does not have effective control over them.
The Nationalist delegate will state that an
order to those forces to withdraw from Burma would not be obeyed and
that the problem of maintaining peace and order there is Burma's
responsibility.
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Comment: The Nationalist delegate took
essentially the sa e position in the General Assembly in January 1952
following Vyshins y's assertion that the United States was supporting
Nationalist opera ions in Burma.
SOVIET UNION
3. Pravda re-emphasizes role of party leadership:
The first official press commentary to
follow the announcement of Stalin's illness
appeared in Pravda on 5 March. Repeatedly
stressing the interdependence of the party
and the people, the editorial appealed particularly for unity and co-
hesion during these difficult times,
Comment: The reiteration of this theme
is probably intended to give the country as a whole a feeling of conti-
nuity in the party's leadership.
3.3(h)(2)
The emphasis on the role of the party and the
Inclusion of a quotation from Malenkov's report to the 19th Party Congress
support the speculation that Malenkov, as the party's leader, is in the
strongest position to succeed Stalin.
4, Prominent Yugoslav's views on probable effects of Stalin's death:
The American Embassy in Belgrade reports 3.3(h)(2)
that Mose Pijade, eminent Yugoslav theo-
retician� expressed his opinion that at least
for the immediate future the Soviet Union
would be so weakened by Stalin's death that it would tend to withdraw
from international affairs. He added that Tito and Kardelj "did not
quite agree" with his view.
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Pijade thought that since no one approaching
Stalin's ability remained on the scene, either a clique within the Polit-
buro (now replaced by the Presidium), or the Politburo itself, would
govern collectively. Concerning rivalries within the Politburo, he
emphasized that there were no hard facts to go on and that opinions
frequently expressed on this point were purely speculative.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
5. Bao Dai opposes follow-up of recent Vietnamese elections:
In a recent discussion with Ambassador Heath,3.3(h)(2)
Bao Dai asserted that the successful candidates
in the municipal elections of 25 January were
opponents of the government who would un-
wittingly serve Viet Minh ends. He accordingly argued against the for-
mation of provincial legislatures and a national assembly.
Comment: The January elections were hailed
by French, Vietnamese, and American observers as "a blow against the
Viet Minh." They brought many of Vietnam's "fence-sitters" into the
country's political life for the first time and demonstrated that those
candidates who opposed French policy and the present Vietnam Govern-
ment made the strongest popular appeal. Such political enthusiasm as
was engendered by the elections would be dissipated by a failure to
announce definite plans for the formation of a national assembly.
Bao Daits opposition to the further development
of representative government stems from his well-founded fear, that his
position would be threatened.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
6. Mossadeq maintains position on oil and Point IV:
3.3(h)(2)
On 4 March, Prime Minister Mossadeq told
Ambassador Henderson that if the United States
were interested in Iran's security, it would not
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support Britain in the oil blockade. Mossadeq stated that the Soviet
Union has protested against Point IV activities in northern Iran and
the protests embarrass the Iranian Government. He added that as
long as Point IV personnel interest themselves in agricultural tather
than development projects the Soviet Union would consider them spies.
Comment: The Prime Minister's latest
statements to Henderson are no aifferent from those of the past.
He may still hope to persuade the United States to help settle the
oil dispute on his terms. When he relinquishes that hope, a less
friendly attitude may be anticipated.
Soviet pressure to oust American advisers
was most recently reported some weeks ago in conjunction with the
Soviet-Iranian negotiations over the Caspian fisheries concession.
EASTERN EUROPE
7. Sharp increase in 1952 Soviet exports to Bulgaria:
3.3(h)(2)
volume of Bulgaria's 1952 imports from the
Soviet Union was about double that of 1951.
Much sharper increases were noted in petroleum products, in indus-
trial machinery and equipment, and in shipments from the Soviet
Engineering Directorate, which is responsible among other things
for export of military goods.
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,he
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WESTERN. EUROPE
8. Denmark refuses to permit US inspection of grounded MIG-15:
The Danish Defense Minister on 5 March 3.3(h)(2)
refused the American Air Attache permission
to inspect the Polish Air Force MIG-15 which
landed on Bornholm that morning. Stating
that the matter was to be kept exclusively
Danish, he promised that the United States
would nevertheless obtain full information
from the Danish investigations.
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The Department of State has instructed the
American Embassy at Copenhagen to state that the United States
Government considers the matter of "crucial military importance,"
and to seek a minimum assurance that the plane will not be returned
promptly to Poland. Washington has suggested plans for examination
of the plane by American technicians.
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