CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/05/28

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02985832
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: May 28, 1955

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D/E2)
28 May 1955
SC No. 02242/55
Copy No. 94
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. 4.5�
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
Ei DECLASSIFIED
CLASS, CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE: ?CHO
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE: �9/ilre30 _ REVJEWER: 9:12313 0
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CODE WORD MATERIAL
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This document contains information within the meaning of Public
LAW 513-81st Congress. It is to be seen only by US PERSONNEL
especially indoctrinated and authorized to receive Special Intelli-
gence information. The security of this document must be main-
tained in accordance with SPECIAL INTELLIGENCE SECURITY
REGULATIONS. No action may be taken by any person on the
Special Intelligence presented herein, regardless of any advantage
which may be gained, unless such action is first approved by the
Director of Central Intelligence.
/1/
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SUMMARY
SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. Indonesian defense minister presses plans to weaken anti-
Communist army factions (page 3).
SOUTH ASIA
2. Comment on the number of Soviet personnel in Afghanistan (page 3).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Egypt reported compromising with the Sudan on union and on Nile
waters ((page 4).
4. Comment on Algerian situation (page 5).
LATIN AMERICA
5. Possible disturbances in Venezuela (page 5).
* * *
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Nor'
SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. Indonesian defense minister presses plans to weaken anti-
Communist army factions:
Indonesia's pro-Communist defense min-
ister Iwa is recommending for the vacant
post of army chief of staff
Comment: Iwa has been reliably reported
as intending to press for early control of one of the army factions.
Anti-Communist factions of the army ap-
parently stand to lose if any of the candidates so far mentioned is
appointed. /
SOUTH ASIA
2. Comment on the number of Soviet personnel in Afghanistan:
A study of Soviet 'per-
sonnel in Afghanistan indicates that the
number is considerably smaller than has
been previously reported, although the
total has been almost doubled in the past year by the entry of tech-
nical personnel.
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Of a total of 175 Soviet citizens, in-
cluding 38 wives, in Afghanistan in April 1955, 72 were tech-
nicians.
Other personnel included 64 individu-
als and dependents attached to Soviet diplomatic and military
missions, 10 attached to the Soviet trade agency in Kabul, and
24 men and women in unidentified occupations.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Egypt reported compromising with the Sudan on union and on Nile
waters:
During Sudanese prime minister Azhari's
recent visit to Cairo, he and Prime Min-
ister Nasr reached substantial agreement
on future political relations between the
two countries and on the di7tribution of Nile waters,
Future relations reportedly will include
the continued use of a common currency, pursuit of a common for-
eign policy through advance discussions, and a joint military policy.
On the distribution of the Nile waters,
Egypt is reported to have recognized the Sudan's right to approxi-
mately 50 percent of the additional water to be made available by
the proposed Aswan dam. This concession is based on the as-
sumption that the Sudan will not actually be in a position to use its
full share during the period of the agreement, which is believed to
be 20 years.
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Comment: This reported agreement,
apparently without Egyptian insistence on political union, suggests
that Nasr has adopted a new approach toward the Sudan in an ef-
fort to reach an agreement.
Nasr, however, may experience difficulty
in obtaining the assent of the Revolutionary Command Council and
the officers who support it for these concessions. The regime is
heavily committed to achieving political union of the two countries.
4. Comment on Algerian situation:
he situation in Algeria is such that the
French Interior Ministry has urgently
equested American assistance in obtain-
ng helicopters for antiguerrilla oper-
ations. Premier Faure has also announced that NATO forces
stationed in Germany and France will be sent to Algeria.
Even with recent military reinforcements,
the Algerian situation has continued to deteriorate. French au-
thorities are particularly worried over the desertions of native troops.
Within the past two days the press has reported instances of the cap-
ture and disappearance of small military units, which may actually
have deserted to the guerrillas.
Previous use of MDAP- supplied equipment
by French forces in North Africa has resulted in nationalist resent-
ment toward the United States, which has been exploited in Communist
propaganda.
LATIN AMERICA
5. Possible disturbances in Venezuela:
Venezuelan president Perez Jimenez'
scheduled visit to Peru for a week be-
ginning 4 June may be the occasion for
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either a shake-up within the Venezuelan government or for revo-
lutionary action, Security
chief Pedro_EOtrada is reported to discount rumors of revolutionary
plans but actually gives the impression of being worried.
Should a shake-up occur, it would be with
the president's approval
Comment: Reports of civilian and military
plotting have been persistent in recent months, but it is questionable
whether a revolutionary coup could succeed at this time. While most
members of the military high command have been critical of certain
Perez policies, only one has been reported conspiring with the op-
position.
It is possible that Perez either hopes his
absence will tempt the plotters into premature action or that he has
arranged with the army for a coup as an excuse for eliminating con-
troversial cabinet members and disposing of military and civilian
plotters.
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