CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/04/04

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02989476
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: April 4, 1956

� .� Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2989476
NOT RELEASABLE TO
FOREIGN NATIONALS
CONTINUED CONTROL
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
72619-SECREIT"
3.5(c
3.3(h)(2)
4 April 1956
SC No. 01268/56
Copy No. 103
DOCUMENT NO
NO CHANGE IN CLASS
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AUTH� H 7 a
DATE REVIEWEF1: 372044
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This document contains information affecting the national
defense of the United States within the meaning of the espio-
nage laws, U. S. Code title 18, Sections 793, 794,and 798,
the transmission or the revelation of the contents of which
in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
THIS DOCUMENT MUST BE KEPT IN COMMUNICATIONS
INTELLIGENCE CHANNELS AT ALL TIMES
It is to be seen only by U. S. personnel especially indoctrinated
and authorized to receive COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGENCE
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tained in accordance with COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGENCE
REGULATIONS.
No action is to be taken on any COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGENCE
which may be contained herein, regardless of the advantage to be
gained, unless such action is first approved by the Director of Central
Intelligence.
TOP-SECRET
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girnA
Comments and interpretations in this publication are
based on all sources, including COMINT, and repre-
sent the immediate views of the Office of Current In-
telligence. The classification of a comment is noted
separately only when it is higher than that of the re-
port commented on.
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CONTENTS
1. MEMBERS LOSING CONFIDENCE IN BAGHDAD PACT
(page 3).
2. PRAVDA ARTICLE STRESSES COMMUNIST UNITED-
FRONT GOALS (page 4).
3. REPORTS OF IAPANFAF, wrITJTARY SHIPMENTS TO
MIDDLE EAST (page 5).
4. TOP GREEK COMMUNIST LEADERS IN EXILE OUSTED
FROM PARTY POSTS (page 6).
5. GREEK GOVERNMENT IN DILEMMA OVER TRIAL
INVOLVING TURKISH CONSUL page 7).
4 Apr 56
* * * *
TH7 ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 8)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
SECRET
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1� MEMBERS LOSING CONFIDENCE IN BAGHDAD PACT
Turkish prime minister Menderes--in
summing up the results of an informal
meeting of all Baghdad pact members
except the UK in Karachi on 24 March--
, rag, Pakistan, and Turkey agree that the
United States and Britain are to blame for the crisis in the
Middle East,
Menderes said these four countries are losing confidence in
their Western allies because of hesitation in supporting the
pact. He charged that "events are surpassing US capacities
and the US seems to be getting dizzy," and said that "the
USSR is dynamic and working very hard and the US does not
know what to do."
Menderes said he had told the British
foreign secretary during his recent visit to Turkey that if
neutralism is allowed to weaken the Baghdad pact, Turkey
will be isolated and might have to reconsider its foreign
policy.
Comment In view of this attitude, the mid-April
meeting of the pact's council in Tehran
may be critical for the further development of the "northern
tier" defense concept.
4 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
CY 111-1/1 In1 culrf
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NELIT-ET--
2. PRAVDA ARTICLE STRESSES COMMUNIST UNITED-
FRONT GOALS
Comment on:
A long article in Pravda on 31 March
signed by central committee member
Ponomarev has given fresh impetus
to the Soviet campaign for co-operation
between Communists and Socialists,
stating that "now as never before" con-
ditions are favorable for working-class
unity.
The article urges Western European
Socialists to join in united fronts with the Communists, and
proposes increased international contacts and visits to
Moscow. Ignoring the recent decision of the Socialist Inter-
national at Zurich against contacts with the Communists,
the article claims there was strong sentiment at the Zurich
meeting in favor of such a policy. Ponomarev also stressed
the need of seeking agreement on "specific, pressing issues"
such as disarmament, nuclear weapons, European security,
German unity, and workers' demands, rather than of dis-
cussing the basic "theoretical and philosophic" problems
dividing Socialists and Communists. This suggestion of con-
centrating on points of agreement was the same one that
Malenkov made recently to British Labor Party members.
Inasmuch as European Socialists have
already indicated their lack of receptiveness at Zurich, this
article is presumably intended primarily as tactical guidance
for the Communist parties and fronts of Western Europe.
4 Apr 56
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SECRET
a REPORTS OF JAPANESE MILITARY SHIPMENTS
TO MIDDLE EAST
Comment on:
Israel recently purchased field binoculars
from Japan and may seek to purchase
range finders, spotting glasses, and at
a later date, arms. Syrian businessmen
have approached the Japanese for arms,
allegedly for as much as $10,000,000
worth, but the Hatoyama government has
withheld approval of such sales pending
an expression of views from the United
States.
The press report of 2 April that Japanese
arms manufacturers are illegally selling small arms and am-
munition to Syria and other Middle East nations is of doubtful
accuracy. Unidentified Japanese sources are quoted as saying
that third country firms are handling the deals, some of them
involving transshipments through Hong Kong.
It is unlikely that the Japanese ordnance
industry would jeopardize its important licensing agreements
with the United States government by engaging in illegal arms
deals Japanese customs control of ocean-going traffic ap-
pears to be efficient and capable of preventing any large ship-
ments,
4 Apr 56
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CAJINTIJYT121`1-1-244.-
4. TOP GREEK COMMUNIST LEADERS IN EXILE
OUSTED FROM PARTY POSTS
Comment on:
Greek Communist Party leaders
N. Zachariades and V. Bartziotas--
who are in exile in Bucharest--have
been ousted from their party posts for
"making grave political mistakes of a sectarian nature,"
according to an article in the Cominform journal of 30
March. The article attributed these "mistakes" to Zach-
ariades' "erroneous leftist policy" from 1946 to 1949 and
condemned him for "obstinately" defending and trying to
impose his views on the party. Bucharest is the headquar-
ters of the Cominform and the "Free Greek" radio, which
has been silent since the first of the year.
A new seven-man bureau headed by
party central committee member A. Grozos reportedly
will take over the functions of the politburo and secretariat.
The bureau has been charged with redefining the party's
tasks and tactical line.
This action is in line with current Soviet
attempts to improve relations with the Yugoslays, who hold
Zachariades responsible for alienating the formerly pro-
Tito Greek Communist Party subsequent to Yugoslavia's
expulsion from the Cominform. Moscow may also hope the
removal of these men--which constitutes an implicit ad-
mission that the Greek civil war of 1946 to 1949 was an
error--will facilitate an improvement in Greek-Soviet rela-
tions.
4 Apr 56
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46,
5. GREEK GOVERNMENT IN DILEMMA OVER TRIAL
INVOLVING TURKISH CONSUL
Comment on:
Greek prime minister Karamanlis
will probably have to decide by mid-
April whether to suppress a trial
which would implicate the Turkish con-
sul in Salonika in the explosion of a bomb on the grounds
of the Turkish consulate last September. A Salonika court
has charged that the Turks themselves set the bomb as a
pretext for the subsequent anti-Greek riots in Turkey. If
the prime minister drops the case, popular reaction may
cause his government to fall; if he permits it to go to trial,
Turkey certainly would react violently and might break re-
lations with Greece.
Greek foreign minister Theotokis is
reported to believe the trial should be suppressed in the
Greek national interest, and he says Karamanlis shares
his view, Another cabinet minister, who apparently thinks
the case will be dropped, is said to be considering resign-
ing should the public outcry appear strong enough to endanger
the government.
Karamanlis contemplates broadening his
government in order to involve opposition leaders in any
decision on the trial. However, the opposition probably
would not associate itself with an unpopular decision and thus
miss an opportunity to overthrow Karamanlis government.
4 Apr 56
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t_fl VI LILPII:J. I i
*We
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 3 April)
Nothing of significance to report.
4 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
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