CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/04/25

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02995608
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: April 25, 1956

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CONTENTS
LEADERS ATTACK WESTERN DISARMAMENT VIEWS
(page 3).
2. KHRUSHCHEV SAYS SOVIET ARMS TO YEMEN MEANT TO
HARASS BRITISH (page 4).
3. SAUDI ARABIA REPORTED PREPARING GUERRILLA ACTION
IN BURAI1VII AREA (page 5).
4. PLAN TO ASSASSINATE CUBAN PRESIDENT REPORTED
(page 6).
5. MOROCCAN NATIONALIST PROBES AMERICAN ATTITUDE
ON AIR BASES (page 7).
6. SOVIET iREcumE USES STALIN METHODS TO END PARTY
STRIFE (page 8).
7. FRANCE NEGOTIATING ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICIAL
FRENCH TRADE OFFICE IN PEIPING
(page 9).
8. ESTABLISHMENT OF JAPANESE COMMERCIAL MISSION
IN PEIPING UNDER NEGOTIATION
(page 10).
25 Apr 56
ARAR-TSRAELT SITUATION
;page 11)
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1. SOVIET LEADERS ATTACK WESTERN DISARMAMENT VIEWS
The British delegate to the UN Disarma-
ment Subcommittee, Anthony Nutting,
told his Western colleagues on 23 April
that on the basis of discussion thus far
with Bulganin and Khrushchev on disarmament, the Russians
appear to be "fed up" with the subcommittee and are very
suspicious of the Western position. The Soviet leaders
charged that the American aerial inspection proposal was de-
signed to photograph the USSR for target and espionage pur-
poses.
Bulganin and Khrushchev said they had
omitted nuclear disarmament from their 27 March proposals
because previous discussion had proved it was impossible to
solve the problems of nuclear and conventional arms simul-
taneously� The Soviet leaders showed no interest in any par-
tial approach to disarmament and insisted that the Western
powers had complicated the disarmament problem by retreat-
ing from their earlier positions.
Nutting concluded that he believes the
USSR wants disarmament but not control and, therefore, does
not want an arms agreement.
Comment The Soviet leaders' remarks on the ae-
rial inspection proposal show no change
in the views Khrushchev expressed in his Supreme Soviet speech
on 29 December in which he charged that aerial photography
amounted to military reconnaissance and claimed that such a
plan "can only fan war passions and war psychosis."
The omission of nuclear disarmament
provisions from the Soviet 27 March plan apparently was in-
tended to create an impression that the Soviet position is mov-
ing closer to that of the West, particularly that of the United
States, by offering a separate agreement in the field of con-
ventional arms, where the USSR has superiority, The Soviet
leaders probably believe such ostensible concessions to West-
ern views will lead Western governments, under the pressure
of public opinion, to curtail military spending and reduce armed
forces even in the absence of an arms agreement.
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2. ICHRUSHCHEV SAYS SOVIET ARMS TO YEMEN MEANT
TO HARASS BRITISH
Khrushchev told Foreign Minister
Selwyn Lloyd on 21 April that as
long as Great Britain supports the
Baghdad pact, it must expect the
a e measures, such as arms sales to Yemen, to
cause maximum annoyance to Britain. Khrushchev made
the statement in answer to a question from Lloyd as to why
the Soviet Union was selling arms to Yemen when those
arms could only be used against the British in Aden.
Comment Khrushchev's statement, like the
Soviet Foreign Ministry statement
of 17 April, serves notice that Soviet tactics in the Middle
East will not be changed without a quid pro quo from the
West. The Soviet leaders have repeatedly attacked the
Baghdad pact as being anti-Soviet.
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3. SAUDI ARABIA REPORTED PREPARING GUERRILLA
ACTION IN BURAIMI AREA
Saudi Arabia is air-lifting troops to
a point near the disputed Buraimi Oasis
in eastern Arabia,
the forces are to be used for sabotage and raids
in the Buraimi area in order "to give the British no peace
there," The airlift allegedly had moved 800 troops by 22 April
and the operation was continuing.
Comment A British mission is expected to arrive
in Saudi Arabia about 26 April to re-open
negotiations on the disputed Buraimi Oasis, which British-
led forces occupied last fall in the name of the sultan of Mus-
cat.
If the Saudi troop movement is confirmed,
the British may refuse to open the talks in order to avoid ap-
pearing to be negotiating under duress. Mounting Saudi pres-
sure on the British is also evident in King Saud's reported loan
of $10,000,000 to Yemen for arms--presumably to support its
dispute with Britain over boundaries of the Aden Protectorate
in southern Arabia.
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4, PLAN TO ASSASSINATE CUBAN PRESIDENT REPORTED
A general revolt led by men who were
officers under former president Prio
Socarras will be set off by the assassi-
nation of General Batista, planned for
the first opportunity.
The president's assassination was originally scheduled for
20 April, but no attempt was made then owing to lack of
opportunity.
Batista does not know whom he can trust
in the army and reportedly is extremely nervous. The source
says that his life could be saved if within the next few days he
guaranteed free elections this year. 1
Comment Oppositionists, particularly the followers
of ex-president Prio, ousted by Batista in
1952, are exploiting the tense situation that has developed
since 3 April when a military conspiracy was revealed. They
reportedly will attempt a coup, and they may have included
President Ba,tista's assassination in their plans. Sueh an
event would probably lead to considerable bloodshed through-
out the island.
Sympathy with the officers convicted of
the 3 April conspiracy and antipathy toward the army com-
mand, extending increasingly to Batista, is being felt through-
out the army, according to reports.
The opposition has insisted that the Novem-
ber 1.954 election was a fraud and has demanded a new election
for all offices including that of president. Batista has adamantly
opposed an election before 1958 and apparently has considered
changing the constitution so as to be eligible to run again.
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5. MOROCCAN NATIONALIST PROBES AMERICAN
ATTITUDE ON AIR BASES
Ahmed Balafrej, secretary general
of the Moroccan nationalist Istiqlal
party, has asked the American consul
general in Rabat what attitude the
United States government would take if the Moroccans de-
sired to open direct talks on "military subjects" after the
appointment of a Moroccan foreign minister. Balafrej in-
dicated that the sultan was now considering the matter.
Comment The Moroccan government is likely
to press soon for a renegotiation of the
1950 bilateral American-French agreement which permitted
the building of the four strategic air bases in Morocco. The
Moroccans hope that American payments for the continued
use of these bases will partially cover Morocco's annual fi-
nancial deficit which will probably run between $142,000,000
and $200,000,000in the future Heretofore, .these deficits have
been covered by French subsidies and loans,
The Moroccans probably also hope to
use an early agreement with the United States as a lever for
bargaining during the forthcoming financial and economic
negotiations with France, which were recently postponed at
the request of the Moroccan government.
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�5ritiffE4=--
6.. SOVIET REGIME USES STALIN METHODS TO END
PARTY STRIFF,
the central committee of the Soviet
Communist Party issued a resolution
which disciplined the
party organization of a thermodynamics laboratory and in-
dicated that the collective leadership continues to use Stalin's
methods to control dissension within the party.
the central committee decreed that the party organi-
zation in the laboratory be dissolved;
that all party members
and candidates in this organization be investigated; and that
engineer-technical personnel of the laboratory be re-examined
and replaced where necessary.
editorial revealed
publicly the party's concern over this problem when it con-
demned, in language similar to that of the resolution, "re-
cent party meetings, including one held in a scientific insti-
tute," where "slanderous statements directed against .the
party's policy" were made. It is probable that repercus-
sions of this nature were fairly widespread and that the party
has moved swiftly and ruthlessly, as in the case of the thermo-
dynamics laboratory, to remove such opposition to its policies.
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7. FRANCE NEGOTIATING ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICIAL
FRENCH TRADE OFFICE IN PEIPING
the establishment of a French
ommercial office in Communist
hina is now under active negotiation
in Lonaon. rrance nopes to send a staff of about 25 mem-
bers who would have the same status as commercial at-
taches which Paris sends to other countries. The authority
of the office would be confined to commercial matters� Un-
der the French proposal, the establishment of a French
agency in Peiping would not give Communist China recip-
rocal rights to establish a commercial agency in Paris.
Comment Althougli
the French had
approached the Chinese Communists to establish a perma-
nent commercial office in Peiping, this is the first report
of the terms which were submitted by Paris Communist
China would welcome a French commercial office in Peiping
and the presence of French commercial attaches as improv-
ing its chances for obtaining eventual French recognition.
France may believe that the dispatch of
a commercial delegation to China will increase its share in
China's trade with non-Communist Europe. While West
German and British trade with Communist China has tripled
since 1952, Sino-French trade has remained at about the
same low level. (Prepared jointly with ORR)
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8. ESTABLISHMENT OF JAPANESE COMMERCIAL
MISSION IN PEIPING UNDER NEGOTIATION
Japan is working out an agreement
with Communist China to set up an
unofficial trade mission in Peiping,
Referring to the French negotiations for an
official mission in Peiping, Foreign Minister Shigemitsu
commented that if the French are successful, "our govern-
ment will not be in any position to thwart the wishes of our
people," Japan's talks with Peiping are probably being con-
ducted by private Japanese businessmen rather than by
government officials.
Peiping has exerted steady pressure
on Tokyo for the establishment of closer ties and has sought
to exploit Japanese hopes for profitable trade with the main-
land, The Chinese Communists would probably prefer to
have the trade mission operate on an official basis and can
be expected to press for this point during the reported negotia-
tions. Peiping would probably accept an unofficial mission,
however, as a step toward eventual official recognition.
(Concurred in by ORR)
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 24 April)
Three Israeli water engineers and their
driver were ambushed and killed on the Beersheba-Eilat road
near the Jordan border. (Press)
Syria has announced that it has agreed to
a cease-fire on the Syrian-Israeli border on condition that
Israel pledges to respect the resolutions of the UN Security
Council, A UN resolution in 1953 requested Israel to cease
activities at Banat Yacov pending an agreed solution. (Press)
Egypt is sending an emissary to other Arab
capitals to inform them of its discussions with UN secretary gen-
eral Hammarskjold,
Egypt had agreed to a pro-
posal wnicn woula Dina Dutn slues Lc) observe the terms of the
armistice agreement, particularly Article II, to evacuate troops
500 meters each side of the demarcation line, and to remove from
demilitarized zones all military or police weapons and all settle-
ments or fortifications that have been built since the armistice.
Egypt had excluded from the discussions
anything connected with the Jordan River waters, the navigation
of the Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, the ending of the state of war
with Israel, and any npw nronosals outside the scope of the Ham-
marskj old mission.
a Jordanian mission to Cairo will co-ordinate Jor-
dan's war plans with Egypt and Syria.
Jordan will ask Egypt to supply it with British arms and am-
munition.
Egypt, according to press and radio reports,
has "presented" arms worth a half a million pounds ($1,400,000)
to the Sudan, including tanks, armored cars and other vehicles,
and light arms and ammunition. (Press)
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