CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/05/05

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02995617
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: May 5, 1956

: Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995617
TOP--S-EGRZT
/./
/ CURRENT
/ INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
V
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
5 May 1956
t,opy No. 103
DOCUMENT NO. _
NO CHANGE IN CL AS,
! DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS f, lof
NEXT REvtew DATE:
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
7O-1,-SECRET
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CONTENTS
1. STALIN'S TERRORIST LAWS ABOLISHED
(page 3).
2. AUSTRIA PLANNING TO OUST RADIO FREE
EUROPE FROM VIENNA (page 4).
3. DE GAULLE'S VIEWS ON FRANCE AND ATLANTIC
SOLIDARITY (page 5).
4. USSR TO BEGIN EGYPTIAN ATOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
IN 1957 (page 6).
5. PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER INVITED TO VISIT USSR
(page 7).
6� PATHET LAO VIEWS Brnmsr rriEn.rx AS KEY TO
SUBVERSION OF LAOS (page 8).
70
JAPAN MOVING TOWARD
RECOGNITION OF COMMUNIST CHINA
(page 9).
5 May 56
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
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AS (TATIMItkr-H417. 41-
1. STALIN'S TERRORIST LAWS ABOLISHED
Comment on:
The Soviet Union has revoked two
special laws which provided a legal
and procedural baths for the great
purges of the 30's, thereby emphasiz-
ing that the regime is continuing its campaign to wipe off
the books reminders of Stalin's use of police terror as an
instrument of control. These laws, one dated 1934 and
the other 1937, provided for "exceptional procedure in in-
vestigation and court trial" of persons accused of terrorism
against the government and destruction of state property.
The decree revoking these laws said that in the future, in-
vestigation of such crimes must be guided by normal judi-
cial standards established by law.
The 1934 law was passed on 5 December
shortly after the assassination of politburo member Sergei
Kirov in Leningrad. It provided for secret trial, no appeal,
and immediate execution of the sentence. It was under this
law that Marshal Tukhachevsky, whose reputation was re-
cently rehabilitated by Khrushchev, was tried and executed
in 1937. It was last invoked in 1953 as the basis for trial
and execution of Beria.
5 May 56
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2. AUSTRIA REPORTED PLANNING TO OUST RADIO
FREE EUROPE FROM VIENNA
both parties in
Austria's coalition government have
agreed in principle to close the of-
fices of Radio Free Europe (RFE) in Vienna after the na-
tional elections on 13 May. The decision might also apply
to Radio Free Europe offices in western Austria,.
Comment
overflights of Austria by
RFE balloons launched from West Germany were Jeopard-
izing RFE activities in Austria. A decision to end RFE ac-
tivities may have been taken to "balance" Austria's adher-
ence last month to the Council of Europe.
5 May 56
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3- DE GAULLE'S VIEWS ON FRANCE AND
ATLANTIC SOLIDARITY
General Charles de Gaulle has told
an American official the belief is
growing in France that the United
States is becoming more and more
inclined to seek bilateral solutions
with the USSR on all major problems. He cited this view
as the principal reason for French pessimism about Euro-
pean or Atlantic solidarity.
De Gaulle believes the general situation
in France has deteriorated to a point where it is impossible
for any government to follow a coherent policy about any-
thing. He denied, however, that he had any "personal in-
tention" of trying to remedy the situation.
Comment Premier Mollet and Foreign Minister
Pineau's frequent criticism of Western
policy has been motivated largely by the feeling that France's
views have not been given full consideration.
De Gaulle's renewed political interest
may encourage independent action by French leaders who
suspect that Germany and Britain may also be increasingly
inclined to seek bilateral solutions with the USSR.
Interest in a strong executive is growing
among parliamentary leaders of various groups, and de Gaulle
will be increasingly mentioned as a likely candidate. Despite
his own disclaimer of ambition, De Gaulle is now keeping in
closer touch with current affairs by spending two days a week
in Paris.
5 May 56
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4. USSR TO BEGIN EGYPTIAN ATOMIC RESEARCH
INSTITUTE IN 1957
Comment on:
TASS announced on 10 February that
the USSR had agreed to send specialists to Egypt for con-
sultation regarding the design and establishment of a
nuclear physics laboratory, the supply of necessary equip-
ment, and the training of Egyptian scientists in the USSR.
Three Soviet atomic experts who will act as technical ad-
visers to the Egyptian government have already arrived
in Egypt.
Cairo has reportedly budgeted about
$600,000 to finance atomic research and to cover the cost
of sending atomic missions abroad. In this connection,
several Egyptian scientists have been sent to Chicago to
study at the School of Nuclear Science and Engineering at
the Argonne National Laboratory. (Prepared
by ORR. Concurred in by OSI)
5 May 56
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5. PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER INVITED TO VISIT USSR
Pakistan's Prime Minister Chaudhri
Mohammad Ali admitted to the Ameri-
can ambassador on 2 May that Mikoyan
had asked him to visit the USSR when
the Soviet first deputy premier visited Karachi in March.
Mohammad Ali said that he had told
Mikoyan that he would "think it over" and had mentioned
the invitation to no one except Pakistan's president and the
foreign minister.
Comment Pakistan will probably not act on the in-
vitation until the USSR reveals its stand
on the Kashmir issue in the United Nations next month and
until the present internal challenge to Mohammad Ali's con-
tinuance as prime minister is resolved.
Should a visit take place, Soviet-
Pakistani economic relations would probably be the main
topic of discussion. Mdscow will also probably attempt to
undermine Pakistan's role in the Baghdad pact and SEATO.
Mohammad Ali is scheduled to depart for
Peiping on 14 May for a two-week visit.
5 May 56
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6. PATHET LAO VIEWS BUDDHIST CLERGY AS KEY
TO SUBVERSION OF LAOS
Pathet Lao strategy in subverting
Laos relies primarily on winning
over the Buddhist priesthood,
On the basic as-
sumption that "whoever is master of the pagoda is master
of Laos," the first objective is to exploit the Buddhist
clergy's ignorance of political matters so that "they may
appear as friends of peace and fraternity" and become
unwitting propaganda agents. Some Methods
of penetration are gifts to pagodas, repairs to buildings,
and the infiltration of the priesthood by Pathet Lao sym-
pathizers.
Comment
the long-term nature oi Communist plans to sub-
vert Laos and the intent to foster political activities in the
ten "free" provinces.
The Buddhist priests in Ceylon were
instrumental in bringing about the downfall of the conserva-
tive, pro-Western government of Sir John Kotelawala.
5 May 56
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TOP�[511teiT
7.
JAPAN MOVING TOWARD
RECOGNITION OF COMMUNIST CHINA
"A sweeping free world movement toward
recognition of the Chinese Communists,"
has convinced the Japanese gov-
ernment it must make similar gestures
if it does not want to be isolated,
in support of this view proposed extensions
of Sino-Japanese private fishing and trade agreements, prep-
arations for joint action in the field of labor, and a planned
postal agreement.
Comment The Japanese have been highly interested
in French attempts to establish a perma-
nent trade mission in China and the Japanese Foreign Minis-
try is studying a plan to establish a similar mission, to which
the Peiping government is favorably disposed.
5 May 56
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 4 May)
Syria, following the last-minute
discussions with Secretary General Hammarskjold, had initialed
a statement agreeing to an unconditional cease-fire, but with an
addendum to the effect that Syria would observe its obligations
under the UN charter including Article 25 (this refers to the car-
rying out of Security Council decisions) and hoped that Israel
would do the same. Prime Minister Ghazzi told Moose that the
addendum was not a condition to the cease-fire agreement, but
said that Syria had told Hammarskj old it would consider Israeli
resumption of work on the Banat Yacov canal a violation of the
agreement. Hammarskj old said he
had no assurances from Israel in regard to abiding by the Security
Council decision. The secretary general felt, however, that this
was implicit in UN membership, that Israel attached importance
to his views, and he was therefore not worried,
An Israeli military spokesman reportea that -
an Israeli patrol last night clashed with Jordanian infiltrators in
the Gilboa region, about 45 miles north of Jerusalem. The spokes-
man also said that Egyptians stole Israeli crops at Nahal Oz near
the Gaza strip. (Press)
a reconnaisance of the Gaza and Negev areas
disclosed that large armed forces remain bivouacked just north
of the Gaza strip, a heavy movement of troops and equip-
ment from the Gedera area south to Beersheba0
a very large number of military and requisitioned civilian
vehicles were seen, many of them identified as from the motor
vehicle park near Tel Aviv, now virtually empty.
the Israeli press announced on 1 May that the army had "removed
the wraps" from a new quasi-military border settlement in the El
Auja area two kilometers east of the demilitarized zone. The new
settlement, which dominates the Beersheba-El Auja highway, is
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reported to be on a hill facing the demilitarized zone, with
trenches and sandbagged machine-gun emplacements0
this southward movement is probably
a return of units to their normal encampment after previous
withdrawal. Now that Hammarskjold has left the area, these
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