CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/03/18

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03003276
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: March 18, 1955

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. 5 I
NO CHANGE IN CLASS g
0 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE' P" 10
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE: 1k, 80 REVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
4114/07#
1.17
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3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
18 March 1955
Copy No. 88
TOP
TOP SECRET
#4
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SUM:MARY
FAR EAST
1. Comment on condition of Chinese Communist air bases in
Fukien (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Vietnamese defense minister wary of military action against
sects (page 3).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Iranian officials fear Soviet reaction to Iran's participation in
regional defense (page 5).
4. France sees Syrian independence indispensable to Israel (page 6
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Right-wing British Laborites plan new tactics to ensure Beva,n's
expulsion (page 7).
* * * *
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FAR EAST
1. Comment on condition of Chinese Communist air bases in Fukien:
he Chinese Commu-
nists have apparently not yet begun to
renovate the six airfields in the coastal
� area of Southeast China opposite Formosa and the Nationalist-held
offshore islands (see map, p. 4).
All six bases, with the possible exception
of the one at Foochow, are judged unserviceable for air operations.
Runways at the Foochow field, which perhaps could be used, are
not long enough for jets.
Chinese Communist bombers can reach
the Matsus and Quemoys from existing bases outside Fukien
Province, but Peiping would probably want to ready some of the
Fukien fields in order to provid.e close-in jet fighter support prior
to launching major attacks on the islands. Operational air bases
In Fukien are considered essential for major operations against
Formosa.
The Chinese Communists are believed
capable of readying any one of the Fukien area fields for jet opera-
tions in five days' to two weeks' time.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Vietnamese defense minister wary of military action against sects:
The Vietnamese defense minister and
three other cabinet members believe
an attempt to solve the sect problem by
military means would result in a civil
war "which Diem cannot win,"
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Premier
_Diem is more worried abolit the Binh Xuyen- than about the other
sects. The premier asked General Ely to request the return of
two armed corvettes which the French provided the Binh Xuyen
and also asked that Ely supply the Vietnamese army with tanks.
The Vietnamese general staff believes the Binh Xuyen is currently
capable of isolating and controlling Saigon.
Comment: Diem's current tactics against
the sects stress political maneuvers--for the most part the lavish
distribution of bribes--rather than force. By such means, he hopes
to weaken the sects as a whole to the extent that a military solution
would be feasible.
Such subordinate commanders as he has
been able to buy off, however, are likely to stay "bought" only so
long as funds are forthcoming. In the meantime, the Binh Xuyen,
whose armed forces are the most effective, have not been weakened.
Their lucrative holdings appear to be such as to put them beyond any
price Diem could raise.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Iranian officials fear Soviet reaction to Iran's participation in
regional defense:
Iranian government leaders are showing
great concern over Soviet reactions to
indications that Iran is giving favorable
consideration to joining the Turkish-
Iraqi pact, according to the American embassy in Tehran.
Because of this concern, knowledge of
the Shah's proposal for military staff talks among Iran, Iraq,
Turkey, Pakistan, the United States, and Britain as a step toward
joining the pact is being limited to as few Iranian officials as pos-
sible.
romment.
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Recent articles in the Soviet press state
that Iranian participation in a Western regional defense arrange-
ment is "inadmissible" and, according to the American embassy
in Moscow, a tone of "generalized threat" to Iran is developing.
4. France sees Syrian independence indispensable to Israel:
Comment: Although the French have
officially indicated to the United�grates that the maintenance of
Syrian independence is secondary to establishment of an effective
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VII "
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Middle East defense, Paris op-
poses Syrian adherence to any Middle East grouping which might
diminish French influence in this former mandate.
Tel Aviv will view with favor this indi-
cation that Paris now may take the lead in promoting new Western
assurances for Israeli interests.
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Right-wing British Laborites plan new tactics to ensure Bevan's
expulsion:
The narrow majority (141-112) by which
Aneurin Bevan's Labor Party status in
parliament was removed may make it
necessary for the right-wing elements
adoptnew tactics n order to ensure his expulsion from the party,
according to the American embassy in London.
Right-wing leaders, including the former
chancellor of the exchequer and the heads of three of Britain's top
trade unions, are considering "cornering" Bevan before the Na-
tional Executive Committee meets on 23 March. An "abject apology"
Is being prepared which, it is expected, Bevan will refuse to sign.
He could then be expelled without greatly endangering party unity.
According to the embassy, the closeness of
the 16 March vote is explained by Attlee's deliberate failure to make
the issue a test of confidence. He refused to state that the "shadow
cabinet" would resign if its motion were defeated.
Comment: Identification of the right-wing
leaders confirms the impression that trade union leaders are re-
sponsible for the determined effort to purge Bevan. Their determi-
nation contrasts sharply with Attlee's continued vacillation, and may
presage growing criticism of his leadership.
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