CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/01/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03015185
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: January 26, 1957

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TOP SECRET
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
CO3015185
26 January 1957
Copy No. 131
/
DOCUMENT NO
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS 024)12.5
NEXT REVIEW DAT P �
ADLAITTild41,7)
REVIEWER: _
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
NASR REPORTED TO HAVE ORDERED A SLOWDOWN ON
CANAL CLEARANCE (page 3).
2. NEW SAUDI ARABIAN POLICY ON OIL CONCESSIONS
UNDER CONSIDERATION
(page 4).
3, SAUDI ARABIA AND PAKISTAN EXPAND RELATIONS
(page 5).
4. PAKISTAN OBTAINS FAVORABLE KASHMIR VOTE IN
SECURITY COUNCIL (page 6).
5. WAFDIST-MILITARY COUP AGAINST NASR REPORTED
PLANNED (page 7).
6. NEW JET LIGHT BOMBERS POSSIBLY BEING INTRO-
DUCED INTO SOVIET UNITS
(page 8).
7. rIGifERM CAMPAIGN OF TERROR SEEN IN HUNGARY
(page 9).
8. INDIAN CONGRESS PARTY IN ELECTION DIFFICULTIES
(page 10).
26 Jan 57
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1. NASR REPORTED TO HAVE ORDERED A SLOWDOWN
ON CANAL CLEARANCE
The Egyptian canal authorities were or-
deredby President Nasr on 22 January to
slow down clearance of the canal,
The slow-
down reportedly is to De accomplished by administrative and
technical delays.
Comment There have as yet been no reports of any
Egyptian attempt to carry out this order.
Nasr reportedly stated on 19 January he
would halt clearance operations if Israel refused to withdraw
from Gaza and the Gulf of Aqaba. Prime Minister Ben-Gurion
reiterated on 23 January that Israel would not withdraw with-
out guarantees.
estimated in mid-January that the
canal would be open to medium-draft ships of about 10,000 tons
in late February or early March. A channel permitting ships
of 35-foot draft was expected to be cleared in April.
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2. NEW SAUDI ARABIAN POLICY ON OIL CONCESSIONS
UNDER CONSIDERATION
The Saudi Arabian government is con-
sidering adopting a new policy on devel-
nnmPnt nf its nil resnurrp.s
additional concession areas would be opened
up and that non-American interests would be involved.
Saudi Arabia had
made a "huge mistake" originally to deal solely with the
"big syndicates;' because it had now "lost control of its
crude output and was caught in an inflexible operation!' The
only lands which Saudi Arabia could offer for new conces-
sions at present were too far inland and appeared to have
too little potential yield to be operated without great exnense.
Saudi Arabia desired its
own fleet of oil tankers, which could be built at the lowest
cost in Japan. Tariqi believed that since Japan is a poten-
tially important customer for oil, it might be interested in
an agreement on petroleum development.
Comment
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3, SAUDI ARABIA AND PAKISTAN EXPAND RELATIONS
Comment on:
me aesire oi potn baucti Amnia ana
Pakistan to expand their relations is
reflected in King Saud's decision
to send a Saudi Arabian eco-
nomic mission to Pakistan.
The purpose of the mission is to in-
crease trade relations and investigate
the availability of Pakistani technicians and teachers to
come to Saudi Arabia,
Pakistani engineers are already en-
gaged in minerals exploration in Saudi Arabia, and that Jidda
has been attempting to obtain Pakistani pilots and mechanics
for the Saudi air force.
Pakistani prime minister Suhrawardy de-
sires to win Saud away from close association with Egypt
and Syria and eventually to get his approval of the Baghdad
pact. Pakistani president Mirza visited Jidda in November
1956 and soothed Saud's annoyance over Pakistani press
criticism of Saudi Arabia's warm welcome for Indian prime
minister Nehru. Mirza also offered to supply Pakistani mil-
itary advisers to Saud.
The king may believe that the presence of
Pakistani technicians and teachers in Saudi Arabia would heln
balance Egyptian influence.
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4, PAKISTAN OBTAINS FAVORABLE KASHMIR VOTE IN
SECURITY COUNCIL
Comment on:
The 10-0 vote (USSR abstaining) on
Kashmir which Pakistan obtained in
the UN Security Council on 24 Janu-
ary will encourage both its govern-
ment and people and greatly lessen the possibility of serious
popular demonstrations or outbreaks on 26 January. Prime
Minister Suhrawardy can point to the speed with which the
resolution was passed and the heavily favorable vote both on
the plebiscite principle and on the invalidity of the actions of
the Kashmir Constituent Assembly as evidences of Pakistani
diplomatic success.
The next move is for the Security Coun-
cil to take up Pakistan's proposals for a UN force in Kashmir,
probably late next week. With council members heavily sup-
porting Pakistan on 24 January and likely to do so again, the
UN force issue may be headed for a Soviet veto. Such a veto
would enable Suhrawardy to support his pro-Western foreign
policy by contrasting the USSR's friendly words with its hos-
tile actions toward Pakistan. Since India strongly opposed
the UN resolution, a veto would also enable Suhrawardy to
link India directly with the USSR.
With these four talking points at his
command, Suhrawardy will be under less pressure than be-
fore to achieve a quick solution of the Kashmir problem.
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5. WAFDIST-MILITARY COUP AGAINST NASR
REPORTED MANNED
Wafdist party politicians and Egyptian
army officers are planning a coup
against the Nasr government,
The coup
is to be activated on signal from military leaders between
27 January and 15 February. the new gov-
ernment would sever relations with the Soviet bloc, appeal
to the United States for help, and apply for Egyptian admis-
sion to NATO and the Baghdad pact.
The plotters are alleged to have a mili-
tary organization capable of seizing control of Cairo, Alex-
andria and Asuyt. Plans are being made to buy off police,
and railroad workers are scheduled to sabotage rail lines.
The Wafd organizations in the provinces are to seize local
governments.
Comment Reports of opposition elements plotting
against the Nasr regime have sharply In-
creased over the past month. These elements are not be-
lieved presently capable of effecting a successful coup against
Nasr. Their capabilities have been further curtailed in the
past two months by the purge of the army, and arrests and
surveillance of potential civilian political leaders.
The Wafd was the dominant political party
in Egypt under the pre-Nasr monarchy and was well organ-
ized down to the village level. Nasr banned all political par-
ties, however, and the Wafd has been sharply repressed. The
Wafd might, however, still furnish political direction in any
attempted coup.
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6. NEW JET LIGHT BOMBERS POSSIBLY BEING
INTRODUCED INTO SOVIET UNITS
Comment on:
On 14 January a flight of two unidentified
high-performance aircraft was noted over
the Caucasus and Ftaku air defense districts.
characteristics of this
/light suggest that these were jet light bomb-
ers being delivered to tactical air army units.
The same characteristics were noted once
before in the flight on 28 December 1956 of
two high-performance aircraft to Stanislav,
an IL-28 base in the Ukraine.
Both these flights demonstrated sustained
speeds of 450 to 465 knots which are in excess of those normally
associated
with BEA-
GLE (IL-
28) jet
light bomb-
ers.
The
planes may
be BLOW-
LAMPS, four
of which are
among
m- ()re air le on e Kerch Penin-
sula on 25 November 1956. The above flights and the earlier ob-
servation tend to confirm that new jet light bombers are being de-
livered to tactical air army units in the western USSR.
The BLOWLAMP is a new swept-wing, twin
jet light bomber of exceptionally clean design which was first ob-
served when a single prototype appeared in the eighth rehearsal
for the Moscow air show on 14 June 1956. It was described by the
USSR as being capable of supersonic flight.
26 Jan 57
a e o supersonic speed in level flight.
Current Intelligence Bulletin
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aft is
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V ac,l-raE, I
7. LONG-TERM CAMPAIGN OF TERROR SEEN IN HUNGARY
Hungarian premier Kadar is merely a
figurehead fronting for the director of
the current wave of terror, security chief
" Ferenc Muermich.
The campaign
of terror, will be long term,
despite some popular belief to the contrary, and may eventually
lead to general public apathy and a psychological letdown that
will last for years.
There is considerable talk in Budapest of
�a general strike on 15 March--a national holiday. The strike
could lead to armed rebellion.
a rise in the flow
of Hungarian refugees into Austria and Yugoslavia is expected
when the weather improves, and notes that border security forc-
es are poor in quality and that travel toward the frontier is
still possible.
Comment Premier Kadar may exercise little control
over other top regime figures--such as
Muennich�who may ba,roceiving orders directly from Soviet
officials.
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8, INDIAN CONGRESS PARTY IN ELECTION DIFFICULTIES
Comment on:
Prime Minister Nehru's Congress
Party has apparently overestimated
its organizational capabilities, has
fallen behind its tight election sched-
ule, and seems certain to be only
about half prepared for the beginning
of the three-week national polling
period on 24 February.
Except in the troubled states of West
Bengal, Orissa and Kerala, the Congress Party planned a
short campaign of about two months' duration. Personal
rivalries within the party, however, seriously hampered
the choice of candidates. With only a month left for cam-
paigning, Congress has not yet completed its slate, and has
been forced to obtain a 10-day postponement of the last day
for filing nominations.
Official m.arittrtes of executive committee
meetings in mid-November show that party district organi-
zations were still not in close contact with the people, and the
party presumably will reach fewer voters than it originally in-
tended. The momentum of past party achievements will there-
fore probably play a large part in carrying the Congress Party
through the elections, which are being fought by an increas-
ingly united opposition.
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enNrarnENTIA L
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