CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/11/24

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03019093
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: November 24, 1955

Approved for Release:
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24 November 1955
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
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Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. CHIANG NOTES CHANGE IN THAI AND PHILIPPINE
ATTITUDE TOWARD TAIPEI (page 3).
2. USSR REPORTEDLY TO MAKE "SPECTACULAR" MOVES
TOWARD GREECE (page 4).
3. KING SAUD DENIES CONCLUDING ARMS DEAL WITH
SOVIET BLOC (page 5).
4. MEETING OF BAGHDAD PACT NATIONS (page 6).
5. BRITAIN UNWILLING TO EXPAND ARMS AID TO JORDAN
(page 7).
6. CONTINUED UNREST IN MOROCCO PROBABLE (page 8).
7. TENSION WITHIN BRAZILIAN MILITARY INCREASES
(page 9).
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 10)
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1.. CHIANG NOTES CHANGE IN THAI AND PHILIPPINE
ATTITUDE TOWARD TAI:PEI
n conversation with the American am-
assador in Taipei on 22 November,
Chiang Kai-shek observed that during
recent months there had been a distinct
cooling toward Nationalist China on the part of the Philippine
and Thai governments.
Chiang remarked that continuation of the
Johnson-Wang talks in Geneva was strengthening the im-
pression that the United States was moving toward recog-
nition of Communist China. During the visit to Manila of
the Chinese Nationalist foreign minister in early November,
Philippine officials had expressed the opinion that American
recognition of Peiping was "only a matter of time."
The foreign minister also attached sig-
nificance to the recent personnel shift which leaves Thailand
represented in Taipei merely by a second secretary.
Comment There have been a number of recent re-
ports from Bangkok indicating that some
Thai officials, including the premier, are considering a
modification of Thailand's "tough" policy toward Communist
China.
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2. USSR REPORTEDLY TO MAKE "SPECTACULAR" MOVES
TOWARD GREECE
the Greek government has "in-
creasing evidence" the USSR is prepar-
ing to make "spectacular gestures" toward Greece,
These moves will be timed
to bolster the leftist vote in the February election.
he Soviet ambassador intended
to announce publicly "within a few days" that the USSR
would support Greek irredentist claims and guarantee
Greek borders in return for Greek neutrality.
Comment Greece, as a member of both the Balkan
pact and NATO, has for some time been
regarded by Moscow as a promising field for encouraging
neutralist influences.
Among the moves the USSR might make
is a new statement of full Soviet support for Greek am-
bitions regarding Cyprus--possibly including a suggestion
that the Cyprus issue be brought up in the 'UN Security
Council. The USSR might also offer to intercede with
Bulgaria to settle its $40,000,000 reparations bill to Greece.
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3. KING SAUD DENIES CONCLUDING ARMS DEAL WITH
SOVIET BLOC
King Saud of Saudi Arabia has asserted
that he has not concluded a deal for arms
from the Soviet bloc. The king implied
that reports to the contrary are inspired by the British,
presumably in the hope that doubts about Saud's intentions
would lead the United States to refuse to sell him arms.
Comment
Although Saudi money is almost certainly
available to Egypt and Syria for their
arms negotiations with the Soviet bloc, Saud may prefer to
stay on good terms with the United States at this time. Saudi
thinking is reflected
advising him to
avoid a meeting with Soviet leaders while he is visiting
India since such a meeting might be exploited by the British
to "alienate us from the Americans." The Saudis have ur-
gently sought American support since British-led forces
occupied the Buraimi area on 26 October.
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4. MEETING OF BAGHDAD PACT NATIONS
organizational meeting of the
ghdad pact nations--Pakistan,
Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Britain--
on 21 and 22 November established
permanent political, economic and
military committees.
At the Baghdad meeting Turkey urged
the establishment of a permanent
planning staff as a first step toward a unified military
command but was outvoted on the grounds that such a
step was premature. An ad hoc military committee has
been set up to make preliminary studies of the military
situation in the Middle East.
All the participating countries showed
a desire to produce an effective area defense organization.
However, continuing encouragement and support from the
Western powers will be necessary to ensure the effective-
ness of the new organization. Iraq, politically the weak-
est country in the pact, will be under continuing pressure
from the Arab states to abandon the alliance. Unless
the pact shows strength from the outset, Iraq will probably
not be able to resist such pressure and may give in to
Egyptian influence.
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5. BRITAIN UNWILLING TO EXPAND ARMS AID TO JORDAN
ritam will inform Amman that it can-
not agree to arm additional Jordanian
divisions in return for Jordan's ad-
herence to the Baghdad pact, accord-
ing to the American embassy in London. The Foreign
Office emphasized that the recent gift of ten Vampire
planes was not made as an inducement to join the pact.
Britain will renew its offer to revise
the Anglo-Jordanian treaty if Jordan joins the pact and will
assure Jordan that other pact members would then be in-
terested in seeing Jordan's legitimate military needs ful-
filled.
Comment Jordan had requested arms for at least
one infantry division and one armored
division. London probably believes that Jordanian adher-
ence to the pact, although desirable, does not warrant such
an expensive inducement at this time.
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6. CONTINUED UNREST IN MOROCCO PROBABLE
no/
The American consul general in Rabat
reports that propaganda leaflets have
been distributed in Morocco by resist-
ance groups acting under orders of the Liberation Army
of Arab North Africa.
The leaflets assert that the return of
Sultan ben Youssef is not a final victory, which can come
only when France proclaims the independence of Morocco.
Comment Terrorism can be expected to continue
and may expand
who agreed to continue North African resistance. The
Arab League agreed to spend $287,000
for these activities.
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7. TENSION WITHIN MILITARY INCREASES
he arrest of General Azambuja
rilhante by forces backing War
Minister Lott and their temporary
detention of General Juarez Tavora,
he army's candidate in the 3 Octo-
r election, have increased tension
in the Brazilian War Ministry. The
refusal of the Lott forces to allow
Caf�ilho to resume the presidency
is unquestionably less palatable, in
the armed forces than the 10 November "preventive
coup," according to the American army attach�n Rio
de Janeiro.
Comment
there was
no indication of plans for military action by forces op-
posed to Lott. Nevertheless, the administration's re-
course to a state of siege to prevent Caf�ilho from ap-
pealing to the Supreme Court has enhanced the moral and
legal position of the anti-Kubitschek forces, and they can
be expected to reassess their strength in the hope that a
sbizure of power may be possible.
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Now
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 24 November)
Reports from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in-
dicate that Israel may be preparing for retaliatory attacks
against Egyptian-operated terrorist bases. On 21 November
Israel issued strong statements listing incidents which have
occurred in Israel over the past month and laying the principal
responsibility for them on Egypt. The statements charged
Egypt with "open hostility." (Press)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry informed
American officials in Tel Aviv that these statements should
be interpreted as a warning to Egypt that unless the activities
of marauders stopped, Israel would find it necessary to take
action. The embassy comments that Israel, in line with its
previous actions, is probably establishing the rationale for re-
taliation.
According to 24 November press reports,
Israel has ordered its United Nations delegation to protest to
the Security Council in order to bring to its attention the "un-
broken chain of attacks on Israel by Egypt." (Press)
General Burns has informed American of-
ficials that the
Egyptian military attache in Amman is directing the Jordan--
based terrorist operations in Israel. Israel has long contended
that Egyptian attaches in the surrounding Arab states were
directing terrorist activity against Israel. Burns added that
Jordanian officials were at a loss as to how to handle the situ-
ation, as they were afraid to oppose Egypt or to interfere with
the "patriotic efforts of the Palestinians."
A further indication of Moscow's continued
interest in Middle East affairs was a press report from Cairo
that Soviet ambassador to Egypt Solod visited Arab League head-,
quarters for the first time on 23 November. Solod reportedly
discussed the general international situation and inquired about
the Arab attitude toward British prime minister Eden's proposals
for a Palestine settlement and the Buraimi dispute between Saudi
Arabia and Britain. (Press)
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The Soviet Union is offering to have
Skoda of Czechoslovakia build an arms factory or factories
in Egypt when "the Egyptian steel plant" is ready for oper-
ation,
Egypt began construction at Helwan near Cairo in late 1954
of a large installation comprising a steelworks, foundry and
rolling mill. A nonferrous metal works is already in oper-
ation there and a factory for producing artillery shell and
cartridge casings is nearing completion.
Czechoslovakia had agreed to construct a "jet air-
craft factory" in Egypt. The British de Havilland firm built
an aircraft assembly plant at Helwan in 1952, but the plant
never produced any jet planes. Czechoslovakia might under-
take partial re-equipment of this plant and assign technicians
there to assist in the assembly and major maintenance of MIG
aircraft.
Czechoslovakia had offered
a "factory" for making the casings of mortar shells and air-
craft bombs.
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