CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/01/02

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03020475
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: January 2, 1956

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,
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
2 January 1956
Copy No.
103
DOCUMENT NO
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. 51
DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE. .2...0/
AUTH: HR 70-2 (.1
DATE: ...T.i.t0iitiVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. PEIPING PROPAGANDA TAKES HARDER LINE ON
IMPRISONED AMERICANS (page 3).
2. USSR MAY SPONSOR MOVE TO EXPEL ISRAEL FROM
THE UN (page 4).
3. NEHRU SEEKS TO CONVINCE UNITED STATES OF
INDIA'S GOODWILL (page 5).
4. JAPAN PLANS ACTIVE ROLE IN ASIAN ATOMIC
ENERGY DEVELOPMEN11 (page 6).
2 Jan 56
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 7)
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1. PEIPING PROPAGANDA TAKES HARDER LINE ON
IMPRISONED AMERICANS
Peiping propaganda has adopted a new
and aggressive tone in commenting on
the 10 September agreement with the
United States for the repatriation of
nationals. The new tone suggests that
the Chinese Communists remain deter-
mined to hold most of the imprisoned
Americans, although individual Ameri-
cans may e released from time to time in accordance with
previous practice. The British charg�t Peiping believes
that the Communists are determined to exploit the prison-
ers' ransom value in the current negotiations with the
United States at Geneva.
Radio Peiping on 31 December tried to
document charges that the US was violating the agreement.
Previously the Chinese had maintained a defensive position
explaining that imprisoned Americans would be released
"one by one after a judicial review of their cases."
The 31 December broadcast carried
letters from five families of Chinese in the US. The let-
ters named those allegedly detained and in some cases re-
quested the assistance of the Peiping regime in effecting
their expeditious release. The broadcast added that the US
was obstructing the return of "thousands of Chinese students."
2 Jan 56
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CONFIDENTIAL
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2. USSR MAY SPONSOR MOVE TO EXPEL ISRAEL FROM
THE UN
Comment
According to a member of the United
Nations Secretariat, the Soviet Union
plans to introduce into the Security
Council a Syrian resolution calling for
the expulsion of Israel from the United
Nations.
The Soviet delegation may make a pro
forma move to oust Israel. Soviet-Israeli
relations have become increasingly strained since last spring
when the Soviet Union began to exhibit its partiality for the
Arabs more openly. Relations have deteriorated further as
a result of Party Secretary Khrushchevis statement to the
Supreme Soviet on 29 December that Israel, "ever since it
came into being has been threatening its neighbors and pur-
suing a policy hostile to them." Foreign Minister Sharett is
reported to have called Soviet ambassador Abramov to the
Israeli Foreign Office on 30 December to protest Khrushchev's
statement.
2 Jan 56
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3. NEHRU SEEKS TO CONVINCE UNITED STATES OF
INDIA'S GOODWILL
Prime Minister Nehru has instructed
Indian UN representative Krishnaswamy
to give a series of lectures in the United
States during January emphasizing that
the Bulganin-Khrushchev visit has not
altered India's non-alignment policy. Krishnaswamy told the
American consul general in Madras he is also to state that
the Indian government does not wish to embarrass the United
States on the question of Portuguese-Indian relations, and
that India does not believe in unilateral nuclear disarmament.
by the United States.
The Indian representative also commented
that Nehru knows he will probably have to approach Washing-
ton for aid in completing India's Second Five Year Plan. He
stated Nehru feels the US is already aware of India's problems,
and that he hopes it will take the initiative. Nehru wants to
avoid American congressional debate on aid to India during an
election year.
� Comment �Nehru and the Indian government have
already given tangible evidence of new
willingness to be moderate in their relations with the United
States.
2 Jan 56
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4. JAPAN PLANS ACTIVE ROLE IN ASIAN ATOMIC
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
A representative of Japan's Atomic
Energy Commission has stated that
Japan desires to convene a confer-
ence of Asian nations to convince them
of e need for a rapid development of atomic power with
American assistance. He saw Japan's role as supplying
equipment and technical assistance and hoped that this would
help it to recapture its position of leadership in Asia.
Comment The emphasis on Asian co-operation
may stem from the recent American
decision to locate the A.sian Atomic Research Center in
the Philippines, which Japanese leaders fear will impair
Japan's prestige as Asia's leader in the scientific field.
They have indicated that Japan plans to bring its capabil-
ities in this field to bear on the development of industrial
uses of atomic energy during the next five years, while the
other Asian nations are still undergoing training at Manila.
The marked change in Japan's previously
hypersensitive attitude towards nuclear matters is indicated
by the ease with which the basic atomic energy bills and the
US-Japan bilateral agreement were passed with Socialist
support during the recent Diet session. (Concurred in by
OSI)
2 Jan 56
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 2 January)
�
. BEEIRFIEBA
EL A UJ ATs>
� C.7
EGYPT
N ALAKUtilTILLAH
EILA:r
�Aqaba
S I
2 JANUARY 1956
Aqaba
Syrian intelligence reported to Egypt that the Israelis would
attack these islands sometime between the middle and the end
of January and would begin the operation by attempting to send
an Israeli ship probably from Eritrea to the Israeli port of
Eilat. Israel, has four torpedo boats
at Eilat and is expected to increase the number to six. The
American military attach�reviously reported that the
Israelis had hauled three motor torpedo boats overland to
Eilat.
SAUDI
ARABIA
601,02
No significant military activity
has been reported. Israeli
army spokesmen on 1 January
reported minor clashes with
Egyptian troops in the Gaza
strip and in the El Auja demil-
itarized zone. Israel also an-
nounced that two public works
officials were killed and another
one injured when an Arab "sui-
cide" squad ambushed a road
repair vehicle on the Beersheba-
Eilat highway on 31 December.
According to information reach-
ing the American army attach�
in Tel Aviv, the trail of the squad
led to the Jordan frontier.
further details on an anticipated
Israeli attack on the islands of
Tiran and Sanafir in the Gulf of
There have been repeated indi-
cations that Israel is determined to use force, if necessary,
to obtain free transit in the Gulf of Aqaba. While some previous
2 Jan 56
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analyses in the Israeli press
of the Israeli-Egyptian situation suggest that January may be
a decisive month in the Middle East, firm evidence on Israeli
intentions to engage in major military activity is still lacking.
In anticipation of an Israeli attack,Egyptian
forces in Sinai presumably will not only be kept on the alert
but probably will be reinforced.
a national guard com-
pany was to be moved from Cairo to El Kuntillah, about 35
miles northwest of Eilat, Oil the frontier, and that 4,000 hand
grenades were to be sent immediately to the Aqaba sector,
On 29 December the Aqaba port asked that its previous re-
quest for "arms and ammunition" be treated as "most urgent"
and that they be forwarded on the "7 January ship"
The American air attach�n Cairo reported
Considerable air activity over the city on 28 December, proba-
bly as part of the reception for Marshal Tito's current visit to
Egypt. Vampires, Meteors as well as FAGOTS (MIG-15)
took part in the air display. This was the first time that the
new Soviet bloc equipment had been openly observed in Egypt,
according to the American army attach�
The American consul general in Jerusglem
reported on 29 December that UN truce officials believe the UN
peace proposals for the El .Auja demilitarized zone no longer
serve a useful purpose in view of the deterioration of the Arab-
Israeli situation since 11 December when the Israeli attack on
Lake Tiberias occurred. General Burns reportedly feels there
is little hope for success in obtaining Egyptian or Israeli agree-
ment to these proposals. UN officials, in reviewing the situa-
tion, feel that recent Israeli press reports may constitute prop-
aganda Justification for some new Israeli "activist" venture.
2 Jan 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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