CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/03/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03150414
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: March 26, 1957

Approved for Release: 2019/12/04
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
/ BULLETIN
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26 March 1957
Copy No. 131
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REVIEWER.
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
HAMMARSKJOLD-NASR TALKS
) 2. THE SYRIAN SITUATION
(page 3).
(page 4).
P30 CZECH SPECIALISTS AND MATERIEL ARRIVING IN
EGYPT (page 5).
0 \114. SITUATION IN INDONESIA (page 6).
5.. SUHRAWARDY READY TO BREAK WITH EAST PAKISTANI
LEADER (page 7).
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Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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1. HAMMARSKJOLD-NASR TALKS
Comment on:
UN Secretary General Hammarskjold
has reported that his discussions with
Egyptian president Nasr and foreign
minister Fawzi have been arduous. After
an eight-hour session with Nasr on 23
March, Hammarskjold told Ambassador
Hare that he had found the Egyptians
"strongly entrenched and difficult to
move" when it came to substantive dis-
cussion of the Suez Canal problem. The
secretary general said, however, that
the Egyptians did appear willing to re-
ceive considerably less in direct revenue than had the old
Suez Canal Company and were willing to set aside, possibly
in a Swiss bank, a definite proportion of toll payments for
development and compensation.
Regarding Egypt% relations with Israel,
Nasr was "visibly shaken" when the secretary general on
21 March presented the Israeli demand for a "yes or no"
answer to the question of whether Egypt regarded itself as
a belligerent. On the Gull of Aqaba issue, a UN adviser ac-
companying Hammarskjold believes the only way out is to
have the UN General Assembly ask for an advisory opinion
by the International Court of Justice.
Press reports from New York that Ham-
marskjold now intends to return there by this week end with-
out visiting Israel probably stem from the extremely cold at-
titude the Israelis continue to display toward him. Foreign
Minister Meir stated on 22 March that the secretary general
was not likely to come to Israel "as he will have nothing worth
while to bring."
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Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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2. THE SYRIAN SITUATION
Reference:
According to the US military attache
in Damascus, the leftist forces of
Syrian army intelligence chief Colonel
Sarraj and the Baath (Arab Socialist
Resurrection Party) appear to have won
"at least a temporary though not decisive victory." This
group was supported by Minister of Defense Azm, the
Communists, and the Egyptian embassy. One of the de-
cisive factors was the inability of the conservative senior
officer group in Damascus to resolve its difficulties with
the Nufuri officer group. With the army split three ways,
sufficient pressure could not be brought to oust Sarraj.
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Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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I WE- JEJLIN.E. I
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3. CZECH SPECIALISTS AND MATERIEL ARRIVING
IN EGYPT
Comment on:
Apparently in accordance with an
Egyptian decision in December to rely
principally on Czech personnel for mil-
itary training and maintenance programs,
14 Czech experts, accompanied by a
-ton load of Czech military equipment, including 11 work-
shops and tank spare parts, were scheduled to arrive in
Alexandria on 23 March on a Soviet ship.
Czech experts were also scheduled to
make a survey in February to determine the extent of Egypt's
military requirements following the November hostilities.
While small arms, ammunition and mil-
itary vehicles have been regularly delivered since December,
no major arms deliveries to Egypt since last October have
been confirmed.
26 Mar 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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4, SITUATION IN INDONESIA
Comment on:
Indonesian president Sukarno's instruc-
tions to cabinet formateur Suwirjo on
25 March to form a cabinet of experts
without regard for party affiliation is
apparently an effort to side-step Moslem
demands for representation which for
ten days have stalled efforts to form a
government. Such a "business" cabinet,
if formed,would still be responsive to
parliament.
Suwirjo's attempt to form a government
failed when the Nandlatul Ulama (NU) insisted that the cabi-
net include the Masjumi party and exclude the Communists--
a composition which Sukarno himself opposed as the result
of Communist pressure.
Following the Communists' announcement
that they would call out SOBSI, Indonesia's largest labor fed-
eration, in a general strike if the Masjumi is included in the
cabinet and the Communists are barred, army headquarters
and the territorial commanders reportedly have agreed to
ssly" with Communist strikers if unrest develops.
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Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
SECRET
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3. SUHRAWARDY READY TO BREAK WITH EAST
PAKISTANI LEADER
Comment on:
Pakistan's Prime Minister Suhrawardy
has apparently decided to capitalize on
the opportunity presented by the resig-
nation of Maulana Bhashani, as presi-
dent of the East Pakistani branch of
Suhrawardy's Awami League, to break openly with the power-
ful Bengali leader. The prime minister's attempt to consol-
idate his leadership of the party in the eastern province and
cleanse it of dissident leftist elements will have wide reper-
cussions in both East and West Pakistan, probably resulting
in a realignment of left-wing forces outside the Awami League
under Bhashani's leadership.
Suhrawardy regards the resignation as an attempt by Bhasham
to stimulate an irresistible demand that he continue in office,
thereby strengthening his influence over the Awami League
in East Pakistan. While some league leaders fear facing the
future without Bhashani's potent demagoguery to bolster them,
others are pressing the prime minister to make use of the
proffered resignation to prevent Bhashani from forming rival
Awami League organizations in both provinces.
Suhrawardy reportedly planned to urge his
followers at party meetings in Dacca on 25-26 March to ac-
cept the resignation. Suhrawardy also plans to address Dacca
University students and the general public, who have given
fervent support to Bhashani during the past, in an effort to
demonstrate conclusively his break with the religious leader
and promote a strong opinion against him. Serious disturb-
ances could easily result from these open meetings.
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Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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CORRECTION TO ITEM 5, PAGE 7, OF CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DATED 24 MARCH 1957
The first sentence of the second para-
graph should read: "In recent exploratory talks,the oilmen
agreed that the proposed system should consist of two pipe-
lines, both using 34- and 36-inch pipe and having a combined
capacity of 1,200,000 barrels a day, the first line to be com-
pleted by 1960; that it should ultimately transport petroleum
from Iraq, Kuwait, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and that it should
be protected by treaty."
26 Mar 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
CONFIDENTIAL
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