CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/06/21

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03153703
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: June 21, 1957

Approved for Release: 2019/12/04 C03153703
' 1
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
21 June 1957
Copy No.
DOCU!-I.ENT
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AUTI-i: BP 70-2
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ENAE.WE R.
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
R E WommerzA
TOP S T
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Aink.
4/NOW/HINNWOMINWII01111111111MMIIIIIPMINIMISIMINFIRMOMIIMPWRIMIIMENAB
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CONTENTS
1. KATAY DEFEATED IN BID FOR LAOTIAN PRIME
MINISTERSHIP (page 3).
2. DEVELOPMENTS IN JORDAN
3. SYRIAN DEVELOPMENTS
(page 4).
(page 5).
4, ISRAELI APPREHENSION OVER KING SAUD'S EMERGENCE
AS ARAB LEADER (page 6)0
5. NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST JOURNAL MAY BE
ANNOUNCED SOON (page 7).
ANNEX�Conclusions of the Watch Report of the Intelligence
Advisory Committee _
(page 8).
21 June 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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15.1
1. KATAY DEFEATED IN BID FOR LAOTIAN
PRIME MINISTERSHIP
Comment on:
Premier-designate Katay was defeated
by one vote in his bid for investiture on
20 June. His proposed government was
based on an alliance of the two leading
Laotian parties--the Nationalist and
Independent--and was committed to a firm policy toward the
Pathet Lao. His defeat signals the opening of a period of
political uncertainty.
Independent Party leader Phoui Sananikone
will probably be designated by the crown prince as the next
cabinet formateur. His prospects for attracting the necessary
additional support to the Independent-Nationalist alliance are
not bright. In the event Phoui fails, there is a good possibility
that Souvanna Phouma will succeed himself as prime minister.
Katars defeat is a victory for the Pathet
Lao who had launched an intimidation and propaganda campaign
to block his efforts. The Pathets can now be expected to press
for the return of Souvanna, probably by holding out the promise
of a quick and easy settlement of the unification issue if he again
assumes the prime ministership.
21 June 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
SELffET
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lit_J _NJ 1.
2. DEVELOPMENTS IN JORDAN
Comment on:
J9rdan9s King Hussain desires to
-de-velop an effective alliance with Iraq,
Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon in order to
isolate Egypt and Syria,
This grouping would be ex-
panded later to co-operate with Libya,
the Sudan and Morocco.
Hussain is pleased by Egypt's recent crit-
icism of King Saud and considers that Nasr
has made a serious error in launching an
all-out propaganda campaign against the
other Arab countries.
Because of the need for additional time to
consolidate its internal control, the Jordanian government has
extended the suspension of the legislature until 25 July. The
government reportedly plans to use the time thus gained to try
to remove 12 members of the 40-man legislature who have en-
gaged in antigovernment activities. The government would then
be able to fill the vacancies with progovernment appointees. It
is not certain, however, that even this maneuver would give the
government sufficient strength to permit the legislature to con-
vene on 25 July to approve the present cabinet. Should the gov-
ernment still not feel confident of its strength, it would be forced
to consider dissolving the legislature and ruling by decree.
Now that a new Iraqi cabinet has been formed,
King Hussain plans to visit Baghdad for two days commencing
22 June to discuss badly needed financial aid. Former Iraqi
premier Nun i had blocked any more than token aid to Jordan,
although it had been favored by King Faisal,
21 June 57 Current Intelligence Bulletin
"fleIr6
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3. SYRIAN DEVELOPMENTS
Comment on:
The departure of President Quwatli
for Switzerland for medical treatment
on or before 25 June will aggravate the
crisis in Syria. The ailing president
is reported to be tired of the power strug-
gle in the country and may be absent for a
prolonged period. According to the Amer-
ican ambassador, Premier Asali has been
quoted as saying that he is the prisoner of
the army and that he hopes he will be forced
to resign. Minister of Defense Khalid al-
Azm would probably be one of those in the
'forefront of any new contest for power. He has co-operated
with pro-Egyptian elements in an effort to better his chances
for higher office. He has recently denounced King Saud as a
tool of American imperialism.
Reports of recent arrests of a "foreign
spy ring" and plans to arrest members of the opposition cre-
ate additional tension which may promote sudden action by left-
ist and ultranationalist army elements or by the smaller con-
servative faction in the army with possible backing from
sympathetic Arab neighbors.
21 June 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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111.10���
4. ISRAELI APPREHENSION OVER KING SAUD'S
EMERGENCE AS ARAB LEADER
Comment on:
Israeli officials and press have shown
increasing concern over the enhanced
prestige of King Saud. Foreign Minis-
ter Meir has expressed the government's
"serious concern" over the emphasis
Saud is placing on the "Moslem nature"
of his leadership which is "contributing
to a heightening of Arab-Israeli tensions."
Mrs. Meir fears that if this continues
Saud could prove more dangerous to Israel
in the long run than Nasr.
Concurrently, the Israeli press and radio
have observed that while Egypt's growing strength presents a
military threat, the recent independent action of the relatively
pro-Western Arabs, particularly King Saud, "foretells a dif-
ficult political struggle for Israel," and might be at the expense
of Western support of Israel. The inter-Arab rivalry is viewed
in Israel as a menace, since each bloc in the divided Arab world
"will attempt to prove itself as the leading protagonist of hatred
and war against Israel." Israeli fears over Saudi-American
friendship were recently voiced by a Jerusalem commentator
who, in discussing the Aqaba Gulf problem, noted that "the in-
fluence of the Saudis on the rulers of the United States is not at
all negligible."
21 June 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
SE
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1. 1'j1
,1111110,
5. NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST JOURNAL MAY
BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Reference:
thd American embassy in' Prague be-
lieves that the founding of a new inter-
national Communist ideological journal
may be announced when Ithrushchev visits
Prague, reportedly on 2 July. Moscow has reportedly long
been considering resuming publication of such a journal--per-
haps to be printed in Prague, but a number of other Communist
Parties, including the Italian, Polish and Chinese, are believed
to fear such action might facilitate an attempt by the USSR to
impose doctrinal conformity.
The embassy notes that the 15 June ideolog-
ical resolution of the Czech Communist Party central committee
proposed the establishment of a new theoretical and political
journal of the Cominform type; this may indicate a firm Soviet
intention to launch such a journal. The resolution did not specify
what organization might sponsor it. The Czechs have, however,
advocated a revival of international Communist party conferences,
indicating that they may contemplate sponsorship by such meet-
ings, rather than by a formal organization of the Cominform type.
21 June 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
CONE S IAL
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IX.rd /
ANNEX
Watch Report 359, 20 June 1957
of the
Intelligence Advisory Committee
Conclusions on Indications of Hostilities
On the basis of findings by its Watch Committee, the
Intelligence Advisory Committee concludes that:
A. No Sino-Soviet bloc country intends to initiate hostili-
ties against the continental US or its possessions in the
immediate future.
B. No Sino-Soviet bloc country intends to initiate hostili-
ties against US forces abroad, US allies or areas periph-
eral to the Orbit in the immediate future.
C. Early deliberate initiation of hostilities by Israel or the
Arab states is not probable. Although tensions continue
between the Arab states and Israel and among certain
Arab states themselves, these are not likely to lead to
serious conflict in the immediate future.
21 June 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
TOIErECIET
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