CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/06/29

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03153707
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: June 29, 1957

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CURRENT .g cc.H.AENNGTE IN NO..4
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INTELLIGENCE
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY /
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29 June 1957
Copy No.
134
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
TOP SECRET
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CONTENTS
61. THE TAIWAN STRAIT
(page 3).
SAUD INCREASING INTERNAL PRECAUTIONS
) (page 4).
fit) 3. TURKEY HOSTILE TO SPAAK MEDIATION ON CYPRUS ISSUE
;page 6).
6 64. 7/7 IN LAOS SUPPORTING PRINCE PETSARATH
page 7).
64
5. SITUATION IN INDONESIA
(page 8),
04'6. EAST GERMANS VIEW TALKS WITH POLES AS FAILURE
(page 9).
29 June 57
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1. THE TAIWAN STRAIT
Comment on:
Tatan and Erhtan, two small islands in
the Quemoy group, were shelled by Com-
munist batteries on 28 June for the third
straight day, according to press accounts
from Taipei. The islands are used by the Nationalists as ob-
servation points and as bases for mortar fire against vessels
entering Amoy harbor. Nationalist spokesmen, in briefing
the press, have described the situation as "very tense," al-
though there has been no report from any other sources indi-
cating that an attempt to seize the islands is imminent. The
Chinese Communists may have stepped up artillery fire against
Tatan and Erhtan in order to silence Nationalist mortars there,
which have been harassing ships entering Amoy harbor.
The total force on both Tatan and Erhtan is
only about 1,100 then.
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2. KING SAUD INCREASING INTERNAL PRECAUTIONS
Comment on:
King Saud has instituted wide-
spread security precautions and initiated
key personnel changes to strengthen his
personal position.
Movement of Syrian and Palestinian Arabs
in Saudi Arabia is now subject to extraord-
inary restriction. The security precautions
are all the more necessary because of the
entry of thousands of foreign Arabs into the
kingdom during the month of the annual pil-
grimage to Mecca, which has now begun.
Syrian and Palestinian visa applicants are
being carefully screened, Syrian pilgrims
without visas are being turned back at the
Saudi border, and no Saudi visas are being
issued in Damascus to truck drivers want-
ing to drive to Saudi Arabia.
a group of Palestinian commandos, who lett Syria on me pa-
grimage on 23 June, planned to assassinate King Saud. Saudi
police are carefully screening the records of all Palestinian
employees of the Saudi railroad.
Special precautions have also been taken
along the Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline) which carries Saudi
oil to the Mediterranean. On 19 June the governor of the north-
ern frontier ordered a sunset-to-sunrise curfew at the three
northern pumping stations, and instituted search of all automo-
biles at the gates of the compounds. Earlier the Saudi finance
minister expressed concern that Syrians might sabotage Tapline
because of deteriorating relations with Saud.
Meanwhile, further indication that King Saud
has had difficulties with his brother, Crown Prince Faisal, and
desires to strengthen his personal position was carried in a Mecca
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radio report on 25 June. According to the report, the king
has replaced the crown prince's son, Prince Abdulla Faisal,
as commander of the "white army" (tribal militia) with one
of his own sons. Abdulla Faisal, who is also minister of
interior, reportedly believes that he may soon lose that posi-
tion as well to one of the king's sons. Abdulla Faisal's re-
moval as interior minister, however, could provoke increased
4pp9ition to the king from supporters of the crown prince.
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lamer
3. TURKEY HOSTILE TO SPAAK MEDIATION ON
Official Turkish displeasure witn
NATO secretary general Spaak's
first moves toward mediating the
Cyprus dispute suggests increasing
bitterness between Turkey and Greece
over Cyprus and the inevitability of a
showdown in this year's UN General
Assembly.
The Turkish government believes
that Spaak is off to a "bad start"
and that his present views are "badly
conceived and in effect present only a Greek solution to the
problem." Ankara continues to insist on partition as the
only acceptable solution, and a Foreign Ministry official
states that any proposal of independence for Cyprus will be
flatly rejected. Prime Minister Menderes has put off seeing
Spaak in the near future and reportedly has suggested a meet-
ing sometime in August. The likelihood that national elec-
tions will be held in Turkey this fall may account in part for
Menderes' evident intention of delaying any further Spaak
initiative.
London has encouraged Spaak to attempt
to mediate without making any commitment to him in advance.
However, the British recently asked him to postpone his
planned departure for Athens and Ankara for a few days as
they expect to inform him of some "new positions" early in
July. Athens is anxious for Spaak's visit and probably amen-
able to his views on a Cyprus solution, despite its doubts that
he will be able to accomplish anything.
29 June 57
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L,rtr,
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4. FRENCH IN LAOS SUPPORTING PRINCE PETSARATH
French representatives in Laos are
promoting Prince Petsarath, viceroy
of Laos and brother of Pathet Lao chief
Souphannouvong, for the prime minister-
ship. They apparently regard him as the leader most likely
to foster continued French influence and prestige in Laos, ac-
cording to the American ambassador in Vientiane. The ambas-
sador reports that in a 25 June conversation, French ambassa-
dor Gassouin described Petsarath as a true patriot who alone
could unite Laos and reverse the present unfavorable drift of
events. Gassouin said Petsarath had indicated that he would
accept power only if drafted and on condition that he have the
support of the Western powers.
Comment The French are apparently trying to
pave the way for Western support of Pet-
sarath, in the belief that he may ultimately be called on by the
Laotian assembly to resolve the present political crisis. They
are urging that the Western powers adopt a more "flexible"
policy toward Laos, particularly with regard to the entry of
the Pathet Lao into a coalition government.
Petsarath's public statements since his
return to Laos in March have minimized the dangers in a set-
tlement of the Pathet Lao problem. He recently returned from
a tour of the Pathet-held provinces convinced that the Pathets
are not Communists or Communist-controlled.
29 June 57
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5� SITUATION IN INDONESIA
Non-Communist political leaders in
Indonesia are greatly disturbed over
the Communist Party's 40-percent
gain in votes in the Djakarta munici-
pal elections on 22 June, and report-
edly are exploring the possibility of
establishing a united front against the
Communists. The National Party,
which won a plurality in the 1955 na-
tional elections, appears particularly
anxious over its prospects in the forth-
coming provincial elections in Central
Java, where it has had its major strength.
Although the elections in Central Java re-
portedly have been postponed until October, the non-Commu-
nist parties must still compete against a superior Communist
machine which is already operating in high gear. The Com-
munists, moreover, are spending money freely and are cap-
italizing on the popularity accorded them by President Suka,rno's
continued public encouragement.
�Meanwhile,in East Indonesia, Lt, Col.
Sumual is working toward the political reorganization of the
area into six autonomous provinces. Although this develop-
ment may be simply a face-saving move, it would appear to
be a new act of defiance by the East Indonesians.
Anti-Djakarta feeling is still running strong
in Sumatra, where former vice president Hatta has reiterated
his strong support for autonomous moves in non-Javanese areas
as well as his belief that these moves are not motivated by sep-
aratist desires. At the same rally, Lt. Col. Hussein stated
that while there was no desire to "fritter away" Indonesian
unity, the people of Central and South Sumatra have returned
to "the ideals of the revolution after having been led astray by
certain leaders in the central government.'
29 June 57 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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6. EAST GERMANS VIEW TALKS WITH POLES AS FAILURE
Comment on:
The East German Communists consider
their 18-20 June talks with Polish lead-
ers a failure and believe their efforts to
bring the Poles back into the orthodox
camp have been unsuccessful,
The talks convinced the East Germans
that Gomulka is still in firm control in Poland and that he,
like Tito, will continue to pursue a deviationist ideological
line.
The Polish visit to Berlin reportedly re-
sulted from heavy pressure from the Soviet Union. Gomulka
was reluctant to make this trip and agreed only after a heated
argument with Khrushchev
In order to enhance the appearance of bloc
solidarity, an East German delegation headed by party first
secretary Ulbricht and Premier Grotewohl will go to Warsaw
on 22 July for the Polish national holiday.
29 June 57
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