CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/12/11

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03169489
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: December 11, 1956

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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
CJI
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
11 December 1956
Copy No. 112
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Tor SECRET
701070/7/00,4
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CONTENTS
1. NE VIEWS ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND HUNGARY
(page 3).
2. BRITISH AND FRENCH PRESSING FOR PARTICIPATION
IN SUEZ CLEARANCE page 4).
3. FIGHTING R7PORTEDLY CONTINUES IN HUNGARY
(page 5).
4. SYRIA ARMS YOUTH GROUPS
11 Dec 56
SEEKS MORE SOVIET BLOC ARMS
page 7).
(page 6).
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1. NEHRU'S VIEWS ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND HUNGARY
Prime Minister Nehru told Ambassador
Cooper, in a conversation lasting an hour
and a half on 7 December, that he believes
the danger of war and the possibility of
the Middle East have been removed by
the withdrawal of British and French troops. Nehru empha-
sized that Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia
are violently opposed to the Baghdad pact and said that he did
not believe Nun i Saidis regime in Iraq would last long.
The Indian prime minister also said that
Hungary had proved that Communism could not be externally
imposed. He believes that the USSR has lost world prestige
as a result of intervention in Hungary and that a struggle to re-
impose Stalinist methods may be going on within the USSR. He
added he did not think this would succeed.
Nehru also claimed that Pakistan had re-
cently increased its agitation against India and that Karachi
had told Soviet leaders that arms received from the United States
were for use against India. He indicated he intends to discuss
this with President Eisenhower when he comes to Washington on
16 December.
Ambassador Cooper comments that Nehru
was more frank, open and friendly toward the United States than
at any time since they first met in mid-1955.
Oec 56
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2. BRITISH AND FRENCH PRESSING FOR PARTICIPATION
IN SUEZ CLEARANCE
The British and French are energeti-
cally seeking firm UN commitments on
the use of their salvage equipment and
personnel in the Suez Canal before the
withdrawal�presumably by 18 Decem-
ber--of the last of their military forces
from the area.
h UN delegate Sir Pierson Dixon
ecretary General Hammarskj old
on 7 December that London believes
some sort of phased withdrawal of the
salvage fleet must begin within a few
ays un ess e can give assurances that the British
equipment and personnel will be used, and that safeguards
of their security can be arranged. In this respect, Dixon
mentioned that all personnel should have UN diplomatic
immunity and that all vessels should be allowed to fly the
UN flag.
In Paris, the Foreign Ministry again
urged the American embassy on 8 December to overcome!
Egyptian objections to the operation of the Anglo-French
salvage fleet by British and French personnel.
American naval observers commented
on 8 December that the group of Danish, Norwegian, and
Italian firms organized for the UN by Lt. Gen. Wheeler
could perform the canal clearing job without British help
or equipment, but would take longer.
Secretary General Hammarskj old has
indicated to the US UN delegation that he has "full per-
mission" from Egypt to use any available salvage equip-
ment but that no British or French technicians can be
used now or in the immediate future.
11 Dec 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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3. FIGHTING REPORTEDLY CONTINUES IN HUNGARY
Guerrilla fighting is in progress in
several Hungarian provinces, accord-
ing to press reports from Vienna. One
report indicated that a battle between
Soviet troops and a large group of Hungarian rebels was in
progress north of Budapest. Information from Hungary has
been fragmentary, however, since martial law was im-
posed on 9 December, and normal communications from
Hungary to the West have been disrupted.
Soviet and Hungarian armed forces have
continued their deployment in an effort to seal off centers
of potential resistance and speed disarmament of the free-
dom fighters. Earlier the regime threatened death to all
those who had not surrendered their arms by 1800 on 11
December.
There are also reports that Soviet pre-
sidium members Malenkov and Suslov have arrived in
Budapest to reshuffle the Hungarian government. This coin-
cides with other unconfirmed reports that Kadar has al-
ready been relieved. Kadar, a "national communist," has
been thoroughly discredited by his role in Hungary since
4 November, and his replacement by a tougher-minded,
more adroit Communist politician would be logical.
11 Dec 56
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4. SYRIA ARMS YOUTH GROUPS
The American army attach�n Damas-
cus reports that between 80,000 and
100,000 Syrian youths enlisted in the
"popular resistance" movement have
completed the 15-day training period
a arme young patriots" are now seen on all Damas-
cus streets. On 6 December 3,200 of them, all armed with
Czech small machine guns, paraded for President Quwatli.
The youths are trained in the use of small
arms, grenades, and explosives and are organized into units
of about 100 each. On completion of training they are issued
small arms which they may keep "until the end of the emer-
gency!'
Comment Organized during the Suez crisis ostensi-
bly for resistance to external aggression,
the movement is probably now viewed by the leftist-nationalist
group as a defense against any threat to its position.
Previous reports indicated that these youths
were being trained by junior army officers sympathetic to the
nationalist, pro-Eg tian olicies of Colonel Sarraj, Syrian ar-
my strong man.
11 Dec 56
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Nov
5. YEMEN SEEKS MORE SOVIET BLOC ARMS
Comment on:
Yemen is apparently pressing for de--
livery of additional Soviet bloc arms.,
In disqissing arms negotiations with
Czechoslovakia, the king of Yemen in-
formed his minister in Cairo that there
was no reason why guns should not be part of the "forthcom-
ing consignments." The king reiterated that "offers without
strings" from the USSR and Czechoslovakia should be the
Yemeni objective.
The initial shipment of bloc arms to
Yemen arrived on 12 October on a Soviet ship.
this shipment included
at least 50 pieces of antiaircraft artillery, and about 400
truckloads of small arms, ammunition and other military
equipment.
In mid-November, the Czechoslovakian
ambassador informed the Yemeni minister in Cairo that ad-
ditional shipments--presumably of arms- -had been postponed
until settlement of the Suez situation.
11 Dec 56
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