CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/01/25

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03171968
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: January 25, 1956

Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03171968
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
TOP SECRET
25 January 1956
Copy No.
103
DOCUMENT NO. -71'
NO CHANGE IN CLASS
DE:CLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE: It to REviavveR:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
-TOP SECRET
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CONTENTS
1. POSSIBLE LONG-DISTANCE TEST FLIGHT BY SOVIET
AIRCRAFT (page 3).
2. CHINESE COMMUNIST OFFICIALS INVITED TO BURMA
BORDER CONFERENCE (page 4).
3. IRAQI PREMIER REQUESTS US SUPPORT AGAINST
SAUDI SUBVERSION (page 5).
4. SAUDI INFLUENCE STRONG IN JORDANIAN CABINET
1.,age 6).
25 Jan 56
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 7)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page
TOP SECRET
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400 TOP SECRET
1. POSSIBLE LONG-DISTANCE TEST FLIGHT BY
SOVIET AIRCRAFT
On 7 and 8 January an aircraft,
tentatively identified as a heavy
bomber under the control of the
Ministry of Aviation Industry, flew
from the ministry's test center at
Ramenskoye, near Moscow, and returned on a flight
which may have covered 7,500 nautical miles without
landing. Although flight details are obscure for the
first five hours and the aircraft was unreported for a
two-hour period later,
the aircraft was in continuous flight for 19 hours.
Comment
Refueling could have occurred during
the two-hour gap in coverage. How-
ever, the turbo-prop heavy bomber BEAR, first observed
in May 1955, is believed capable of a flight of this distance
without refueling.
This flight, if continuous, would be
the first noted Soviet flight in the ranges necessary for
two-way bombing missions against the United States, The
longest flight previously noted in Soviet communications oc-
curred in September 1955 and covered approximately 4,300
nautical miles. (Concurred in by OSI)
25 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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TOP SECRET
2. CHINESE COMMUNIST OFFICIALS INVITED TO BURMA
BORDER CONFERENCE
PAK
The Burmese government has invited
Peiping's ambassador in Rangoon, its
consul general in Lashio, and over 100
local officials and chieftains from Yun-
nan Province to attend a conference to
be held on 7 and 8 February in north Burma near the Chi-
nese border. Premier Nu will lead the Burmese govern-
ment delegation.
INDIA
Myitkyina �
LeVE;j'.:,
SITE :;1,
CON'rERENCE
Rangoo
The purpose of the conference,
CHINA
( YUNNAN
PROVINCE)
Lashio*
� Mandalay
\VA S FATES
25 JANUARY 1956
LAOS
THAILAND
Bangkok
will be to "promote the
weliare of the border peoples
of Burma." It is anticipated
that about 3,000 people will
participate.
Comment This confer-
ence is appar-
ently being convened primarily
to impress on Peiping that Burma
is determined to retain sovereignty
over its border regions and that
the border tribes are loyal to Ran-
goon. Portions of Burma's 1, 000-
mile frontier with China have nev-
er been demarcated, and Peiping
in the past has sought to subvert
border tribes. Moreover, peri-
odic Chinese Communist mili-
tary incursions into the Wa States
have been reported.
By such a demonstration, the
Burmese may hope to strengthen
their position in future boundary
negotiations against any revival
by Peiping of Chinese claims that a large part of north Burma
belongs to China.
25 Jan 56
60124 5
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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3. IRAQI PREMIER REQUESTS US SUPPORT AGAINST
SAUDI SUBVERSION
Iraqi premier Nun i Said has expressed
to the American embassy his serious
concern over Egyptian-Saudi subversive
activities in Iraq and has made a strong
plea for American support, stating that
he hoped the United States would find
some way to cut off the flow of Saudi
money to agitators and intriguers.
Nun i and other Iraqi officials said that
they had discovered an Egyptian attempt
to subvert the Iraqi army, and that Egypt
and Saudi Arabia were maintaining close
contacts with anti-Nun i elements. The officials added that
Egypt is involved in smuggling bombs and explosives into
Iraq,
The Iraqi government has made several
arrests and is carefully checking Egyptian and Saudi diplo-
matic missions and their nationals employed in the Iraqi
government who are reported involved in espionage activi-
ties.
Comment
The Iraqis, who have previously reported
Egyptian and Saudi intrigue, recently de-
manded the recall of the Egyptian army attach�They may
be preparing for some kind of a showdown, possibly the sev-
ering of relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia strongly oppose
the Baghdad pact and Iraqi attempts to gain more adherents.
They are probably trying to incite disturbances and discon-
tent in order to bring about the eventual downfall of Nun,
who was primarily responsible for Iraq's adherence to the
pact.
25 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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4. SAUDI INFLUENCE STRONG IN JORDANIAN CABINET
Comment
Rifai appears to have been trying to
maintain a noncontroversial position
since the formation of his cabinet on 9 January, but is
responsive to pressure from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and
Syria aimed at inducing Jordan to renounce its annual
British subsidy in favor of an Arab grant.
Although Jordan's King Hussain re-
portedly favors maintaining the alignment with Britain
and ultimate adherence to the Baghdad pact, his influence
has been ineffectual during the past few weeks, Saudi and
Egyptian agents probably could incite new violence through-
out Jordan should the Rifai government not appear co-operative.
25 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
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10I-. . . , .
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 24 January)
An Israeli spokesman told the American
army attach�n Tel Aviv that Israel fired with "heavy artillery"
on Egyptian positions in the El Auja demilitarized zone on 21
January after 45 minutes of Egyptian mortar fire. The attach�
commented that this was probably 155mm howitzer equipment,
which would be the first time the Israelis liave used this size
gun on the frontier
The Jordan government has charged that an
Israeli patrol penetrated six miles into Jordan territory south
of the Dead Sea and exchanged fire with Jordanian national guards-
men. (Press)
In Damascus Chief of Staff Shuqayr, com-
menting to the American army attach�n Israeli press reports
that the Syrians were purchasing arms from the Czechs, said
that a Syrian mission is in Prague to expedite shipment of spare
parts for tanks. Shuqayr said Syria could get T-34 tanks with a
five-year supply of spare parts if it wanted them but had taken
no action yet as "some still oppose a deal with the Soviets." He
also said Egypt would furnish Syria with some antiaircraft equip-
ment in the near future but that he did not know whether it would
be British equipment or Soviet (Czech) 85mm caliber. He added
that the Israeli source of reports that Syria was dealing with the
Czechs was an Israeli army purchasing mission in Prague.
Shuqayr's remarks regarding Syrian dealings with tlit. 07..Pha
are the first such admission to American officialg
25 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
-ET-0447.--are,nr.=
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