CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/07/09

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03189018
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: July 9, 1957

Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
TOP RET V07/
9 July 1957
Copy No0 36
rOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANflE
I EFC.1.A7z..7.-7-7)
CLVZ.IS r
NEXT REV:EW DATE: 'titO
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATiti#
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This document contains classified information affecting
the national security of the United States within the
meaning of the espionage laws, US Code Title 18, Sections
793, 794, and 798. The law prohibits its transmission
or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an un-
authorized person, as well as its use in any manner
prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States
or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detri-
ment of the United States.
TOP ET
/
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
OPN
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Lir ae11Z 1
CONTENTS
1. REACTIONS TO THE SOVIET PURGE
(a) HUNGARY
(b) WEST GERMANY
(c) FRANCE
age 3).
(page 4).
page 5).
2, YEMENFRAOTNTTIEMPTING TO MOVE SOVIET TANKS TOWARD
EN ER (page
9 July 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
TOP SECRET
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
ttiNFIDENT-H-L-
I. REACTIONS TO THE SOVIET PURGE
(a) HUNGARY
The American legation in Budapest notes
that the sudden emphasis by the Hungarian
party newspaper on the beneficial results
of the Soviet 20th party congress reverses
eJ1ne talcen as recently as the Hungarian party conference
of 27-29 June. This conference had stressed a generally hard
line, failed to mention the 20th party congress in its resolu-
tion, and installed a leading Stalinist, Jozsef Revai, in the
central committee.
Announcement of the departure of party first
secretary Kadar, politburo member Apro and two high govern-
ment officials "on vacation" is locally interpreted to mean that
at least some of these leaders have gone to Moscow for guidance.
Comments in Budapest showed intense interest
in Soviet developments and a universal hope that Hungary would
benefit in the long run.
Comment The Moscow events will spur moderate ele-
ments in the Hungarian party to seek some
modification of Ka.dar's terror tactics, demand the removal of
Stalinists such as Revai from the central committee, and call
for a modification of the policy of intensified pressure on intel-
lectuals. This will contribute to the serious factionalism within
the party.
In anticipation of such a move, politburo mem-
ber Marosan at a 5 July meeting of Budapest activists stated
that some party elements would see in the Soviet party resolu-
tion a vindication of "revisionist and right-wing" views. "We
must reject this most energetically since it is similar to that
which dragged us toward October 23."
9 July 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
Ar11.711,7 in min.-in-a TIT 1' .1 i�
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
-110,
(b) WEST GERMANY
Chancellor Adenauer, in a published inter-
view, has compared the recent Moscow
shake-up to the internecine struggle after
Lenin's death, and says Khrushchev, like
Stalin, will try to eliminate all his rivals.
In the interview and in an election cam-
paign speech on 7 July, Adenauer said that
he will believe in a change of policy only
- when one is borne out by the attitude of the
Soviet delegation at the London disarmament
talks. Opposition Socialist chief 011enhauer,
on the other hand, told another political rally
that "the radical shake-up in the Kremlin
showed that the Soviet government wants a
settlement of certain international problems."
One Bonn government official stated
that it is the consensus of West German officials that theSovie
dismissals are primarily the logical outcome of the power strug-
gle within the Kremlin and not a conflict between Stalinists and
anti-Stalinists. He claimed that West German officials generally
see the dismissals as unlikely to affect present Soviet policy, ex-
cept that Khrushchev will exploit them for propaganda purposes
to try to convince the West of Moscow's intentions favoring a
detente.
On the other hand, some high officials of the
Eastern Division of the Bonn Foreign Ministry told members
of the American embassy in Bonn that they now see the way clear
for a more flexible Soviet policy toward nonbloc states. They
see the events as an important step by Khrushchev toward his as-
sertion of personal dictatorship. In disagreeing with one of their
colleagues, Boris Meissner, who sees the emergence of a trium-
virate of Bulganin, Khrushchev, and Zhukov, they stress that
Bulganin is a negligible force and that Zhukov has no political as-
pirations.
9 July 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
SEPRET
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
tiefrivBsEwill+4/.,
(c) FRANCE
Soviet specialists in the French Foreign
Ministry interpret the Soviet shake-up as
primarily a power struggle and warn against
hopes for a favorable evolution of Kremlin
views toward a detente. They believe the changes will have
little effect on Soviet foreign policy, with the exception of Yugo-
slav relations where some improvement may be possible, and
regard with pessimism the strengthening of Khrushchev whom
they consider particularly dangerous. In internal policy they
expect a hard line to continue with emphasis on productivity
and priority of heavy industry.
The head of the European desk in the Foreign
Ministry believes that Soviet policy toward disarmament will
not be affected although Soviet leaders may use the purge to bol-
ster their claim to peace-loving intentions. He sees little prob-
ability that the shake-up will have repercussions among Satellite
leaderships, other than in Rumania. He notes French Commu-
nist leader Maurice Thorez' enthusiastic response to the shake:-up
despite the fact that his party is the most Stalinist of the Western
European Communist parties, and believes Thorez may use Soviet
developments to crush revisionists in the French party.
9 July 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
ArvAnoicrirvirir..71-rarrirrr AM.
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
TOP SECi?E'T
2. YEMEN ATTEMPTING TO MOVE SOVIET TANKS TOWARD
ADEN FRONTIER
Yemen is attempting to move newly ac-
quired Soviet T-34 medium tanks to the
southern provincial center of Taiz, about
30 miles from the Aden Protectorate
frontier,
The Yemenis have encountered
unexpected difficulties with the new equip-
ment, however, because of a lack of native
tank drivers, and because the Soviet bloc
drivers who accompanied the vehicles were engaged in shuttling
other equipment from Salif to Hodeida and have not yet been able
to reconnoiter the road to Taiz.
This is the first reported movement of re-
cently acquired heavy Soviet equipment toward the disputed Aden
frontier. The Imam now has his summer residence in Taiz.
the presence of such equip-
ment in the frontier area may demoralize the native security
forces and the tribes on the protectorate side of the frontier. The
Protectorate boundary 8 JULY 1957
..--�
.....---..
Indefinite boundary UNCLASSIFIED
.....% SULTANATE OF MUSCAT
f'.. ---- Tharnut% , AND OMAN r
� --- \ ,.....- .
\ � \ SAUDI A ARABIA .������� .
�,
...-�
.....-
- YEMEN \ ----". oShibam
KAMA- ) ..,
\ ....- --:"..
SANA \ / ��. EASTERN ADEN PROTECTORATE -
0_, �
Elocleida sv� '
LB eihan '.. ------
�:-�", -.) �
Mukalla .
..._,,V �
Taiz /IT hala
�..a ADEN
/ FRE
SOMA
24438
9 July 57
70708-4
TURKEY
JORDAN
Current Intelligence Bulletin
Page 6
TOP SECRET
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018
1 '.jr
4+4110-
Yemenis at present lack the technical competence to operate
and maintain the new equipment, and will require extensive
Soviet bloc or other foreign assistance to use it effectively.
Ten T-34 tanks have previously been seen
in Yemen, but this may be a minimum figure. The Yemenis
have taken precautions ko unload recent Soviet arms shipments
only by night and have attempted to disperse the equipment as
rapidly as possible. Two additional Soviet bloc vessels were
scheduled to reach Yemen
A cargo of 2,639 tons
including ammunition and apparently economic aid goods, was
to arrive by 8 July, to be followed six days later by "the first
ship carrying heavy equipment."
9 July 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
TOP SFTRFT
Approved for Release: 2019/12/10 C03189018