CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/09/12

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05973614
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: June 6, 2019
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2019
• Publication Date: September 12, 1952

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SEC INFORMATION
12 September 1952
US OFFICIALS ONLY
Copy No. 57
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. (4
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. AIL
0 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE 7,44, 90
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE4844429AEVEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE. AGENCY
TOPS
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SECURI ORMATION
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SUMMARY
FAR EAST
1. Communist food deliveries to Tibet reported lagging (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Cool Southeast Asian reception for proposed defense
declaration predicted (page 3).
SOUTH ASIA
3. Afghanistan rejects Soviet protest on oil-drilling operation (page 4).
4. Britain proposes joint Anglo-American approach to Kabul on
Soviet note (page 4).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. French Embassy considers plans for evacuation from
Iran (page 5).
6.
7. Egyptian military forced removal of secretary general of Arab
League (page 6).
8.
LATIN AMERICA
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ET
FAR EAST
1. Communist food deliveries to Tibet reported lagging:
An American consular official who recently 3.3(h)(2)
visited the Indian-Tibetan border area re-
ports that the road into Tibet is in very
_poor condition. 3.3(h)(2)
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Communists in Tibet obtained no more than 350 tons of rice through
India between late July and early September.
The Tibetans are reported to be retive
under Communist control. The Dalai Lama's power and influence
among the people is said to be increasing continuously.
Comment: To alleviate a serious food
shortage in Tibet, the Chinese Communists reportedly promised to
ship 1,500 to 3,000 tons of rice via India. With only 350 tons trans-
ported by early September, the Communists may find it difficult to
attain this objective before heavy snows block the mountain passes.
Tibetan restlessness under the Communists
was expressed in riots in the Lhasa area last spring. The Dalai
Lama is believed no longer to have significant power in Tibet.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Cool Southeast Asian reception for proposed defense declaration
predicted:
Emphasizing the importance of Southeast
Asian reaction to the French-proposed
defense declaration for that area, Ambassa-
dor Stanton in Bangkok fears that the
declaration would do more harm than good. He believes that the
Southeast Asian nations would regard it as a vague recapitulation of
existing Western policy, undeserving of their support unless imme-
diately and fully backed up by firm military commitments.
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SOUTH ASIA
3. Afghanistan rejects Soviet protest qp oil-drilling operation:
The Afghan Government has rejected the 3.3(h)(2)
Soviet demarche protesting preparations by
a French firm to drill for oil in northern
Afghanistan,claiming that the oil-drilling
project is a purely internal matter.
The Afghan Foreign Minister has stressed
to the American Embassy the seriousness of the Soviet protest,
the possibility of unrest if the government fails to improve economic
conditions in northern Afghanistan, the friendship of Afghanistan for
the United States and its desire for American assistance. The Foreign
Minister said that settlement of the frontier dispute with Pakistan was now -
essential, though he failed to indicate whether Afghanistan was pre-
pared to offer any concessions.
Comment: There is no evidence that the
USSR plans drastic action it the moment. On the other hand, it is
presumably prepared to increase pressure on the Afghan Govern-
ment if this and UN-conducted economic projects in north Afghanistan
are not abandoned.
Afghan ability to withstand Soviet pressure
depends upon the solution of such complicated problems as settling
the dispute with Pakistan, which cannot be easily or quickly done.
4.. Britain proposes joint Anglo-American approach to Kabul on Soviet
note:
The British Foreign Office suggests tenth.- 3.3(h)(2)
tively that in view of the Soviet demarche
to Afghanistan, the United States and Britain
should jointly assure the Afghans of con-
tinued moral support, urge specific steps for the settlement of the
frontier dispute with Pakistan, and hold out the hope of increased
economic assistance.
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Comment: The proposal suggests that
Britain at present rules out the possibility of Soviet aggression
against Afghanistan and believes there is a genuine opportunity
to make progress toward a settlement between Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. French Embassy considers plans for evacuation from Iran:
Comment: Although there is no indication
that Mossadeq is seriously considering a break with the West, the
recent disorders in Iran have led the Western embassies to reassess
their evacuation plans.
6. Ibn Saud refuses Kashani permission to speak at Mecca:
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7. Egyptian military forced removal of secretary general of Arab
League:
Abdul Rahman Azzam has informed
Ambassador Caffery that his resignation
as secretary general of the Arab League
was demanded by the military group in
Egypt.
Caffery believes that Azzam is unpopular-
ity with Iraq and Lebanon may have caused his resignation.
Comment: Azzam, who is friendly toward
the West and an eloquent promoter of the pan-Arab movement, has
been a controversial figure identified with former Egyptian regimes.
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The prestige of the League and of Azzam
has declined steadily since the war with Israel. Azzam's removal may
indicate Egypt's intention of reorganizing the League into an effective
regional organization.
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LATIN AMERICA
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