CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005339974
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: June 23, 2015
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2009
• Case Number: F-2008-01829
• Publication Date: October 16, 1958

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. 706
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16 October 1958'.
ENT
We EEKLY
SUMMARY
DATE: 06-29-2009
A
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CIE N.,., ,R
OFFICE OF CURRENT . INTELLIGENCE
'AMC 'U TO.IGENCY ARCHIVfIS
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 CURRENTINTEL i YNCE WEEKLY SUNMART,
16, October 1958.
jssues now that monetary reform.
gas been imp% lemented .and 'the
divisive pressures that threat-
cned.to split: the RLP have been
contained, at least for the:
time being It also appears..
1i kely that ex--Premier Souvanna
.phouma wi11 be appointed ambas
sadorto France-, thus removing
from the scene one of.Phoui's
principal rivals within conserv-
.ative ranks.
The government may .,now
turn its attention to. the re
forms. and antisubversive meas
ures necessary for successful
competition?with the Communist
dominated Neo Lao Hak:.-Zat (N,,HZ)
,in' the. national elections in,
late 1959 or 160.. Since their % electoral. debacle in May, con
servative politicians,, have been
preoccupied with intramural po-
litical. maneuvering in Vientiane
--merging -conservative parties
into.theRLP, forming an anti
Communist' government, and under
taking monetary reform. During
this period the NLHZ has had
practically a free hand in.:the,
,provinces, and it is making
gains,in almost every sector of
Laotian society
DISCONTENT IN.SOUTH VIETNAM
Considerable discontent
has developed among various
.groups in South Vietnam with
the regime of President Ngo
Dinh Diem.. Criticism is di-'
.rested primarily against the
President's relatives and close
associates, but his authoritar-
ian tactics. are also. under fire.
There ss no alternative strong
leader to holddivisive forces
in ckeck, and Diem''s sudden
removal. from office would prob-
ablylead to political chaos.
Criticism o ;,,.Diem's au-
thoritarianism..i's.,being beard
increasingly among influential
Vietnamese,, including "members
of his cabinet. These critics
feel iem's unwillingness to
delegate, authority.,is' hampering
progress and seriously weakening
the regime":. There i..s:also:?grow-
ing resentment within the Na-
tional Assembly,; which feels it
is being used as a rubber .stamp
for legislation.imposed from
above;?
The activities of Ngo',Dinh
Nhu, the President's brother
and: chief political adviser,
are responsible:for much dis-
satisfaction within the govern-
mental structure. Nhu, head.of
the:semicovert Can Lao party,
which controls all political
activity in Vietnam; is build
ing a networks of commissar =like
agents strategically placed
throughout tgovernment. 'This.
system stifles' initiative, and
rewards on the basis Of 'politi-
cal reliability'ra,therthan
ability'.
Nhu's effortsto strengthen
Cain Lao influence within the
armed forces and security sere
ices. are.par"ticularly dangerous
in view of growing resentment
on the part of Professional of
fic'ers over political interfer
ence: The military in general
is considered loyal to Diem, but
the possibility of, an eventual
coup bydisgruntled elements
cannot. be' discounted.
Other factors-working .a-
gainst?the?'regime's popularity
In commercial, labor, and pro-
fessional circles, as well as
among the-,masses are bureau
cratic :red gape,?heavy-handed
control: measures, curtailment
of-:'press. and civil -liberties,
and venality among civil ;serv-
ants.. Regionalism--friction
between Vietnamese of northern
and ....southern ..origin--and ,
PART II NOTES AND_COMMNTS
I-II PATTERNS'. AHD PERSPECTIVER
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 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUM~JARY
1.6 October 1958
mounting discontent over Viet-
namese. repression among tribal
groups in the highlands are
also potential trouble sources.
Remnant dissident sect bands
and the Vietnamese Communist
underground provide a nucleus
of armed opposition to the
Diem regime.
Against this backdrop of
adverse conditions, Diem is
determinedly pushing several
ambitious programs--notably
agrarian reform, resettlement,
land development, and limited
industrialization--which hold
promise of mitigating many of
the regime's present problems.
The chief immediate threat is the
ever-present danger-of Diem's
assassination. In 1957, Diem
narrowly missed assassination
when bullets intended for him
seriously wounded a cabinet
member; subsequently, other at-
tempts on his life have been
reported. Despite constitution-
al provision for the vice pres
ident to succeed in an emer
gency, divisive forcesare so
strong that a debilitating
power struggle would urobably
IRELAND'S FOREIGN POLICY
Ireland has taken an un-
usually active role in inter-
national affairs since 1955,
when it*was admitted.to the
United Nations, and on several
occasions has taken a position,
which diverges sharply from
that of other Western nations.
While Irish foreign policy is
still directed toward the tra-
ditional desire for neutrality-
and is firmly anti-Communist,.
the De Valera government is in-
creasingly concerned with the
inflexibility of the'Eas.t-West
power blocs and the threat of
PART .I I
a general war. Consequently;,
the government shows a.-growing
tendency to. seek.oompromises
through: the.UN on controver-
Sial problems.
Minister of External Af-
fairs Frank.Aiken, who is mainly'
responsible for Ireland's more
aggressive approacb,believes
.the UN's chief. value is the op-
portunity it affords small.na-
tions like Ireland to influence
the great powers. His proposal.
for the phased withdrawal of
foreign forces from Europe,. his
insistence that the Chinese UN.
'representation question is a
matter for discussion in the
General Assembly, and his most
'recent.suggestion that the pos-
session of atomic weapons be
limited to the US, the UK, the
USSR, and France are admitted
attempts on his part to break
down increasing rigidity on
these issues.
.Ireland has also taken a
more. active interest in cold-.
nial problems since joining the
UN. In a speech before the UN
General Assembly in September
1957, Aiken suggested setting
up a UN investigative commis-
sion in Algeria; and at the
height of the Middle East
NOTES:-AND COMMENTS
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