CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1951/03/06

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02682860
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: March 18, 2019
• Document Release Date: March 28, 2019
• Publication Date: March 6, 1951

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6 March 1951
Copy No. C 1-
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
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DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN. CLASS. le
DECLASSIFIED
CHANC.;ED TO: IS S
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTF:: I IR 70-2
DATE/_ REVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
1. Turkish Ambassador fears USSR may raise Straits question
(page 3).
FAR EAST
2. Disease continues problem in North Korea (page 3
NEAR EAST
3, British military planning alternative for Suez base (page 4).
WESTERN EUROPE
4. French want voice in Spain's defense role (page 5).
LATIN AMERICA
5. Split in Venezuelan Government rumored (page 5).
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GENERAL
1. Turkish Ambassador fears USSR may raise Straits question:
Turkish Ambassador Goker in Moscow
has informed US Ambassador Kirk that
he believes the Soviets may raise the
question of the Dardanelles and the Mont-
reux Convention at the proposed Council of Foreign Ministers meet-
ing. Goker stated that the USSR had made no approaches to Turkey
concerning the Straits since 1946. However, he regarded the Soviet
note of mid-February protesting the alleged Turkish shelling of a
Soviet tanker as a possible initial move to reopen the issue. To
date the Turkish Government has not replied to the protest The
Turkish Ambassador considers that complete silence of the Soviet
press on the incident indicates a Soviet desire to utilize the incident
for diplomatic purposes rather than immediate propaganda.
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The Turkish Ambassador's apprehensions apparently stem
from the fact that the Montreux Convention comes up for possible
revision this year. It is noteworthy, however, that to date only the
Western powers have sought to broaden the agenda of a Council of
Foreign Ministers. Soviet propaganda silence with respect to the
Pamir incident may not be unusually significant, since the Soviets
frequently treat explosive incidents with caution.
FAR EAST
2. Disease continues problem in North Korea:
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Comment Typhus, typhoid and smallpox
are reported to have reached near-epidemic proportions among
Communist troops in Korea, and there are indications that severe
measures have been taken to prevent the further spread of disease
among troops and civilians.
NEAR EAST
3. British military planning alternative for Suez base:
According to US Embassy Cairo, a new
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plan of the British Chiefs of Staff for the
future defense of the Suez Canal Zone in-
eludes the following features: (a) a phased
evacuation of the Suez Canal zone, beginning immediately and to be
completed by 1956, with "civilian" technicians replacing the military
specialists; (b) the leasing by the UK of the Suez base after 1956,
with administrative control in British hands but with Egyptian "parti-
cipation" and with the Egyptians responsible for policing the base;
and (c) the possible creation of a "temporary" base in Israel. The
British Embassy in Cairo has sharply criticized certain details in
this plan, and believes that to sell the Egyptians on any "joint de-
fense" arrangement for the area, the UK must first demonstrate
faith in Egyptian military capabilities by resuming the suspended
arms shipments.
Comment: This is the first specific evi-
dence that the British military has accepted the Foreign Office's
thesis that the main body of British troops will have to be located
outside the Canal Zone. Both the military and the Foreign Office
seem convinced that British forces must have access to the Canal
Zone itself in time of war.
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T&P CRET
WESTERN EUROPE
4. French want voice in Spain's defense role:
A French Foreign Office official has indi-
cated to US Embassy officials in London
that the French Government "wished to be
able to convince themselves" of the mili-
tary necessity of including Spain in the West's defense effort. He
implied that this could be done only if the French assist from the
beginning in determining how Spain can participate./
if the US is in-
terested primarily in Spain's military facilities, a bilateral relation-
ship between the US and Spain may offer the best solution. However,
if the emphasis is on the use of Spain's manpower, then the inclusion
of Spain in NATO will be necessary--a step that would entail great
difficulties, particularly in. Britain and France.
Comment: This is a plausible report of the
French Government's current attitude and possibly reflects its sin-
cere desire to avert later political difficulties in France over the
handling of the Spanish question. Last summer Foreign Minister
Schuman stated that the admission of Spain to NATO was the only way
to solve the question of the strategic utilization of that country.
LATIN AMERICA
5. Split in Venezuelan Government rumored!
Strong rumors of a split in the top level of
the Venezuelan Government have resulted
from an alleged protest, if not an ultimatum,
to the governing Junta by the reactionary
Grupo Urilante, which includes leading army
officers and high government officials headed
by Junta Secretary Miguel Moreno. This
group reportedly objects strongly to provisions of the draft electoral
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**WI Ned
law, to the prospects of early elections, and especially to the recent
action of the Labor Ministry permitting the negotiation of a labor
contract for petroleum workers by a committee including leaders of
dissolved radical elements. Reports indicate that some compromise
has been reached, but the situation will probably remain delicate.
Meanwhile, a former president of Costa Rica has stated that a revolu-
tion in Venezuela is planned for some time this month.
Comment: A split in the army, which the
reported protest of the Grupo Urilante may well represent, would pro-
vide the essential condition for a revolutionary attempt by Accion
Democratica. However, the current internal dissension, which
appears to involve a continuation of the reported disagreement between
Moreno and Provisional President Suarez Flamerich, can probably be
settled through the intervention of Junta member and Defense Minister
Perez Jimenez, who has the support of the Grupo Urilante and who
was chiefly responsible for the appointment of Suarez as Provisional
President.
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