CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/12/03

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02051351
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: June 6, 2019
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2019
• Publication Date: December 3, 1952

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3 December 1952 3.5(c)fl
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Copy No. 57
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
0 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S
NEXT REVIEVV DATE:
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE:
REVIEWER:.
;ki;
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SECURI11FORMATION
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1.
SUMMARY
GENERAL
SOVIET UNION
2. Possible large-scale moveme:nts of TU-4's to Soviet Far East
(page 3).
FAR EAST
3, Japanese Government facing precarious parliamentary situation
(page 4).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
4. Defense Ministry official believed behind Indonesian Army split
(page 5).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. Greek Communist Party meets in Rumania (page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
6. Soviet troop rotation in East Germany apparently ended (page 6).
7. Soviet authorities in Berlin demand "release" of defector (page 6).
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1.
GENERAL
SOVIET UNION
2. Possible large-scale movements of TU-4' s to Soviet Far East:
At least 37 aircraft, 26 of which have been
associated with Soviet Long Range Air Forces
based in the European USSR, appeared to be
en route to the Soviet Far East between 11
and 26 November. These planes, possibly
including improved TU-4 medium bombers, may be destined for the
Third Long Range Air Army,
Comment: The Third Long Range Air Army
received its first TU-4' s in late 1951, and is now believed to have
170 of an authorized strength of 220. Although only one medium
bomber corps has been identified since October 1951,
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The build-up of Soviet capabilities for long-
range operations in this area has been accompanied by a general increase
of bomber strength in the Far East, including progressive conversion
of Soviet light bomber units to jets and the movement of additional jet
light bombers to Manchuria, apparently for transfer to the Chinese.
FAR EAST
3, Japanese Government facing precarious parliamentary situation:
Ambassador Murphy, in commenting on the
forced resignation last week of Ikeda, Minister
of International Trade and Industry, warns
that the Western powers must exercise utmost
caution to avoid jeopardizing the position of the pro-Western Yoshida
regime. Although he believes the fall of the cabinet is not necessarily
imminent, he advises that the situation could easily become critical.
Murphy also reports that if a planned
Rightist Socialist Party motion of no-confidence in Foreign Minister
Okazaki is passed, it will almok certainly result in the resignation of
the cabinet. He doubts, however, that the other opposition parties
will support the motion.
Comment: The vote of no-confidence in
Ikeda was made possible by the abstention of part of the Hatoyama
faction of the Liberal Party. It is unlikely, with unity of both the
government and party involved, that the Okazaki motion will be suc-
cessful. The demonstrated bargaining position of the Hatoyama faction,
however, may now force Yoshida to compromise with the group or
dissolve the government and call for new elections.
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SOUTHEAST ASIA
4. Defense Ministry official believed behind Indonesian Army split:
Colonel Sungkono, an adviser in the Indonesian 3.3(h)(2)
Defense Ministry, is responsible for the army
coups in South Sumatra, East Java, and East
Indonesia,
Sungkono reportedly is planning to instigate an
uprising calculated to put himself in power. All the rebellious commanders
have at one time served under him. 3.3(h)(2)
Sungkono, although not
a Communist, is being used to carry out a Communist plan to divide
the army.
Comment: Sungkono has a reputation as an
intriguer and troublemaker. There is no other indication, however,
that the army split was inspired by him or has worked to his advantage.
There is no conclusive evidence to implicate
the Communists in the developments within the army since 17 October.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. Greek Communist Party meets in Rumania:
The Greek Communist Radio in Bucharest
announced on 28 November that the Central
Committee of the Greek Communist Party
held its third plenary session in November.
The meeting eulogized the 19th Communist Party Congress in Moscow,
discussed the Greek party's role in forming a "pan-democratic" front
in Greece, and considered organizational matters.
Former Greek Politburo-member Ioannides
was also read out of the party with no explanation.
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Comment:
large number of visas for Rumania have been issued to
Greeks living in the Satellite countries in recent months. Probably
many of them attended this meeting.
There is no indication that Ioannides' expul-
sion was caused by a disagreement over party doctrine. There had been
a dispute over the tactics to be used in the recent elections, however,
and Ioannides' expulsion, as well as the discussion of a "pan-demo-
cratic" front, may presage a new Communist line in Greece.
WESTERN EUROPE
6. Soviet troop rotation in East Germany apparently ended:
� Trains used in the 1952 Soviet troop rotation
program are reportedly being dismantled,
indicating the completion of the program
for this year. Present evidence shows
that the program has resulted in an increase of approximately 30, 000
Soviet troops in East Germany.
Comment This increase would bring the
total strength of the Soviet ground forces in East Germany to approx-
imately 415, 000.
To date there have been no indications of
the arrival or activation of new units in East Germany. It is believed
that the present increase in the troop strength will be used to fill
out Soviet line units, the majority of which are below their authorized
strength.
7. Soviet authorities in Berlin demand "release" of defector:
The Soviet authorities in Berlin have sent
a strong letter to General Mathewson pro-
testing against "the forcible detention"
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of a Soviet soldier who defected on 28
November and demanding that he be returned
immediately.
The Soviet authorities are insisting on the
soldier's "release" as a condition for return of two American military
police who are being held in the Soviet Zone.
Comment: Soviet defectors in Berlin are
very infrequent. The strong reaction to the recent defection suggests
that Moscow may retaliate against the US defector program by refusing
to release Allied personnel who frequently stray into the Soviet Zone
by mistake.
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