CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/10/01

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03000964
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: October 1, 1955

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October 1955
Copy No. 9
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
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Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
-77,19-8-EC�RE
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CONTENTS
1. USSR OFFERS MUNITIONS TO SYRIA (page 3).
2. NENNI'S MISSION TO PEEPING AND MOSCOW SEEN
HAVING SEMIOFFICIAL CHARACTER (page 4).
3. COMMENT ON STEPS TO RESTORE GREEK-TURKISH
COLLABORATION (page 5).
4. BONN LEADERS FEAR CONSEQUENCES OF THE
NEXT GENEVA MEETING (page 6).
5. PARIS SEES GRAVE CONSEQUENCES IF VIETNAMESE
TRY ARRESTED FRENCH OFFICERS (page 7).
6. PATHET LAO CHIEF BALKS AT SCHEDULED MEETING
WITH LAOTIAN PREMIER (page 8).
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1. USSR OFFERS MUNITIONS TO SYRIA
The Soviet minister in Damascus
offered on 27 September to provide
arms to Syria. The offer was made
to Syrian prime minister Ghazzi on
the basis of a two- or three-year credit to be paid for by
Syrian cotton and other export commodities. President
Quwatli said that the Syrian government is taking the
offer under consideration,
Ghazzi gave evasive replies to in-
quiries by Ambassador Moose on 29 September. Ques-
tions by the British charg�ere also evasively answered
by the minister of national economy. Moose believes the
prime minister's failure to deny the offer supports other
evidence that arms discussions have taken place between
Syria and the USSR.
Comment Syrian arms are generally antiquated
and heterogeneous; armored vehicles
in particular are in short supply. Chief of Staff Shuqayr
probably would accept arms from any source if he be-
lieved they would help him stay in power and if he could
get government approval.
Egypt is
advising Syria to follow its example in bartering exports
for Soviet bloc munitions. A strong protest from Israel
can be expected if the Soviet offer is accepted, as Israeli
army intelligence already believes Syria to be the state's
most dangerous enemy.
While Soviet munitions offers them-
selves are important in terms of their immediate effect
In the Middle East, the types of long-term barter agree-
ments involved are even more significant. Once they
establish a steady market in the Soviet bloc for exports
important to their economies, such Middle Eastern coun-
tries as Egypt and Syria will be under pressure to hold
on to this market.
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2. NENNIS MISSION TO PEIPING AND MOSCOW SEEN
HAVING SEMIOFFICIAL CHARACTER
Pietro Nenni, head of the Italian
Socialist Party, told Italian diplo-
matic officials in Moscow that his
visit to Communist China involved
the mission of finding the facts concerning Italian as-
sets in Communist China and exploring certain ques-
tions related to the status of Roman Catholic missions.
These were practical problems, said Nenni, which would
require solution if relations were to be established with
China. He implied that President Gronchi, Premier
Segni, and Foreign Minister Martino were all acquainted
with his objectives.
Nenni also spoice of his Moscow
"mission" as an attempt to ascertain the USSR's "real"
position on Germany, and its attitude toward Italian en-
try into the UN.
The Italian embassy in Moscow got
the impression, according to American charg�almsley,
that Nenni is conducting himself as if he were a candidate
for the post of foreign minister.
Comment Despite Rome's repeated denial that
Nenni's trip has any official character,
there is growing interest in government circles in ex-
ploiting the Geneva atmosphere to re-establish diplomatic
and commercial ties with Peiping.
Nenni was minister of foreign affairs
in 1946 and 1947 until the Communists were expelled from
De Gasperi's government.
His trip coincides with widespread
Italian discussion of a possible alliance between the Chris-
tian Democrats and the Nenni Socialists. Discussion of
this alliance has, however, largely assumed that Nenni
would lay aside his interest in a neutralist foreign policy.
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3. COMMENT ON STEPS TO RESTORE GREEK-TURKISH
COLLABORATION
Formal Greek-Turkish collaboration
In NATO and the Balkan alliance will
probably be resumed as a result of
the "moral satisfaction" Ankara has
agreed to render to Athens. The bit-
terness aroused by the anti-Greek riots
in Istanbul and Izmir, as well as Turkey's
opposition to the union of Cyprus with
Greece, will continue to hinder the de-
velopment of friendly relations.
Furthermore, Ambassador Warren in Ankara reported on
29 September that Menderes was about to send a personal
apology to Greek prime minister Papagos for incidents
which occurred during the riots in Izmir.
While Greek forces will not participate
in NATO exercises scheduled for 1 to 5 October, they will
probably resume their full NATO participation thereafter.
Deputy Premier Kanellopoulos has informed Admiral
Fechteler that Greek air space and airfields are entirely
at the disposition of NATO, although strong anti-NATO
feeling would still prevent Greek participation in the im-
mediately forthcoming exercises.
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4. BONN LEADERS FEAR CONSEQUENCES OF THE
NEXT GENEVA MEETING
West German political leaders
unanimously agree that there is
not the "slightest" prospect that
the next Geneva meeting will meet
with any success on the German re-
unification question, according to American embassy
officials. Nearly all these leaders forecast that after
Geneva the USSR and East Germany will inaugurate a
broad campaign to improve relations between East and
West Germany which will be hard to thwart.
Some Bonn officials see growing
domestic pressure in West Germany to expand contacts
with East Germany, and predict that Adenatior's minis-
ters will be maneuvered into dealing with their East
German counterparts within a fairly short time.
Comment German pessimism about the Geneva
meeting has largely been inspired by
the USSR's attitude on unification during Adenauer's
Moscow visit. Some progress on this subject was wish-
fully anticipated by German public opinion because the
summit conference succeeded in placing reunification on
the agenda for the subsequent Geneva meeting.
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5. PARIS SEES GRAVE CONSEQUENCES IF VIETNAMESE
TRY ARRESTED FRENCH OFFICERS
The French government foresees
serious repercussions if the Viet-
namese persist in their intent to try
two French officers being held for
complicity in terrorist activity in Saigon,
The French are con-
cerned that members of the French community, and
particularly the French Expeditionary Corps, may pro-
voke incidents, and Premier Faure has appealed to Diem
for transfer of the officers to French custody.
Comment The two French officers, allegedly
caught in the act of setting explosive
charges in mid-town Saigon, were arrested on 22 August
and have remained in Vietnamese custody despite strong
French protests. Long convinced that the French were
behind much antigovernment activity, Diem may intend
to make this case a public issue to dramatize Vietnamese
demands for complete withdrawal of French forces at an
early date.
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6. PATHET LAO CHIEF BALKS AT SCHEDULED MEETING
WITH LAOTIAN PREMIER
Pathet Lao chief Prince Souphannouvong
has informed the International Control
Commission that because of "aggressive"
actions by the royal government, he con-
siders the site selected for the meeting on 30 September
with Premier Katay to be insecure. He proposed another
site be sought "perhaps in a neutral country."
The American embassy comments that
prospects for a political settlement now seem more remote
than ever, and it sees Souphannouvong's reference to the
government's "aggressive" action as somewhat ominous.
Comment 10 October is in effect the deadline for
completion of negotiations between the
government and the Pathet Lao, for after that date, the gov-
ernment intends to proceed with preparations for the 25
December elections without the participation of the Pathet Lao.
A breakdown of negotiations may be fol-
lowed by stepped-up Pathet military pressure to force gov-
ernment troops out of the two northern provinces.
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