CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/12/15

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03020463
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: December 15, 1955

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15 December 1955
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
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NO CHANGE IN CLAM.
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NEXT REVIEW DATE. .20/0
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CATE. \311EVIEVVEF
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELI4IGrENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. DEFECTOR GIVES ACCOUNT OF JULY CENSURE OF
MOLOTOV (page 3).
2. HIGH-LEVEL SOVIET BLOC ECONOMIC GROUP MEETS �
IN BUDAPEST (page 4).
3. GREEK PRIME MINISTER REPORTED PLANNING
EARLY ELECTIONS (page 5).
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 6)
THE TAIWAN STRAIT
(page 7)
15 Dec 55
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1. DEFECTOR GIVES ACCOUNT OF JULY CENSURE OF
MOLOTOV
who defected
recently reports that A. I. Mikoyan
gave a speech criticizing _Molotov at
the plenum of the central committee
of the' Soviet Communist Party last July.
this speech was read at a closed meeting for party ac-
tivists in October 1955, and that a transcript of the en-
tire central committee plenum was read at a November
meeting of the same group.
Molotov allegedly was criticized for
making foreign policy together with Stalin without consult-
ing the central committee� for allowing his wife to invite
wives of Western diplomats to a party without consulting
the central committee, for being anti-Yugoslav, for op-
posing Khrushchev's "new lands" policy, and for opposing
large works such as hydroelectric stations. Khrushchev
criticized him for his disarmament proposals.
When Molotov referred to his 34 years
in the politburo, Khrushchev shouted, "We won't pay any
attention to your long beard." Khrushchev stated that Yugo-
slav orientation toward the United States instead of the
USSR was a result of Molotov's opposition to Yugoslav friend-
ship. In conclusion Molotov stated that he was willing to
submit to the decision of the central committee.
Comment simi-
lar readings of central committee charges
against both Beria and Malenkov also took place at special
local party meetings. Molotov's stated willingness to abide
by the central committee's decision may have saved him for
the time being. Molotov may yet be removed, however, pos-
sibly at the 20th Party Congress in February�
Mikoyan seems to have been acting as
spokesman for Khrushchev in presenting the charges against
Molotov. Mikoyan may have a personal stake in discrediting
Molotov, however; he is a first deputy premier and has been
rumored a possible successor as foreign minister.
15 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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2. HIGH-LEVEL SOVIET BLOC ECONOMIC GROUP MEETS
IN BUDAPEST
The Council for Mutual Economic As-
sistance met in Budapest from 7 to 11
December. According to Communist
press reports, representatives of the USSR and all the Euro-
pean Satellites were present. Discussions reportedly cen-
tered around such topics as regional economic specialization,
co-ordination of production, and reduction of costs. Most
long-term trade agreements between council members ex-
pire this year.
Comment The Council for Mutual Economic
Assistance (CEMA), which was formed
in 1949 to co-ordinate Soviet bloc economic development,
was widely regarded as the Soviet answer to the Marshall
Plan. This latest meeting of the council is of particular
importance in view of the reported close co-operation be-
tween Soviet bloc countries in their respective Five-Year
Plans for 1956-1960. (Prepared by ORR)
15 Dec 55
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3. GREEK PRIME MINISTER REPORTED PLANNING
EARLY ELECTIONS
Prime Minister Karamanlis intends
to dissolve the Greek parliament be-
fore its Christmas recess in order to
prepare for new elections in early
iebru'ary
Karamanlis believes the new party he will form prior to the
elections will win at least 180 of the 250 seats of the new
parliament, and he expects 100-percent support from the
Greek Rally.
Comment Karamanlis may be overly optimistic
concerning his party's electoral pros-
pects for a large majority� He apparently has made no
recent efforts to enlist the co-operation of independent cen-
ter politicians or to neutralize antagonistic factions within
the Rally. His popularity will depend to a considerable ex-
tent on developments on foreign policy issues such as the
Cyprus dispute and the quEstion of Turkish compensation to
those who suffered losses in the anti-Greek riots in Turkey
in September. He has shown ability to keep these problems
under control and can be expected to win a majority.
15 Dec 55
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 14 December)
LI No significant military action has been
reported. Syrian troops reportedly fired on an Israeli vil-
lage near Lake Tiberias on 14 December, but without in-
flicting any casualties.
Syrian premier Ghazzi announced, after
a cabinet meeting held to discuss the Israeli attack of 11 -12
December, that Syria intends to increase its defense budget
by 40 million Syrian pounds ($13,000,000). He also announced
that the Syrian government has decided to procure arms with
the recent Saudi Arabian loan of $10,000,000 and to institute
military training in secondary schools. Both Iraq and Lebanon
have told Syria that they are ready to help it against Israel.
No similar public statement has yet come from Cairo.
hat the situation resulting
from the 11-12 December attack was grave, but that he did
not believe Syria would risk war by retaliating in force. Broad-
casts from Damascus playing up the "heroic action" of Syrian
troops in "repulsing" the Israelis also suggest that Syria will
not take strong counteraction at this time.
15 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
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BIWEEKLY SUMMARY
1-14 December 1955
THE TAIWAN STRAIT
Report of the IAC Current Intelligence Group
for the Taiwan Strait Problem
1. The Chinese Communists have continued construction
of the causeway to Tateng Island, north of Quemoy, despite
intermittent Nationalist artillery fire against the causeway.
The only Chinese Communist shelling appears to have been a
total of 531 rounds counterbattery fire against the Quemoys,
and 40 rounds against a small islet west of the Quemoys.
2. The largest number of coastal cargo vessels and landing
craft seen at Mawei, a small naval base near Foochow, was re-
ported by Chinese Nationalist sources on 10 December. The con-
centration included seven small naval and six landing craft, one
dredge, and numerous wooden boats. Some of these vessels may
have moved to the Santu Bay area near Matsu, where Nationalist
jet fighter-bombers attacked nine Communist naval craft on 13
December. At least two, and possibly five, of the vessels were
damaged. One of three apparently successful antishipping strikes
launched recently by the Nationalist air force, the action indicates
a more determined effort to disrupt Communist logistic and naval
support in the area opposite the Matsus.
The presence of a dredge in the Mawei area suggests that
the Communists intend to improve Mawei as a naval base. Such
a development would improve Chinese Communist naval support
and operational capabilities in the Matsu area.
3. The sighting on 3 December of a Chinese Communist naval
formation, 120 miles northeast of Shanghai and apparently en route
to Shanghai, presages an improvement in Chinese Communist am-
phibious capabilities in the East China area. Photographs reveal
that the formation consisted of a landing craft repair ship, one
gunboat, two LSM's, and twenty LCM' s. The LCM's are believed
to be new units constructed at Dairen.
15 Dec 55 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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4. A total of 13 submarines are now accepted in the Chi-
nese Communist navy, including nine based at Tsingtao and
four at Port Arthur. The Port Arthur-based boats and four
of the Tsingtao vessels are long-range types, while the others
are of shorter range. Previously, only 11 submarines had been
accepted as belonging to the Chinese Communists.
5. The runway at Lungtien airfield, located on the coast
southeast of Foochow, now has been cleared of debris and is
considered serviceable. Lungtien is the fifth coastal field op-
posite Taiwan to be made suitable for jet operations. As yet,
none of these coastal airfields has been occupied.
6. A Chinese Communist field artillery division of about
6,000 men has been identified as probably being in the area op-
posite the Quemoys. This does not necessarily indicate a re-
cent Communist reinforcement of this area, as this unit may
have been there for several months. A total of one artillery
division, three antiaircraft artillery divisions, and one inde-
pendent antiaircraft artillery regiment probably are now in
Fukien Province.
7. No extended comment on the Taiwan Strait situation has
appeared in Peiping's pr7paganda during the past two weeks.
8. Communist China drew new expressions of neutralist
support for its claim to Taiwan as a result of the Khrushchev-
Bulganin visits to Burma and India.
a. The Soviet-Burmese communiqu�f 6 December
declared that "the question of returning to the People's Republic
of China, Taiwan and the other islands which constitute an inte-
gral part of China's territory should be settled immediately."
b. The week following, the Soviet-Indian joint declara-
tion asserted that "the legitimate rights of the Chinese People's
Republiccin regard to coastal islands and Taiwan should be
satisfied." The declaration also expressed the hope that the
current US-Chinese ambassadorial talks at Geneva would lead
to "wider understanding through meetings at higher levels."
15 Dec 55
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Presumably this language is intended to express support, not
only for a US-China meeting on the foreign minister level, but
also for a multinational conference on Far Eastern problems.
Both a Dulles-Chou meeting and a general conference have been
previously proposed by the Chinese Communists.
15 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 9
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TAIWAN STRAIT SITUATION
15 DECEMBER 1955
CHINESE COMMUNIST AIRFIELD LEGEND:
DESIGNATIONS
ACTIVE BASE FOR MILITARY /1 CIVILIAN AIR-
CRAFT. SOME BASES USED BY PISTON TYPES
MAY BE USABLE BY JETS
INACTIVE BASES CAPABLE OF USE BY AIRCRAFT
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RUNWAYS GENERALLY LESS THAN
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