CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/08/19

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03448352
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: August 19, 1955

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19 August 1955
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. -5-0
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. /
DECLA,SSIRED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUT HR 70-2
- DATE: ii/ 4/84:2_, REVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1� NATO WARNED OF MAJOR FRENCH TROOP TRANSFER
TO NORTH AFRICA (page 3).
2. TOKYO DESIRES REVISION OF US-JAPAN SECURITY
TREATY (page 4).
3. COMMENT ON LATEST SOUTH KOREAN CHARGES
AGAINST JAPAN (page 5).
4, SOUTH KOREA ORDERS NEW DEMONSTRATIONS
AGAINST TRUCE TEAMS (page 6).
5. RECTO REPORTEDLY TO BE EXCLUDED FROM
NACIONALISTA TICKET (page 7).
6. SYRIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (page 8).
7. ARAB LEAGUE ENTERS JORDAN VALLEY
NEGOTIATIONS (page 9).
8. BRITISH NAVAL SQUADRON TO VISIT LENINGRAD
IN OCTOBER (page 10).
9. ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER INVITED TO VISIT
MOSCOW (page 11).
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A 416.
L NATO WARNED OF MAJOR FRENCH TROOP TRANSFER
TO NORTH AFRICA
The French minister of national de-
fense has informed General Gruenther
that his government may be compelled
to send additional French NATO-com-
mitted units to North Africa. The French plan "in case
of emergency" to move two battalions, one of them from
an M-plus-3 armored division, and "in case of absolute
necessity," they plan to send the M-day 4th Motorized
Infantry Division, which is now in Germany.
Comment Over the past year, France has drawn
heavily on its NATO-committed re-
serve forces for North Africa, but has tried to avoid re-
ducing the strength of its actual M-day contribution to the
"NATO shield."
Announcement of the plan regarding
the 4th Motorized Infantry Division, for which no replace-
ment would appear to be available, is the first concrete
indication that the French government has reached the
point of giving absolute priority to North African oper-
ations over its NATO commitments in Europe. Although
the effect of such a move on France's official NATO
policy has not been acknowledged, such a policy change
was advocated during the National Assembly debate on
the military budget in July.
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1 'ii
2. TOKYO DESIRES REVISION OF US-JAPAN SECURITY
TREATY
Japanese foreign minister Shigemitsu
told Ambassador Allison on 17 Aup.
gust he believes a mutual defense
treaty should replace the present
security treaty as the basis for Japan's defense rela-
tions with the United States. He asserted such a treaty
would blunt leftist criticism that Japan has unequal sta-
tus and is in a position of dependence under the existing
defense arrangements.
Shigemitsu said he intended to discuss
changing the defense relationship in general terms
during his forthcoming visit to Washington and that he
would expect to conduct any detailed negotiations in
Tokyo. He was confident the idea of a mutual defense
pact would have full Japanese cabinet approval.
Comment 'Growing nationalistic sentiment has
made the Japanese increasingly sensi-
tive to the fact that the security treaty was concluded
while Japan was still under occupation. Leftist elements
have cited the presence of American bases as evidence
that Japan continues to have an inferior status. The
Japanese may hope that a mutual defense arrangement
would give them greater authority in determining the
nature and extent of the defense measures to be under-
taken,
The Japanese government publicly
justifies its plans for a build-up of military forces as
the only way to secure a revision of the security treaty
and a withdrawal of American forces.
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3. COMMENT ON LATEST SOUTH KOREAN CHARGES
AGAINST JAPAN
The South Korean government's
latest public charges against Japan
appear timed at least in part to de-
tract from Japanese foreign minis-
ter Shigemitsu's impending visit to the United States.
They are also part of President Rhee's attempt to
induce
the United States to intervene in South Korea's behalf
on issues in dispute between Seoul and Tokyo.
An official South Korean press re-
lease on 17 August stated that Korean-Japanese relations
have reached a "breaking pointy It accused Japan of
having political and economic designs on Korea and of
desiring to develop relations with Communist countries.
American officials in Seoul and
Tokyo are convinced that Rhee has no real desire to
reach an agreement with Japan on any subject.
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SOUTH KOREA ORDERS NEW DEMONSTRATIONS
AGAINST TRUCE TEAMS
Comment
Fthee has apparently chosen to
ignore American warnings that constructive steps to
terminate the truce inspection system cannot be taken
in the face of Korean pressure.
200 American compound guards
from the 24th Division were scheduled to return north
to their unit Renewal of pressure against
the compounds may have been ordered on the assumption
that their defenses had been weakened.
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5. RECTO REPORTEDLY TO BE EXCLUDED FROM
NACIONALISTA TICKET
At a meeting with Nacionalista Party
senators on 15 August, President
Magsaysay obtained unanimous sup-
port for his proposed exclusion of
Senator Recto on the party's senatorial slate for next
November's election,
Comment The Nacionalista nominating con-
vention will meet on 21 August. At
a recent social gathering, Senator Recto informed Am-
bassador Ferguson that he might not be in the Senate
next year, but suggested he might seek the presidency
in 1957.
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6. SYRIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The election of 69-year-old Shukri
al-Quwatli on 18 August as presi-
dent of Syria appears to mark a re-
turn of old-guard conservatives to
a dominant political position.
Quwatli's success apparently was
secured by a deal between his Nationalist Party and the
Populists, another conservative grouping.
as a result of this deal,
Populist Adnan Atasi, son of Syria's strongly conserva-
tive outgoing president, will head the new cabinet which
must be named after the election.
An alliance between the Nationalists
and Populists would probably restrict the influence of
the leftist Arab Socialist-Resurrectionist Party and the
present anti-Western foreign minister, nand al-Azm.
Azm was the only candidate who stayed in the lists
against Quwatli.
The perennial threat of an army
coup--the army ousted Quwatli in 1949 during his previ-
ous term as president�also appears to have beenparried
for the time being by a deal with Chief of Staff Shuqayr,
Although Quwatli's candidacy was
supported by Egyptian and Saudi Arabian money, he has
recently assumed the posture of being neither pro-
Egyptian nor anti-Iraqi. Political pressures in Syria
and Quwatli's own personal inclinations are likel
him and the next cabinet in this neutral position.
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7. ARAB LEAGUE ENTERS JORDAN VALLEY
NEGOTIATIONS
A "hurried meeting" has been held
in Cairo by representatives of mem-
bers of the Arab League to discuss
Ambassador Eric Johnston's forth-
coming visit to negotiate plans for the development of
the Jordan valley. Egyptian foreign minister Fawzi
told Ambassador Byroade on 16 August that the meet-
ing, called at Egypt's initiative, had unanimously rec-
ommended delay of Johnston's visit.
Fawzi stated that his government,
which had first felt that it should remain aloof from
actual negotiations, now believes the matter should be
dealt with by all the Arab states jointly. Fawzi seemed
to feel that states like Saudi Arabia, hitherto uninvolved
in the negotiations, could be "handled" so as not to raise
undue complications.
Comment Reports from Lebanon and Jordan
confirm that top officials of these
states agree with Cairo that the Arab League as a whole
must be brought into negotiations on the Johnston plan.
Lebanese and Jordanian leaders evidence reluctance to
enter conclusive negotiations which involve Israel and
the touchy subject of Arab refugees unless the other
Arab states are formally associated with them.
This development is almost certain
to delay and confuse the negotiations.
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