CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/11/06

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03002348
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: November 6, 1955

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6 November 1955
Copy No.
100
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS,
n DECLASSWIED
CLASS CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT RENREW DATE: 2 0
AUTH: HR 70-2 ice
DATE: PriEVIEVVER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. CHINESE COMMUNISTS MAY BID FOR LEBANESE
RECOGNITION (page 3).
2.
*PLEMENTATION OF GENEVA
AGREEMENT ON INDOCHINA (page 4).
6 Nov 55
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 5)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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1. CHINESE COMMUNISTS MAY BID FOR LEBANESE
RECOGNITION
The question of Lebanese diplomatic
recognition of the Peiping regime
will probably be raised in conjunc-
tion with a Chinese Communist bid
for closer Sino-Lebanese trade relations A statement
to this effect was made to the press by a spokesman of
the Chinese Communist trade delegation which arrived
in Beirut on 3 November.
The Chinese Nationalist minister in
Beirut believes that a commercial accord between Lebanon
and Communist China is likely, but that there is little
chance Beirut will grant Peiping diplomatic recognition.
The American ambassador in Beirut comments that while
a trade treaty would have little economic significance, it
would be a step toward eventual recognition.
Comment Sino Lebanese trade has been negli-
gible, and Chinese Communist efforts
in Lebanon, as in Syria, are almost purely political.
Whether Beirut grants Peiping diplomatic recognition
will probably depend on the course taken by Egypt and
Syria.
Peiping's program of winning Arab
friendship through establishment of trade ties appears to
be meeting success with the conclusion of a pact with Egypt
and apparently successful negotiations with Syria. (Con-
curred in by ORR)
6 Nov 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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2,
IMPLEMENTATION OF GENEVA
AGREEMENT ON INDOCHINA
the entire Geneva agree-
/ 1
ment on Indochina is in danger of being wrecked because of
Diem's refusal, with the "open support of the *United States,"
to enter into consultations with the Viet Minh. the
two chairmen to take the necessary steps so that a consulta-
tive conference on general elections will be held immediately
by the authorities of the two zones of Vietnam.
Comment
Although the final date specified in the
Geneva declaration for the opening of
consultations on elections, 20 July 1955, passed with the
Communists restricting their reaction to the propaganda
field, they continue to insist that there must be no deviation
from the Geneva terms.
Peiping is obviously trying to win Burma's support for its
position.
6 Nov 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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THE ARAB- ISRAE LI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700 6 November)
Small-scale raids and local exchanges
of fire are keeping the situation tense on the Egyptian-
Israeli frontier. Several minor incidents have also been
reported on the Israeli-Jordanian border. (Press)
Israeli spokesmen, in discussing the
Israeli attack of 2 November in the El Auja area, have in-
sisted to American officials that there was no counter-
attack as Cairo has claimed, and that the Egyptian posi-
tion at Sabha was reoccupied only after Israeli troops had
withdrawn. Impressions of American newsmen returning
from the area tend to support the Israeli version. An
Israeli military spokesman has told American officials
that the Israelis would welcome an attempt at retaliation
because they would then have an opportunity to "clobber"
the Egyptian army.
anticipates a re-
sumption of Egyptian terrorist activity, but apparently ex-
pects no major military action. The Israeli Defense Force
has released 85 percent of the civilian buses and a number
of other vehicles it had mobilized before the El Auja attack.
A number of minor incidents and exchanges
of fire have been reported on the Israeli-Jordanian border.
Israel has charged that Jordanian infiltrators attempted to
blow up two houses on the Israeli side of the border on 5
November. Jordan has alleged that an Israeli patrol pene-
trated its territory on 6 November, but was driven back by
Arab Legion forces. (Press)
Syria continues to maintain its alert on
the Israeli frontier, but no activity has been reported here
since a brief exchange of fire on 4 November, The Syrian
chief of staff has assured the American army attache in
Damascus that he has not issued any mobilization orders.
6 Nov 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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A UN plan which has been delivered to
Egypt and Israel calls for Egyptian military evacuation of
the El Auja demilitarized zone, for limitation of Israeli
personnel in the zone to civilians and 30 policemen, and
for a permanent demarcation of the border in that area. In
Washington, the Egyptian and Israeli ambassadors responded
on 5 November to an American demarche supporting the UN
peace plan by expressing their countries' willingness to con-
sider the proposals, though each ambassador blamed the
other's country for the continued tension.
Israel's intention to conduct this week
the first production test of an oil well at Heletz in Israeli
territory near the northern tip of the Egyptian-occupied Gaza
strip may lead to new border incidents. The newly discov-
ered oil-bearing formation being tapped by the Israelis is
believed to extend into the Gaza strip,
has already warned frontier
forces that the oil discovery may result in Israeli action
against the Gaza strip.
France will probably soon recommence
arms shipments to Egypt, and is prepared to furnish mili-
tary equipment to Syria, French spokesmen told Ambassa-
dor Dillon in Paris on 4 November. The French plan to
balance this action by authorizing the delivery of Mystere
jet fighters to Israel. the
Israelis approve of the French decision to start arms deliv-
eries to Egypt as they consider it preferable to have West-
ern powers rather than the USSR furnish arms to the
Egyptians.
Egyptian premier
Nasr told the Iraqi foreign minister that he would like to
have France resume arms deliveries to Egypt and that he
would prefer to have Egypt obtain its supplies from the West
rather than from the East.
According to the Jordanian Defense Min-
istry, Britain plans to deliver about 15 November the 10
jets it has agreed to send to Jordan.
6 Nov 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
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Cairo,
agreed to increase to 90 the total num-
ber of Soviet bloc aircraft experts coming to Egypt. As of
26 October, 42 Soviet bloc experts had already arrived to
help assemble the jet aircraft which had begun to arrive in
Alexandria by ship four days earlier.
On 29 October, however, Premier Nasr
turned down a Soviet offer of a $600,000,000 loan for the
construction of the proposed high dam at Aswan
Nasr allegedly
rejected the offer because it was conditioned on Egypt's mak-
ing full use of Russian experts and technicians. Earlier,
Egyptian officials had said the USSR had given the impres-
sion it was not interested in sending technicians and other
personnel to Egypt unless requested.
the 24 Soviet technicians at
the Dikheila air base supervising the handling and assembly
of aircraft are being rigidly restricted to the airfield.
A Soviet-Israeli trade agreement was
concluded in Moscow on 3 November calling for the exchange
next year of citrus fruits for crude and fuel oil. The agree-
ment provides for trade to continue at about the same level
as called for in arrangements for the current year.
6 Nov 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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