CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/02/08

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03157464
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: February 8, 1955

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO
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NO CHANGE IN CLASS
El DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE: 2-� 0
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE: t T-IwtO REVIENIAT:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
SOVIET UNION
1. American embassy reports on current status of top Soviet leader-
ship (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Leftists obtain strong position in large Cambodian party (page 3
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Eden favors Iraqi proposal for treaty with US and Britain (page 4
4. Comment on Iraqi-Egyptian test of strength (page 5).
LATIN AMERICA
5,
* * * *
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SOVIET UNION
1. American embassy reports on current status of top Soviet leader-
ship:
The American embassy in Moscow re-
ports that, as of 6 February, Malenkov's
name had not been mentioned once by
speakers at the current Supreme Soviet
session. Khrushchev, on the other hand,
had been named by over half the speak-
ers, although all of their references
have not been carried in the press sum-
maries of the debates.
The repeated requests of the Hearst
newspaper group now in the USSR to see Premier Malenkov.have
so far been ignored, although they have already seen Molotov and
Khrushchev and have been promised interviews with Defense Min-
ister Bulganin, Marshal Zhukov, and even Stalin's daughter,
Svetlana.
Comment: Kingsbury Smith, in his re-
lease, reported Khrushchev as saying flatly that Western specu-
lation on differences between himself and Malenkov is wishful
thinking and illustrating this with a story showing that interpreta-
tion is a highly subjective process. The many references to party
secretary Khrushchev by the second-level officials at the Supreme
Soviet session constitute the strongest indication to date that
Khrushchev may now be the top figure within the collective leader-
ship. The Supreme Soviet will continue in session several days
longer, and the speakers at these sessions, one of whom will
deliver an address on foreign affairs, may well shed further light
on Malenkov's status.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Leftists obtain strong position in large Cambodian party:
The recently elected directorate of the
Democratic Party, the most influential
political organization in Cambodia, has
8 Feb 55
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3
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a strong pro-Communist coloration. This resulted from with-
drawal of principal party leaders from the balloting following a
deadlock between their moderate-monarchist coalition and the
leftists.
Ambassador McClintock is concerned
over the possibility that the moderates will bolt the party. He
asserts that in this eventuality Son Ngoc Thanh, the Icing's chief
political rival, will undoubtedly assume leadership of the party.
The ambassador warns, however, that the mass of the popula-
tion, ignorant of what is going on, will vote for the Democrats
in the April elections and thus give "powerful and unmerited sup-
port" to the Communist-inclined leadership that controls the
party machine.
Comment: The Democratic Party won
majorities in both previous national elections.
the Communist-supported Khmer-Issaraks
intend to work through the Democratic Party during the forthcom-
ing elections campaign in order to place as many of their adher-
ents as possible in the national legislature. The Khmer-Issaraks
hav,e long been interested in the opportunistic Son Ngoc Thanh.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Eden favors Iraqi proposal for treaty with US and Britain:
Foreign Secretary Eden takes a favorable
view of the Iraqi proposal that the United
States and Britain sign a pact with Turkey
and Iraq in March or April. According to
the Foreign Office, Eden feels that this matter is of great urgency.
Comment: Such an arrangement would be
an important step toward Britain's goal of Western participation in
any regional defense agreement for the Middle East. Britain may
believe it will retain under a multilateral arrangement some of the
rights it has under the Anglo-Iraqi treaty of 1930, which expires in
1957.
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Comment on Iraqi-Egyptian test of strength:
The inability of the Cairo conference of
Arab prime ministers, which ended on
6 February, to resolve the struggle be-
tween Egypt and Iraq over the latter's
proposed pact with Turkey suggests that the Arab world will now
be split into two or more camps.
Egypt, supported by. Saudi Arabia and
Yemen, appears headed toward neutralism and possibly toward
an active anti-Westernism. The remaining Arab states tend to
support Iraq's position. Egypt and Saudi Arabia will intensify
their campaign to prevent any Arab alignment with Baghdad and
to overthrow the Iraqi government and that of any Arab state seek-
ing to follow its lead.
Iraq, which for the moment holds the
psychological advantage by having flouted Egypt's hegemony over
the Arab world, may retain the initiative if it concludes imme-
diately the proposed treaty with Turkey.
8 Feb 55
LATIN AMERICA
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
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