CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/10/11

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03178381
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: October 11, 1956

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11 October 1956
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/ CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
/ BULLETIN
Copy No 112
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
SIJ DECLASSiFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTH: HR 70-
DATE:
REVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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No,
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N.Noir
CONTENTS
1. WEST GERMAN CABINET SHAKE-UP MAY BE IMMINENT
(page 3).
2. BELGIUM SEEN REDUCING MILITARY SERVICE TERM
(page 4).
3. RESIGNATION OF MINC PORTENDS RETURN OF GOMULKA
TO POLISH POLITBURO (page 5).
4. SHAH STRIVES FOR CLOSER TURKISH-IRANIAN COLLABO-
RATION (page 6).
5. BURMA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND THE USSR AGREE ON
PAYMENTS ARRANGEMENT (page 7).
11 Oct 56
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 8)
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1. WEST GERMAN CABINET SHAKE-UP MAY BE IMMINENT
A reorganization of the Bonn cabinet
will soon be announced
In the main shifts, Vice Chancellor
Bluecher would be replaced by Karl Arnold, former min-
ister president of the important industrial state of North
Rhine Westphalia. This shift would conciliate the left-wing
element of the Christian Democratic Party and offset the
demotion of unpopular Defense Minister Blank, a trade union
man, to the Labor Ministry post. Blank is to be replaced
by Minister of Atomic Affairs Strauss, a move possibly fore-
shadowing greater emphasis on atomic rather than conven-
tional weapons for the West German army,
Meanwhile. Minister Blank
is
u r may give o increasing
pressure to replace him. Blank made no mention of any de-
cision having been reached at the recent cabinet meeting,
and states that the whole matter of a cabinet reshuffle will
be discussed by Adenauer and coalition leaders on 11 October
in Berlin.
11 Oct 56
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2, BELGIUM SEEN REDUCING MILITARY SERVICE TERM
The Belgian government may follow
West Germany's example and reduce
the compulsory military service term
to 12 months, according to Ambassador
Alger in Brussels. Several Belgian
defense officials have told Alger that
Belgium might be unable to maintain its
18-month service period beyond 1 Janu-
ary. Prime Minister Van Acker is
quo e y ium's NATO representative, De Staercke, to
the effect that Belgium "must be the first" to follow the
German lead if attacks from the Social Christian opposi-
tion are to be avoided in the 1958 elections. De Staercke
considers the prospect of a general reduction in military
service a more serious threat "to NATO and to peace"
than the Suez question,
Comment Political competition on the military
service issue is likely in view of the
fact that a promised reduction in the service term helped
the Socialist-Liberal coalition in the 1954 Belgian elections.
Current Belgian proposals for a reduction in force goals
are attributable in part to this promise.
The Norwegian government, which is un-
der similar pressure, is certain to make some move toward
reduction of the term of service prior to the parliamentary
elections next fall, and Denmark would follow Norway's ex-
ample. The Dutch fear that similar pressures will develop
in the Netherlands,
11 Oct 56
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3. RESIGNATION OF MINC PORTENDS RETURN OF
GOMULKA TO POLISH POLITBURO
The resignation of Hilary Mine as vice
premier and politburo member removes
the last member of the former ruling
triumvirate of Bierut, Berman, and Mine
which purged the nationalist Communist
leader, Wladyslaw Gomulka, in 1948. It is probably a pre-
lude to Gomulka's return to the politburo, which may be an-
nounced at the central committee plenum reportedly sched-
uled to be held on 15 October.
Various reports have indicated that nego-
tiations have long been in progress between Gomulka and
politburo members concerning his return to participation in
party affairs, and Gomulka reportedly was demanding the re-
moval of Mine as one of the conditions for his return. Gomulka
has widespread popularity among the Polish people as one who
opposed Polish subservience to Moscow and pressure for col-
lectivization. His strength stems from his popularity with the
lower echelons of the party, and he will probably be a strong
proponent of policies designed to improve the Polish standard
of living and continue the liberalization program.
Gomulka was reinstated as a party mem-
ber by the seventh plenum of the Polish United Workers Party
in July, although he had never fully recanted his opposition to
party policies and his refusal to condemn Tito in 1948. The
Polish regime may feel that in recalling him it would demon-
strate its stability and would convince the motile that it is
adopting more liberal policies.
11 Oct 56
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4. SHAH STRIVES FOR CLOSER TURKISH-IRANIAN
COLLABORATION
The Shah stressed the need for greater
Turkish-Iranian collaboration
the railways of the two countries should be
"unified" immediately, an oil pipeline should be constructed
from Iran through Turkey to the Mediterranean, and arms and
ammunition should be "co-ordinated." The Shah also sought
assurances of Turkish assistance in Iranian air defense.
Comment Iran feels insecure in its new Baghdad
pact defense role and wants assurance that
its territorial integrity will be guaranteed. It is especially
anxious to acquire additional American aid and the early ac-
cession of the United States to the pact. The Shah regards
Turkey as one of the strongest military powers in the Middle
East and was greatly impressed by Turkey's show of air strength
during his visit there last May.
The Shah is also seeking closer co-opera-
tion with Turkey through exchanges of students and officers
and through an exchange of training officers.
11 Oct 56
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5. BURMA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND THE USSR AGREE ON
PAYMENTS ARRANGEMENT
Burma, the USSR and Czechoslovakia
signed a protocol on 9 October provid-
ing for "convertibility of currency" in
trade relations with each other, accord-
ing to a TASS announcement. This agreement, which Rangoon
has been seeking for some time, will probably go a long way
toward overcoming Burma's dissatisfaction with its barter
trade with the Soviet bloc.
During the first half of 1956 the USSR
absorbed approximately 40 percent of Burmese exports to
the bloc. Czechoslovakia, on the other hand, was the source
of over 50 percent of Burma's imports from the bloc while
taking almost nothing in exchange. The currency converti-
bility agreement will permit Burma to use its credits with
the USSR to obtain goods from Czechoslovakia.
This is the first time the USSR is known
to have made such an arrangement with a non-Communist
country, which attests to the importance Moscow attaches
to its economic offensive in Burma.
11 Oct 56
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1),1- CA.AXE,
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 10 October)
wo Israeli citrus workers were killed by Arab in-
filtrators near an Israeli village about 6 miles from the Jorda-
nian border. Israel is convinced that many of the recent actions
of this sort have been carried out by terrorist bands under &Evo,.
tian direction.
According to a press report from Amman,
an Israeli plane flying over the Jerusalem district in Jordan was
forced to retreat when Jordanian forces opened antiaircraft fire.
According to the report, Israeli ground forces in the area then
opened fire on Jordanian forces with automatic and light arms in
an exchange lasting about one hour. (Press)
The Israeli foreign minister told the Ain@r.
ican ambassador on 9 October that Israel is withdrawing its con:
ditional acquiescence in the movement of Iraqi troops into Jordai
until a number of facts are made known to Tel Aviv. According
to the foreign minister, Israel wants assurances that Iraqi troop
movements are not connected with an Iraqi-British program to
force Israel into negotiations which would involve territorial con-
cessions, or with an Iraqi-Jordanian treaty detrimental to Israel's
security. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman charged on
10 October that the real objective of Iraq's recent proposal for
a peace settlement with Israel on the basis of the 1947 UN reso-
lutions was to jeopardize Israel's "sovereignty and entity" and
was only a cover for Iraqi territorial expansion.
The American army attach�n Amman has
been told that the movement
of Iraqi troops into J ()radii woula pronamy result in Arab fight-
ing Arab. The attach�elieves that Iraqi troops will be stationed
not only at Mafraq but also at Amman, with the purpose of stopping
11 Oct 56
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civil outbreaks while the Jordanian army is deployed on the
west bank of the Jordan River. The attach�lso considers
that Egypt may direct an effort to overthrow King Hussain as
a result of his inviting Iraqi troops into Jordan.
A press report from Amman stated that
the second consignment of Iraqi military supplies in two weeks
arrived in Jordan aboard two large transport planes. The
Iraqi embassy there said it intended to "pour military and fi-
nancial aid" into Jordan to help protect Jordan from any future
Israeli attacks. (Press)
II Oct 56
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