CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/05/08

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
02995619
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
8
Document Creation Date: 
October 25, 2019
Document Release Date: 
October 31, 2019
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
May 8, 1956
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PDF icon CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULL[15740209].pdf178.32 KB
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Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 �7"0�P�SEritET-- 11; CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN � ///j, fr ee 16, 3.3(h)(2) 8 May 1956 opy NO. DOCUMENT NC). NO CHANGE 11'4 CLASS. DECLASSIFIED al NCX T RE viEW DATE: CLASS. CHANGED 10: T:i !'., c.: Au 344-ft_ REVIEWER: OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE . AGENCY 103 y Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 �Top SECRET� 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 I 14-1'1 s. CONTENTS 1. 1. CZECH TRADE MISSION EXPECTED IN BOGOTA (page 3). PRO-EGYPTIAN MAY BECOME COMMANDER OF JORDAN'S ARAB LEGION (page 4). 3. POLISH LEADER JAKUB BERMAN DISMISSED (page 5). 4. UPRISINGS IN WESTERN CHINA (page 6). 8 May 56 * * * * THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION (page 7) Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2 -TOP-5E�RE T Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 TOP SECRET 1. CZECH TRADE MISSION EXPECTED IN BOGOTA arms ea A nine-man Czechoslovak trade mission is expected to arrive in Bogota within a few days to sell aircraft, trucks and automobiles and to negotiate a $20,000,000 mi ed by a private Colombian firm, accord- In response to an inquiry, the Colombian foreign minister told Ambassador Bonsai on 5 May that "two or three" Czechs had been granted visas to visit Colombia to investigate trade possibilities with private individuals but that no official trade mission or government-to-government negotiations are contemplated. Comment Colombian air force officers, reportedly on personal orders from President Rojas, have been seeking aircraft from other than US sources since last summer. (Concurred in by ORR) 8 May 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3 TOP ECRE Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 NIF 2. PRO-EGYPTIAN MAY BECOME COMMANDER OF JORDAN'S ARAB LEGION told Ambassador Mallory on 6 May that he expects Lieutenant Colonel Al! Nuwar to replace Major General Radhi Innab as commander of the Arab Legion in the near future. The ambassador stated that promotion of "this hot-eyed, anti-Western fanatic" would increase political instability in Jordan and widen dissension in the Arab Legion. Mallory said that Nuwar's rapid rise has created much personal resentment and jealousy and there are already signs of anti-Nuwar groupings. Comment The recent series of arrests of Arab Legion officers was directed pri- marily against the anti-Nuwar group. The accession of Nuwar and his clique to top positions in the Legion, with Egyptian and Syrian encouragement, would indicate Jordan's closer alignment with Cairo. 8 May 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4 SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Adi 3. POLISH LEADER JAKUB BERMAN DISMISSED Comment on: The removal of Jakub Berman from his post as deputy premier of the Council of Ministers and member of the politburo of the Polish United Workers (Communist) Party on 6 May indicates that the new party leadership is rapidly extending its control over the party and the gov- ernment. First Secretary Edward Ochab, a militant Moscow-oriented Communist, is emerging as the most powerful of the new leaders. Other newcomers to power since the war such as Zenon Nowak and Roman Zambrowski, both members of the politburo, and Wladyslaw Matwin, mem- ber of the party secretariat, will exercise increased power. Berman, a close associate of Stalin, was a member of the triumvirate that ruled Poland until the death of former first secretary Boleslaw Bierut in March and which included economic czar Hilary Minc, who report- edly is ill in Moscow. A recent high-ranking Polish defector stated that the promotion of Ochab to the position of first secretary two months ago might mean the removal of Berman as a result of the enmity existing between the two men. Berman controlled intellectual and prop- aganda matters during the Stalin era. A recent writers' con- ference reportedly demanded that the politburo members responsible for Stalinist practices be removed, and the new leadership has been attempting to placate such groups. 8 May 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5 ECT? ET Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 liaL4 4. UPRISINGS IN WESTERN CHINA Comment on: JAMMU AND KASHMIR 1.55-610/515. D.SPUT INDIA 6050/ 5 according to press accounts from Nepal and India several hundred Chinese troops have been killed. It does not appear that the Chinese Communists have lost control of the situation, but they are still deeply concerned with security precautions. Lhasa. 7 MAY 1956 Uprising in Western China FIGHTING REPORTED ? TOP 31iI0 MILES 8 May 56 1S1NGHAI 7 EC h ',V AN Wong Kangting Taocheng ,'Chungking iangche iiNNAN BURMA THAILAND NORTH VIETNAM Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6 TOP ET Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619 LIEU niErettAL Ak THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION (Information as of 1700, 7 May) Israel has charged that Egyptian troops have violated the cease-fire agreements by opening fire on Israeli settlers at Nirim, near the Gaza strip, and by cross- ing the demarcation line into Israel in the same area. No casualties were reported. (Press) (See also item 2, p. 4.) 8 May 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7 NTMEN Tit 1 I, Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995619