CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/09/30

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03178379
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: September 30, 1956

CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
30 September 1956
Copy No.
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. EGYPT HALTS HIRING ON NEW SUEZ PILOTS
(page 3).
2. USSR REPORTEDLY WARNS ISRAEL OF "SERIOUS CON-
SEQUENCES" IN ATTACKS ON JORDAN
(page 4).
3. SUEZ CRISIS ADVERSELY AFFECTING BLOC TRADE WITH
CHINA .) (page 5).
4. DEATH OF NICARAGUAN PRESIDENT
, (page 6).
5. CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY LEADERSHIP
(page 7).
6. BRITAIN PUBLISHES CYPRIOT TERRORIST DOCUMENTS
(page 8).
30 Sept 56
THE ARAB-ISRAELI ITUATION
(page 9)
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1., EGYPT HALTS HIRING OF NEW SUEZ PILOTS
Comment
The Egyptian authorities have an-
nounced that over 200 pilots, about
the same number as were available before nationalization,
are now in Egypt. Of this number, 120 are described as
trainees, and 89 are said to be "fully trained!' However,
by no means all of this latter group are qualified to take
large ships through the canal. The first group of new for-
eign pilots, including Soviet personnel, reportedly will
take their qualifying examinations on 10 October.
No backlog of shipping has yet been
created at the canal, but the level of traffic remains about
10 ships per day lower than before nationalization.
30 Sept 56
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2. USSR REPORTEDLY WARNS ISRAEL OF "SERIOUS
CONSEQUENCES" IN ATTACKS ON JORDAN
Comment
This strong approach to Israel, if
accurately reported, emphasizes
Moscow's desire to keep the Arab-Israeli dispute from
flaring up during the Suez negotiations.
During the last two weeks, Soviet
propaganda has shown a strong pro-Arab bias in its re-
porting on Arab-Israeli border incidents. Radio Moscow
on 21 September pointed to the dangers of Israeli "provo-
cations" against Egypt and other Arab states in the event
of war over the Suez crisis.
30 Sept 56
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SUEZ CRISIS ADVERSELY AFFECTING BLOC TRADE
WITH CHINA
Comment
As of 12 September at least nine non-
bloc freighters normally involved in
the China trade had been withdrawn from charter opera-
tions involving a Suez transit. Such vessels, mainly Brit-
ish, carried approximately 25 percent of bloc shipments
to China in 1955. An even greater proportion of Chinese
shipments to Eastern Europe is carried in chartered non-
bloc ships.
Peiping's dependence on these vessels
has grown this year as bloc ships on Far East trade routes
are becoming increasingly involved in carrying cargoes un-
der barter agreements with South Asian countries.
30 Sept 56
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4. DEATH OF NICARAGUAN PRESIDENT
Comment on:
Nicaraguan president Somoza's death on
29 September may have international
repercussions in Central America. The
gun used by the assassin is reliably re-
ported to have been purchased by a prom-
inent Nicaraguan exile who is linked to an anti-Somoza rev-
olutionary group which may have close ties with Costa Rican
president Figueres. Figueres, implicated in an earlier 7t-
tem t a ainst Somoza.,
have conferred in early September with leading
�rTAmerican exiles in Mexico, including a Nicaraguan.
If evidence is found--or manufactured--to link the assassina-
tion with Figueres, the Nicaraguan government can be ex-
pected to react strongly, possibly to the extent of instigat-
ing an attempt on Figueres. In El Salvador, general hatred
of Somoza may hinder investigation of the assassin's con-
tacts there.
In Nicaragua, Somoza's death will lead to
a long period of political uncertainty and, possibly, vio-
lence. His 34-year old son, Luis has been confirmed by
congress as president for the balance of his father's term
ending next May. It is unlikely that he can rule with as strong
a hand as did his father. If he tries, he will probably be over-
thrown by the National Guard, Nicaragua's efficient army, which
will now probably assume a decisive role as political referee.
His brother,. Colonel Anastasio Somoza, Jr., the impulsive 32-
year-old director of the National Guard, is hated by many offi-
cers and his removal may be demanded as a condition for con-
tinued guard support of the government.
30 Sept 56
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5, CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY LEADERSHIP
Elections to the central organs of the
Chinese Communist Party's new cen-
tral committee confirm that Mao Tse-
tung continues to dominate the party.
The elections, like the proceedings of the party's eighth
congress as a whole, also provide strong evidence that
Liu �Shao-chi remains Mao's principal lieutenant, that
Chou En- lai remains in third place, and that Teng Hsiao-
ping has joined the top handful of party leaders.
Mao is to remain chairman of the cen-
tral committee and its politburo. Liu is to be the senior
vice-chairman, with Chou next in line. Mao has been re-
placed by Teng Hsiao-ping as head of the secretariat which
directs the routine work of the central committee. These
four persons, plus two lesser figures who have been for-
mally ranked fourth and fifth in the party for years, will
make up the politburo's new standing committee.
The politburo has been enlarged from
13 members to 17 members and six alternates. Eighteen
of the 23 members occupy key posts in the party and re-
gime. Four others are Mao's old comrades, and one of
the ten new members owes his elevation to prestige gained
as a military leader many years ago.
Almost all of the politburo members,
and most of the members of the new central committee,
have given evidence of strong bonds with the Soviet Union,
Although Mao and his principal lieutenants are not Soviet
puppets, they can be expected to view the maintenance of
the Sino-Soviet alliance, in Liu Shao-chi's words, as the
party's "supreme international duty."
30 Sept 56
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6. BRITAIN PUBLISHES CYPRIOT TERRORIST DOCUMENTS
Extracts from captured Cypriot terror-
ist documents published on 28 September
by the British government do not appear
to establish that the present Greek gov-
ernment has been implicated in supporting terrorism in the
colony, according to the American embassy in London.
The embassy comments that the docu-
ments published, which are a relatively small portion of the
captured papers in British possession, establish that Arch-
bishop Makarios was fully apprised of terrorist activities,
made the major decisions for the EOICA terrorist organiza-
tion, and was the main source of its funds. The documents
as published do not, however, implicate any Athens govern-
ment leaders since the death of Prime Minister Papagos
last October. The embassy doubts that the documents will
be as helpful to the British case as the Foreign Office claims.
Comment London has consistently displayed con-
fidence that the captured documents will
greatly strengthen the British case on the Cyprus issue, par-
ticularly in the forthcoming General Assembly.
Publication of an earlier selection of
EOICA documents appears to have strengthened EOKA's posi-
tion among the Greek-Cypriots and the public's impression
of the organization's strength and efficiency.
30 Sept 56
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Now
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 30 September)
UN truce chief General Burns appears to
be very pessimistic about the Israeli-Jordan border situation.
Burns told the American consulate general in Jerusalem on
28 September that his meeting with Israeli foreign minister
Meir had been entirely fruitless, and that Israel seemed to
him to have a "contemptuous diaregard" for the UN truce
machinery and for the interests of other powers in the sta-
bility of the area. Burns thought Israeli prime minister Ben-
Gurion was falling increasingly under the influence of his army
chief of staff, who is a leading proponent of forceful action in
Israeli-Arab relations. As for Jordan, Burns doubted that the
authorities would be able to control their border personnel, who
are in large part "primitive" national guard types rather than
the "well trained and disciplined personnel" called for by the
area commanders' agreement of April 1955. Burns also said
that at the height of the incident on the night of 25 September,
Jordanian chief of staff Nuwar sent him "ridiculous" messages
stating that Burns should don Jordanian uniform and proceed
to the scene of action in order to "get the feel of the situation."
The American embassy in Amman reports
that virtually all Jordanians are still gratified by the "beating"
which Arab propaganda claims the Jordanian forces have given
the Israelis. The embassy believes that at least in West Jordan
a truer description of the events of 25-26 September will .pass
by word of mouth and will produce increased bitterness among
the population against the army and the high command. This
reaction may in turn have an effect on t:ie oosition of Chief of
Staff Nuwar and even on
Five Egyptian military cargo -planes ar-
rived in Amman on 28 September, and eight more were reported
due to arrive the same day, with small and "medium" arms for
30 Sept 56
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Jordan's national guard. The American embassy notes that
these shipments are almost certainly part of Egypt's effort to
counteract the impression that Jordan must rely on Iraqi help
to defend itself against Israel.
30 Sept 56
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