CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/02/07

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03161872
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: February 7, 1957

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Approved for Release:
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
7 February 1957
Copy No. 131
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
I ; DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TiiSilkCipi
NEXT REVIEW DATE. Co V "Ir
AUTH: HR TO-
DAT
REVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOP SECRET
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3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c) 0.4
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V
CONTENTS
1. KING HUSSAIN'S POSITION CRITICAL
(page 3).
2, KING SAUD ORDERS NEW ARMS AID TO YEMEN FOR
HARASSING BRITISH IN ADEN (page 4).
1 3. SOVIET EFFORTS TO UNDERCUT GOMULKA
(page 5).
el 4. BONN CONSIDERING CLOSER RELATIONS WITH POLAND
AND OTHER SATELLITES (page 6).
19
5. INDIA PURCHASES 68 BRITISH JET LIGHT AIRCRAFT
(page 7).
01�
6. CENTRAL SUMATRA THREATENS MORE DRASTIC ACTION
AGAINST DJAKARTA (page 8).
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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1, KING HUSSAIN'S POSITION CRITICAL
Comment on:
King Hussain's recent anti-Communist
actions have involved him in a critical
battle with leftist elements which could
result in his loss of the throne
Reports that the government, at Hussain's
insistence, has banned Communist publi-
cations indicate that the king is still trying
to follow through on his 2 February letter
which pointed out the danger of Communism and implicitly
aligned him with the West.
army chief of staff
Nuwar was supporting the Nabulsi cabinet in its refusal to
follow the king's wishes in regard to appointment of key offi-
cials. Nuwar knew the army would not
support him in any other course, the pro-
Egyptian "free officers" were "very confident" and "prepared
for any eventuality," that the major political parties�espe-
cially the left-wing Socialists and the Communists--had de-
cided to stand together to resist the king, and that more than
two thirds of the members of the lower house of parliament
support the cabinet.
This Egyptian picture of nearly unanimous
opposition to the king is probably overdrawn, but it is clear
that the leftists and extreme nationalists are, with Egyptian
assistance, rallying their supporters. The king seems unlikely
to prevail against them unless he evinces more determination
than he has shown in the past and receives substantial out-
side assistance.
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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_ _
2. KING SAUD ORDERS NEW ARMS AID TO YEMEN FOR
HARASSING BRITISH IN ADEN
Comment on:
King Saud instructed his brother, Crown
Prince Faisal, on 1 February to send
"not less than a thousand" rifles "quickly"
to Yemen "by the well-known way,"
A few days earlier the Imam of Yemen
had asked Saud for 1,000 rifles and ammunition--saying he was
unable to fulfill all the requests for arms from inhabitants of
Aden Protectorate who wished to resist British oppression.
The Imam claimed that Egypt had not sent the necessary arms
and that the USSR had offered to barter a very large arms sup-
ply which Yemen had refused, The Imam closed by asking what
Saud would think if Yemen were to buy arms from Czechoslo-
vakia, "since as your majesty realizes, necessity knows no
law!'
The Imam's message suggests that Saud
may be unaware of the extent of Yemen's arms deals with the
Soviet bloc. In addition to a large shipment of Soviet arms to
Yemen during October prior to the closing of the Suez Canal,
some emergency shipments of Soviet light arms are being flown
to Yemen via Saudi Arabia, apparently without the king's knowledge.
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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3. SOVIET EFFORTS TO UNDERCUT GOMULKA
The Soviet embassy in Warsaw is inter-
fering in Polish internal affairs in order
to undermine the position of First Secre-
tary Gomulka, and Gomulka is convinced
that he must inflict a final defeat on the Stalinists and purge
them from the party administration,
the embassy was re-
ported to be concentrating on strengthening Stalinist elements
in local party organizations. numerous Stalin-
ists had been elected as delegates to the forthcoming Warsaw
party conference, and Gomulka is reported to have ordered
investigations to determine if these elections were fraudulent.
These elections threaten the position of Stefan Staszewski,
Warsaw first secretary who was one of Gomulkais most prom-
inent supporters during the October revolution. The Soviet
embassy is giving support to Stanislaw Pawlak, a secretary
of the Warsaw provincial party organization.
Local Economy
Minister MijaPs recent public attack against Ciomulka's agri-
cultural policies was made at the instance of the Soviet am-
bassador. The embassy is also trying to pre-
vent the official recognitiOn of several youth organizations
representing various points of view as a replacement for the
Polish Communist youth organization.
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 15
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4., BONN CONSIDERING CLOSER RELATIONS WITH POLAND
AND OTHER SATELLITES
The head of the political division of the
West German Foreign Ministry told
American representatives on 4 February
that the government is actively consid-
ering ways and means of reorienting
Polish trade toward the West and increas-
ing German-Polish cultural and technical
contacts.
On the same day, a Foreign Ministry spokes-
man told the press that Bonn was thinking of establishing trade
missions in the Satellites generally.
Comment Bonn is apparently planning a cautious im-
provement in relations with the countries
of Eastern Europe. This is the first official statement that
trade missions are contemplated. Chancellor Adenauer, how-
ever, told journalists in Berlin on 2 February that West Germany
was not contemplating a long-term loan to Poland.
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
CONFIDENTIAL
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5. INDIA PURCHASES 68 BRITISH JET LIGHT AIRCRAFT
New Delhi has announced its signature of
a contract to purchase 68 Canberra jet
light aircraft from Britain, according to
the American air attach�n New Delhi.
A press report from London states that
the order calls for 54 bombers, six
trainers, and eight photographic recon-
naissance aircraft.
The air attach�n New Delhi notes that
the timing of India's decision may have been influenced by
the UN resolution on Kashmir.
Comment India has been negotiating with Britain'
for over a year over the purchase of
Canberras. Although technical considerations were a fac-
tor which held up the signing of the contract, the chief cause
of the delay apparently was indecision as to whether or not
to accept a Soviet offer to provide IL-28 jet light bombers,
reportedly at half the price of Canberras.
The government's decision reflects its un-
willingness to become dependent on Soviet sources of supply
for important types of military equipment despite the differ-
ence in cost.
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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6. CENTRAL SUMATRA THREATENS MORE DRASTIC ACTION
AGAINST DJAKARTA
Comment on:
The resignation of Indonesian prime
minister All was demanded at a mass
rally in Padang, Central Sumatra, on
5 February. A resolution calling for
the resumption by former vice presi-
dent Hatta of joint responsibility with President Sukarno
was passed. The resolution called on the Central Sumatra
ruling council to "take more radical action" in the event
that All refuses to resign.
The renewal of Sumatran demands,
coupled with threats to break with Djakarta, probably re-
sults from the failure of the recent conference of Sumatran
army officers with the chief of staff to solve Sumatran mili-
tary and political problems. The Nandlatul Ulama, the
Moslem party which is the key to the cabinet's survival and
which has followed a vacillating course in response to events
in Sumatra, may again decide to desert All, and thus bring
about the fall of the cabinet.
Meanwhile, dissident military authorities
in South Sumatra have banned strikes following reports that
the Communist labor federation planned to promote labor un-
rest in protest against the arrest of several Sumatran Com-
munist leaders.
7 Feb 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
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