CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/03/27

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03160434
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: March 27, 1957

'Approved forRelease: 22.1,9/1p04 C03160434,7
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
/7 v
3.5(c)
27 March 1957
Copy No.
13
p
NEXT REVEW DATE:
c,i..A.:-.2S. -I.ANI74ED TO: .1-3 uo__
_,.
AUTH.
DATE,
REVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SECRET 17/7
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V
CONTENTS
HAMMARSKJOLD-NASR TALKS
(page 3
USSR CALLS FOR "TEMPORARY" BAN ON TESTING
`-) NUCLEAR WEAPONS (page 4).
6\6. THE SITUATION IN JORDAN
(page 5).
4. AFGHAN PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT NEAR EAST AND
k EUROPE (page 6).
)
1
Alf n5. ACTION BY RHEE STRENGTHENS YI KI-PUNG AS
(/\�` SUCCESSOR (page 7).
27 Mar 57
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
TeP�SEeRET
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4
1. HAMMARSKJOLD-NASR TALKS
Comment on:
Egyptian president Nasr apparently
has agreed with UN Secretary General
Hammarskjold that Egypt will not press
for the evacuation of the UNEF from the
entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba and will
not seek to station troops there itself for
the time being,
Nasr feels that if necessary the Straits
of Tiran can be closed by mines, and he meanwhile plans to let
the Saudis bear the burden of argument on this issue.
These reports also indicate that Hamraar-
skjold and Nasr were considering an agreement covering UNEF
police powers in the Gaza strip. The reports are contradictory
however, on the question of the future status of the UNEF if Israel
refuses, as it has done so far, to permit UN units to be stationed
on its soil. , Nasr is willing to let
the UNEF stay regardless; thE report claims that "every-
thing" hinges on this issue. The latter seems more likely in the
light of the attitude Nasr has previously adopted.
No significant new progress is reported
from the talks on the Suez Canal. Indiais roving diplomat Krishna
Menon, who visited Cairo last week, is reported to have compli-
cated Hammarskjold's task by hardening Nasr against the West-
ern "imperialist" proposals for payment of tolls to an interna-
tional agency.
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SECR FT
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2. USSR CALLS FOR "TEMPORARY" BAN ON TESTING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Comment on:
Soviet Foreign Ministry press chief
Leonid Ilychev told a news conference
in Moscow on 26 March that the USSR
is prepared to conclude an agreement
for the "temporary" suspension of nuclear
tests. The new proposal was made primarily in response
to the Bermuda proposal for registration of tests with the
UN and international observation of tests. Ilychev asserted
that the registration of nuclear tests "does not solve the
basic problem of the removal of the harmful influence of
atomic and hydrogen explosions on human health." Ilychev
repeated Moscow's 18 March proposal that the problem of
terminating tests should be treated separately from other
problems of disarmament.
Moscow's new proposal is intended to
exploit growing sentiment among numerous groups and sev-
eral governments for a complete cessation of nuclear tests.
Ilychev gave special attention to a note sent by the Japanese
government to the powers on the subcommittee requesting
�a suspension of all nuclear tests. He said the Japanese ap-
peal to the USSR "gives reason to believe that the Soviet
proposals on a permanent--or at least temporary�cessa-
tiont of atomic and hydrogen tests will be supported by the
Japanese government!'
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3. THE SITUATION IN JORDAN
Comment on:
Capitalizing on conservative fears of
growing leftist power in Jordan, the
opportunistic army chief of staff, Gen-
eral Nuwar, is reported to have ap-
proached conservative ex-prime minister Samir Rifai, who
is favored by the king, for support in a plan to suspend the
constitution, dismiss the cabinet and legislature, and in-
stall direct rule by the throne with army support. Nuwar
claimed that once order had been restored, new elections
would be held and representative government reinstituted.
Nuwar has long favored establishment
of a military regime which would place the army in virtual
control of the country. Rifai is reported to have recently
indicated willingness to co-operate with him to curb grow-
ing leftist power. Conservatives in Jordan have been con-
sidering drastic measures to counter leftist gains, and both
the population and the government are becoming aware of
Jordan's growing economic crisis.
With termination of the Anglo-Jordanian
treaty, Jordanian nationalists are promoting as the next
objective a "federal union" of Jordan with Egypt, Syria and
Saudi Arabia. Jordan has joined with Egypt and Syria in a
student military training program, which would train leftist
paramilitary action groups. Nabulsi has also publicly re-
affirmed his government's determination to recognize the
Chinese Communist government.
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4. AFGHAN PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT NEAR EAST
AND EUROPE
Comment on:
Afghan prime minister Daud is plan-
ning to visit Egypt, Turkey, Austria,
and Poland in the latter half of April,
The Iraqi government has also invited
him to visit Baghdad after his trip to
Turkey.
The prime minister's probable itinerary
suggests that he intends to make a seri-
ous study of the possible benefits to be
derived from the American proposals for
the Middle East and of the advisability of
maintaining close ties with the USSR.
A Moscow news broadcast of 25 March
stated that Foreign Minister Naim will
visit the USSR in June. His visit may
be designed to reassure the USSR that
Afghanistan wishes to continue its close
relations for the time being.
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.L.15.11_,
4
5. ACTION BY RHEE STRENGTHENS YI KI-PUNG AS SUCCESSOR
Reference:
Announcement that President Rhee has
adopted the 21-year-old son of his friend
and political associate, Assembly speaker
and Liberal Party chairman Yi Ki-pung,
has been interpreted as an open demonstra-
tion of Rhee's desire that the Assembly
speaker succeed him in the presidency.
It may encourage new attempts by Rhee's
followers to remove the Democratic vice;
president, Chang Myon, from the succession, either by legis-
lation or by violence.
Rhee's action, a customary Korean method
by which a childless couple acquires an heir, will tend to solid-
ify the party behind Yi despite his defeat in the 1956 vice-presi-
dential election.
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Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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