CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1951/10/18

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
02008382
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
11
Document Creation Date: 
April 15, 2019
Document Release Date: 
April 22, 2019
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
October 18, 1951
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PDF icon CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULL[15602983].pdf227.68 KB
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Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 Nap' �H( 141.li 18 October 1951 Copy No. CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DOCUMENT NO. NO GIIANGE IN CLASS. CHANGED TO: "1-3 S 1%.,EXT c'E:VIEIN DATE: _ HIla704A fide of 3.5(c) 47 Office of Current Intelligence CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 TOP SECRET SUMMARY GENERAL . British accepting further amendments to draft resolution age 3 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) 3.3(h)(2) FAR EAST 33(h)(2) 6. Recent Viet Minh operations allegedly part ot Peiping plan to mvaae Indochina (page 6). 3.3(h)(2) SOUTH ASIA 8. Comment on new appointments in the Pakistani Government (page 7). NEAR EAST g. British fly reinforcements to Suez Canal Zone (page 8). EASTERN EUROPE 3.3(h)(2) WESTERN EUROPE 11. USSR again violates agreement by rejecting Berlin trade permiis (page 9). 12. Serious strike threat is posed in Belgium (page 9). 3.3(h)(2) 2 TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 TP SECRET OENERAL 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) 2. British accepting further amendments to draft resolution: The British Foreign Office has authorized the acceptance of the Yugoslav and Indian amendments to the British draft resolution on the Iranian 3.3(h)(2) -3 Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 TOP-SECRET 3.5(c) crisis. The Foreign Office is discouraged at the prospect of thus further weakening the resolution but could see no other way to obtain seven affirmative votes. Comment: The amendments would omit any reference to the 5 July decision of the International Court of Justice which the Iranians had previously refused to recognize. The British, in order to obtain Security Council action of some sort on Iran, have retreated from their position of a week ago, when they decided to introduce the resolution whether or not seven votes were forthcoming. Although the resolution may receive seven affirma- tive votes, Iran and the USSR continue to assert that this question is not within the jurisdiction of the Security Council. 3.3(h)(2) -4 T P-SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 rh)P S:ECRET FAR EAST 3.3(h)(2) 3.5(c) -Sr a-7G )_37 -5 TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.3(h)(2) 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) 6., Recent Viet Minh operations allegedly part of Peiping plan to invade Indochina: It is rumored that the recent operations were a result of pressure from Peiping to clear up western Tonkin and thus permit the movement of Chinese Communist orces m o near y Laos. this is intended to pave the way for an invasion of Burma, Thailand, and Indochina. 3.3(h)(2) Comment: An attack on Southeast Asia by way of Laos would provide the Chinese Communists with an opportunity for maximum disruption with a relatively small force. American and British observers, as well as General de Lattre, have shown concern over the possibility of such a flanking movement, which would enable the Chinese Communists to avoid jurisdictional friction with the Viet Mirth army and would obviate the problem which a direct assault on French positions in the delta would pose� 3.3(h)(2) 6 TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) SOUTH ASIA 8. Comment on new appointments in the Pakistani Government: The appointment of Finance Minister Qhulam Mohammad as Governor-General of Pakistan to succeed Khwaja Nazimuddin, who resigned on 16 October to become acting Prime Minister, indicates that the reorganization of the Pakistani Government is proceeding along conserva- tive lines in as satisfactory a manner as can be expected. It does not, however, assure eventual political stability in Pakistan. Ghulam Mohammad has been generally acknowl- edged to be the most competent cabinet minister after Liaquat Ali Khan, and he might have become Prime Minister had he not been hampered by serious, chronic illness. His appointment as Governor-General, a post which requires less exertion than that of the Prime Minister, should increase public confidence in the government. Khwaja Nazimuddin, a prominent and capable member of the ruling Moslem League party, presumably took over the Prime Ministership on a temporary basis, pending deliberation by the Moslem League Council and the crystallization of public opinion as to the best permanent appointee. TOP - 7 Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) � Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 ET 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) 8 TOP-SEG-REX Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) 11. Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 TOP SECRET 3.5(c) 3.3(h WESTERN EUROPE USSR again violates agreement by rejecting Berlin trade el....rafts: 3.3(h)(2) Soviet authorities in Berlin on 15 October once again rejected a block of over 2.00 trade permits submitted to them by West Berlin firms. The head of the West German interzonal trade office views this action as a violation of the conditions agreed to by the East Ger- mans at the time of the signing of the interzonal trade pact on 20 September. He has informed his superiors in the Federal Ministry of Economics that his office can no longer cope with the situation, and has requested further instructions from them. Comment: Since the signing of the trade pact, the USSR had created a huge backlog of uncleared permits by failing to act on them. It had not, however, gone so far as to reject any permits outright, as it had been doing before the pact was signed. Although this new rejection of a large block of permits appears to be the most obvious violation of the oral agreement to cease harassing measures in Berlin, West German authorities are unlikely to take any strong counteraction unless prodded by Allied authorities. French and British officials have recently indicated a reluctance to adopt strong countermeasures at the present time. 12. Serious strike threat is posed in Belgium: 3.3(h)(2) The Belgian Socialist Trade Union Federation has set 22 October as the date on which a strike will be called among mine, metallurgical and 9 TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 )(2) 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 TOP-SECRET- chemical workers, and possibly dockers, unless the Federation's demands for a 40-million-dollar bonus to labor and a low cost housing fund are met. The Christian Trade Union has been "embarrassed" into taking similar action. High industrial profits for this year, and the in- crease in the price of bread touched off the Federation's dissatisfaction. Meetings between employers, the government and trade union officials are now taking place to stave off a crisis. The government may be forced into a compromise favorable to the Federation's demands. Comment: Any curtailment at this time of Belgium's economic effort, especially of its coal production, could have a serious effect on defense production. Coal is in short supply, and the stock- piles, usually large at this time of the year because of summer production, are negligible. 3.5(c) This strike threat, supported by most of organized labor, may serve as a new tactic in the Socialist Party's campaign to force the fall of the present one-party Belgian Government and the calling of par- liamentary elections. SCANDINAVIA 3.3(h)(2) - 10 - Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c) Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 116P�SECRET 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) TOP SECRET Approved for Release: 2019/04/02 CO2008382 3.5(c)