CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1953/02/27

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02050126
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: July 15, 2019
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2019
• Publication Date: February 27, 1953

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27 February 1953 3.5(c)
Copy No. 5
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGC- IN CLASS,
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CLASS. CHANGED
NEXT REVIEW DATE: ,.
DATE/ AREVIEWER /�� MTH: HR -2
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Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
1. Israel wants specific UN condemnation of Soviet anti-Semitism
(page 3).
SOVIET UNION
2. Airfields available for medium bombers increased in Soviet Far
East (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
3. Burmese suffering heavy losses against Chinese Nationalists
(page 4).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
4. Shah reportedly plans to leave Iran (page 4).
5. Turkey reaffirms support of US policies (page 5).
EASTERN EUROPE
6. Importance of Finnish-USSR trade to increase in 1953 (page 5).
7. Yugoslavia reportedly sells strategic metals for transshipment
to Orbit (page 6).
WESTERN EUROPE
8. Large-scale diversion of West German bearings to Orbit through
Austria suspected (page 6).
9. Norway views new Balkan alliance as precedent for Scandinavia
(page 7).
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GENERAL
1. Israel wants specific UN condemnation of Soviet anti-Semitism:
Israel is drafting a UN resolution which is
to be a restatement of the basic principles
of the UN charter and to conclude with a
paragraph on the anti-Semitic character of
Soviet persecutions. It is seeking roughly 12 sponsors for this
resolution, including the United States, Britain and France.
Comment: The United States has been
interested in a UN resolution on Communist denial of basic human
rights. Any resolution which specifically refers to anti-Semitism
is likely to bring up Zionism, thus beclouding the issue and inviting
Arab and Moslem opposition.
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2. Airfields available for medium bombers increased in Soviet Far East;
SOVIET UNION
at least 19, and possibly 22,
airfields in the Soviet Far East were used
by TU-4's in 1952 as compared with the six
known to have been capable of accommodating
medium boinbers in January 1952. With the exception of three air-
fields in the Kuibyshevka-Khabarovsk areas, all are located in the
Southern Maritime Province,
Comment: Since the first identification of
TU-4's in the Far East in early 1952, about 160 are known to have
been delivered to the six Third Long Range Air Army medium-bomber
regiments located in the Southern Maritime Province.
The availability of at least 19 airfields would
permit rapid expansion of TU-4 strength in the Soviet Far East.
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SOUTHEAST ASIA
3. Burmese suffering heavy losses against Chinese Nationalists:
Contrary to War Office press releases,
Burmese troops are suffering heavy losses
and repeated defeats in their engagements
with Chinese Nationalists,
3.3(h)(2)
Comment: The Burmese Government has
recently claimed several victories against the Chinese Nationalists
and the recapture of several towns in the northern border area.
Continued defeats could persuade Burmese leaders of the necessity
of accepting some form of Chinese Communist assistance.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
4. Shah reportedly plans to leave Iran:
Prime Minister Mossadeq suggested to the 3.3(h)(2)
Shah on 24 February that he should leave
Iran as soon as possible, returning only
after the country becomes more stable.
this ter ot Uourta, n reporting this to Ambassador Henderson,
stated that the Shah assented eagerly and plans to leave on 28 Febru-
ary for the holy cities in Iraq and then go to Europe. Spain has been
asked by the Iranian Government to extend a formal invitation.
Mossadeq suggested a regency council
composed of himself, Minister of Court Ala and Gholam Reza,
a half-brother of the Shah.
Comment: Mossadeq has long wanted to
limit the Shah's constitutional powers and previous moves have been
designed toward that end. The Shah's departure could be the first
step in abolishing the monarchy, and it removes the rallying point
for what conservative opposition remains.
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Turkey reaffirms support of US policies:
the Turkish Foreign Ministry agreed to sup-
port the United States if serious disagreement3.3(h)(2)
develop between it and other Western nations
in the UN discussions. \
Comment: This statement indicates that
Turkey has not changed its policy of firm
support for the United States.
EASTERN EUROPE
6. Importance of Finnish-USSR trade to increase in 1953:
The USSR will replace the United Kingdom
as Finland's principal trading partner in
1953 as a result of the recently signed
Finnish-Soviet trade protocol under which
in an s exports to the Soviet Union will total approximately
$152,000,000 during the current year. Finland's exchanges with
the Soviet bloc will rise this year to an estimated one third of its
total foreign trade.
An anticipated $12-15,000,000 export surplus
to the USSR will be made up either by additional deliveries from the
Soviet Union or through increased deliveries to Finland from other
Orbit countries under trilateral trade agreements.
Comment: Orbit trade accounted for
approximately 23 percent of Finland's total foreign trade in 1952.
Drawing Finland more closely into the Orbit trade pattern could
increase its vulnerability to Soviet pressure.
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The fact that the USSR will become Finland's
principal trading partner is due primarily to the cutback in British
imports of Finnish pulp and paper and the generally depressed world
market for most of Finland's traditional exports.
7. Yugoslavia reportedly sells strategic metals for transshipment to Orbit:
Comment: This is the first indication of
questionable Yugoslav commercial transactions since Belgrade's intro-
duction last December of regulations forbidding the export of strategic
commodities to firms suspected of maintaining commercial relations
with the Orbit. The Yugoslav Government probably would be aware of
such a large transaction.,
WESTERN EUROPE
8. Large-scale diversion of West German bearings to Orbit through
Austria suspected:
The Austrian Ministry of Trade is currently
making an end-use check of $200,000 worth
of West German ball and roller bearings im-
ported into Austria in 1952. Large-scale
sales of strategic bearings to Soviet bloc representatives and to the
Administration of Soviet Enterprises in Austria are suspected.
Comment: On 10 February the American
Embassy in Vienna reported the halting by Austria of three shipments
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of List I and List II bearings shipped from West Germany via Switzer-
land and destined for Rumania and Czechoslovakia. Last week, however,
Austrian officials stated that because of legal difficulties they could not
continue such action without a written directive from the United States
High Commission.
9. Norway views new Balkan alliance as precedent for Scandinavia:
The Norwegian Prime Minister's private 3.3(h)(2)
secretary, who is now in Belgrade, informed
Ambassador Allen on 25 February of Norway's
hope that the "strategic alliance" of Greece,
Turkey and Yugoslavia might furnish a precedent for a somewhat simi-
lar link between Norway, Denmark and Sweden. He thought his govern-
ment would in principle favor Yugoslav membership in NATO.
Comment: Sweden, despite certain recent
moves toward covert cooperation with the West, will probably continue
suspicious of any formal tie like that suggested.
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