CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/01/06

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
02989040
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RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
September 20, 2019
Document Release Date: 
September 26, 2019
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Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 6, 1955
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PDF icon CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULL[15722703].pdf360.89 KB
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00.0197A Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 T 0 P T d44 / 44 7 /4 6 January 1955 Copy No. 79 3.5(c) 3.3(h)(2) CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DOCUMENT NO. NO CHANGE IN CLASS. I CI DECLASSIFIED CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C NEXT REVIEW DATE.. 0 AUTH: HR 70-2 � DATE: s3h/c9CL REVIEWER: Office of Current Intelligence CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY rr.ellr C, E,11-1 i LL"r 1...1.4 �-7 .L% A IL -Li .1 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 rmr-1.ri Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 Niue lopy SUMMARY GENERAL 1. Comment on Peiping t stand on Asian-African conference (page 3). 2. Egypt plans anti-Communist program for Asian-African confer- ence (page 3). SOUTHEAST ASIA 3. Ouster of Thai army chief reported imminent (page 4). 4. Comment on Indonesian declaration of state of emergency in South Moluccas (page 4). NEAR EAST - AFRICA 5. Split between Shah and Iranian prime minister widens (page 5). 6. Comment on Sudanese political developments (page 7). EASTERN EUROPE 7. Yugoslav-Chinese Communist relations to be established this month (page 8). LATIN AMERICA 8. Nicaraguan opposition reported planning revolt (page 8 * * * * � 6 Jan 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2 rrr, Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 yrs" n rf Pr Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 Nue Niro' GENERAL 1. Comment on Peiping stand on Asian-African conference: Communist China seems to be moving to seize the initiative at the Asian- African conference scheduled to be held at Bandung next April. Chinese Communist spokesmen in the past two days have presented Peiping as an authoritative voice on what they claim to be the conference's principal subject--anticolonialism. Peiping is attempting to define the pur- pose of the meeting as "enlarging the peace area." The Chinese Communists will almost certainly try to use the sessions to ex- tend their diplomatic and economic relations. Communist China also is attempting to Isolate the United States by accusing it of being opposed to the conference. This charge has been echoed in the Orbit and Indian press. The American embassy at New Delhi believes that Nehru can be counted on to resist Chinese efforts to dominate the meetings. Several other prospective partici- pants are also expected to resist Peiping 's bid for leadership. 2. Egypt plans anti-Communist program for Asian-African confer- ence: Egyptian foreign minister Fawzi told Ambassador Caffery on 4 January that Cairo believes it will be able to line up ten other countries for an anti-Communist program at theAsian-African conference. Fawzi said this pro- gram would attempt to (1) silence any talk about a third bloc, (2) influence Indonesia and Nehru away from the Communists, (3) give the conference a "good push" toward Western thinking, and (4) avoid any semblance of recognition of Communist China. 6 Jan 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3 Tfl P_einfrr Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 'Tr% 11 0...=.02�17r7r" Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 SOUTHEAST ASIA 3. Ouster of Thai army chief reported imminent: General Sarit will soon be eased out of his job as commander in chief of the Thai army, He is said to ye no remaining power and will be replaced by the commander of the Bangkok garrison, General Thanom. Sarit alerted the army on 25 December allegedly because he was afraid of a group of young army officers who were reported planning to oust him after having heard rumors of his drunken misconduct at a dinner party for Admiral Radford. Army officers have long been embittered over Sarit's drunken- ness and his failure to keep promotion promises. Comment: Sarit, Premier Phibun and Police Director General Phao have long been considered the three most powerful figures in Thailand. In recent months, however, Sarit has rapidly lost ground to the more dynamic Phao. It is by no means certain that Sarit's strong following in the army has been seriously diminished. Should he be ousted, his successor would have to move quickly to redress the grievances of Sarit's erstwhile supporters if a serious threat to the stability of the regime were to be avoided. 4. Comment on Indonesian declaration of state of emergency in South Moluccas: 6 Jan 55 The declaration by the Indonesian govern- ment on 5 January of a state of emergency in the South Moluccas, a small group of CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 Tn P Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 PT' 11r f' T' #' r' 7' Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 'Nee NINO islands in East Indonesia, points up Djakarta's difficulty in con- solidating its authority over outlying non-Javanese areas (see map, p.6). Since early December government spokesmen have made several vague references to trouble in the area, at the same time claiming that things were well in hand. The self-styled "South Moluccan Republic," centered on Ambon Island, staged an unsuccessful military effort for independence in 1950 and 1951, and is generally supported by the 100,111_ Ambonese in the area who are anti-Javanese and pro= Dutch. movement has never been entirely suppressed, and Indonesian authorities consider it Dutch-supported. Government forces are believed capable of containing the dissidents. In view of recent statements by Pres- ident Sukarno and high-ranking National Party leaders, however, recommending the use of force to win Netherlands New Guinea, the Indonesian government may use the Moluccan situation to jus- tify increasing its clandestine military activity in New Guinea. Indonesian infiltration parties have been apprehended there by the Dutch during the past 18 months, most recently in October. NEAR EAST - AFRICA 5. Split between Shah and Iranian prime minister widens: 6 Jan 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5 �rna-, n til . .11-1%1'. Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 002989040 Medan t giS SUMATRA Padang Palernbange Pontianak BORNEO BILLITON ,,psavia) � Bandung Surabay �Jogjakarta JAVA REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AREA AFFECTED BY STATE OF EMERGENCY PresentAtims Division, January 1955 (50105-5) MADURA meklsan Makassar � THE PHILIPPINES CELEBES' CERAM .� Ambon Island. BALI r P_CIR;L jp60.,44!=j 200 400 Miles Kilometers � TIMOR AZ? AbSTRALIA Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 002989040 rnra_...cuer-r Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 Nino' "%we Comment: Zahecli's position, which has been deteriorating, will probably be further weakened by his ob- jection to the Shah's discussion of additional American military aid in view of the Shah's well-known interest in strengthening the Ira- nian military establishment. The Shah has been reported several times to be planning to remove Zahedi after returning from the United States, and these reported actions of the prime minister are likely to confirm the Shah's determination to do so. 6. Comment on Sudanese political developments: Premier Azharth pro-Egyptian govern- ment may fall when the Sudanese parlia- ment reconvenes in mid-February because of an indicated realignment of political groups. A report from Khartoum states that Sayid All Nfirghani, leader of the important Khatmia Moslem sect, has "granted his patronage" to a new Repub- lican Independence Party, open to all who favor independence for the Sudan. This suggests that a union between pro-independence elements of the governing National Unionist Party and the opposi- tion Umma Party may be imminent. Identification of Mirghani with Sudanese independence would be a serious setback to Cairo's efforts to ob- tain union of the two countries, since Azhari's Egyptian-sponsored NAtional Unionist Party is dependent on the Khatmia for popular support. Under the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian agreement on the future of the Sudan, the Sudanese are to choose either complete independence or union with Egypt before 1957. Mirghanib reported action considerably strengthens the Sudanese independence movement. 6 Jan 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 7 rrnEL�Q4iaelltr7' Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 Approved fOrr.'Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 �gee EASTERN ELTR,OPE 7. Yugoslav-Chinese Communist relations to be established this month.: Yugoslav ambassador Vidic in Moscow told Ambassador Bohlen on 4 January that Yugoslavia and Communist China would exchange diplomatic representa- ves in the near future, and in any event "this month." Vidic emphatically stated that the Russians had not been intermediaries, but that the negotiations had been conducted through informal ex- changes directly between Chinese and Yugoslav officials. Al- though Vidic did not reveal where they took place, Bohlen believes it may well have been in Moscow. Vidic reportedly expressed hope that this development would not be misunderstood in the United States, and emphasized it was an entirely logical consequence. Comment: Yugoslavia has long favored establishing relations with Communist China and announced recog- nition of the Peiping regime several years ago. It has repeatedly declared that Western recognition of the Peiping regime is the best insurance against Soviet domination of Communist China. It was previously reported that arrangements for Sino-Yugoslav dip- lomatic relations might be completed in Rangoon, where Tito is to arrive today. Peiping's willingness to open diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia at this time is almost certainly part of the Orbit's efforts to improve relations with Belgrade. Moscow may even have believed that the goal would be best advanced in this instance by remaining in the background. LATIN AMERICA 8. Nicaraguan opposition reported planning revolt: 6 Jan 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN z-N Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 Page 8 Approved'Fo�r Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040 President Somoza believes Conservative leader Emiliano Chamorro is plan- ning an attack on the presidential palace, "using peons armed �with machetes." Somoza has increased security precautions and has moved his son, who is the armed forces chief of staff, into his fortified residence. Comment: Conservatives as well as members of the former "Caribbean Legion" were recently found guilty by a Nicaraguan court of complicity in the 3 Aprilaimassina- don attempt against Somoza. The Nicaraguan president believes the attempt was prepared with the aid of Costa Rican president Figueres. The National Guard, Nicaragua's only armed force, which could probably suppress any attempted re- volt, is believed loyal to Somoza. 6 Jan 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 9 nin_rmageaq. Approved for Release: 2019/09/17 CO2989040