CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/04/05

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02995592
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: April 5, 1956

Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2995592V
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
11
5 April 1956
uopy NO. 103
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1.
JORDANIAN KING'S OVER-
THROW AND NEW TROUBLES ON ISRAEL-JORDAN BORDER
(page 3),,
2. BURMA NEGOTIATING WITH USSR FOR DEVELOPMENT
LOAN (Secret) (page 4).
3.
RICE
USSR WILLING TO BUY THAI
(page 5).
4. PEIPING OFFERS CAMBODIA FUNDS FOR UNIVERSITY
(page 6).
5 Apr 56
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 7)
* * * *
� THE TAIWAN STRAIT
(page 8)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
-7777"--SEeR
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1.
JORDANIAN KINGS OVER-
THROW AND NEW TROUBLES ON ISRAEL-JORDAN BORDER
Reports
state that
the situation in Jordan is becoming in-
creasingly precarious and that King
Hussain will probably ultimately lose his throne. The re-
ports also state that the Arab Legion is deteriorating rapidly
and to ex-
pect new troubles along the Jordan-Israel border.
Comment
The Jordanian situation appears to be sub-
stantially , and
the recent increase in the number of incidents along the Israeli-
Jordanian border supports the warning.
Britain is obligated by the terms of the
Anglo-Jordanian treaty to offer aid if Jordan should "become
engaged in war." In the event of a civil war, London might
be prepared to use force to keep Hussain on his throne.
Britain now has 1,900 troops and an RAF fighter squadron
stationed in Jordan.
The British may hope that Hussain will be
sustained by his cousin, King Faisal of Iraq. In the absence
of a request supported by a substantial group within Jordan,
however, Iraq would presumably be reluctant to move.
5 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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2. BURMA NEGOTIATING WITH USSR FOR
DEVELOPMENT LOAN
Kyaw Nyein, the influential Burmese
minister of industries, informed the
American ambassador in Rangoon on
31 March that Burma is negotiating
a development loan to be repaid in com-
modities. Kyaw Nyein stated that he was opposed to such
a loan, since it would give the USSR a predominant posi-
tion in Burma's development program. He also fears
Moscow may insist on repayment in commodities which
might disqualify Burma, because of the Battle Act, from
receiving American aid.
Meanwhile, another Burmese official
has stated that Burma plans to take mainly capital goods in
return for rice shipped to the USSR. He indicated that Soviet
consumer goods wanted by Burma are scarce and that the
�government is anxious to keep the number of Soviet techni-
cians working in Burma to a minimum because they must
be accompanied by interpreters.
In discussing the nature of US aid pre-
ferred, U Raschid, the minister of trade development, said
he wants Americans in the fields in which they are supreme--
the construction and operation of factories and mines.
Comment The negotiations for a long-term develop-
ment loan are in addition to other negotia-
tions which have produced an agreement to increase annual
Soviet rice purchases from Burma to 400,000 tons. The size
of the loan offer was not revealed, but in past approaches for
an American loan, Kyaw Nyein has indicated a desire for be-
tween $150,000,000 and $200,000,000. Despite the opposi-
tion of Kyaw Nyein and other officials, the Burmese govern-
ment would probably accept a loan from the USSR if the con-
ditions were sufficiently attractive.
Burma will experience difficulty in limit-
ing the number of Communist technicians in view of the large
quantity of capital goods it is planning to import from the bloc.
(Concurred in by OFtR)
5 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
SECREJJ-
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3.
BUY THAI RICE
USSR WILLING TO
he USSR
was prepared to buy rice from
Thailand in order to promote trade
between the two countries.
a rice deal depended "solely on the attitude of the
Thai government."
Comment Although Thailand is presently able
to sell all its rice in non-Communist
markets, many Bangkok exporters are uneasy about the
future. The Thai government at present bans rice exports
to Communist countries, and recently reaffirmed this
policy in the face of a strong effort by Communist China
to buy Thai rice, Should a rice surplus begin to accumu-
late in Thailand, however, the government would be hard
put to resist pressure both from within its own ranks and
from local merchants for trade with the Sino-Soviet bloc.
(Concurred in by ORR)
5 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
-TOP-SECRET
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4. PEIPING OFFERS CAMBODIA FUNDS FOR UNIVERSITY
Communist China has offered Cambodia
$5,000,000 to be used for building a uni-
versity in Phnom Penh,
The offer,
said to have no strings attached�
Comment Chou En-lai repeatedly assured Prince
�Sihanouk during his visit to Peiping in
February that Communist China was willing to give eco-
nomic'assistance to Cambodia with no strings attached.
This is the first report of a specific Chinese offer. Such
an offer would be well timed in view of Prince Sihanouk's
pique over alleged Western interference in Cambodian af-
fairs.
5 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
SEC ET
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ila
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 4 April)
Incidents continue on Israel's frontier
with Egypt and Jordan. Meanwhile General Shuqayr, Syrian
army chief of staff, has reported that the Israeli-Syrian fron-
tier was very quiet, that some of the Israeli forces opposing
him had been withdrawn, and that he did not anticipate trouble
in the immediate future. He told the American army attach�
in Damascus that most of the Syrian army remains concen-
trated between the Israeli border and Damascus, Shuqayr
also said the strength of the Syrian army had been increased
to about 60,000, which he considered a satisfactory level. Re-
cent talks with Jordan's military leaders had resulted in agree-
ment to permit use of Syrian forces in Jordan and Jordanians
in Syria, as required. Some Syrian reserves waniri snon re-
ceive training in Jordan from the Arab Legion.
Syria will receive, according to Shuqayr,
66 T-34 tanks from Czechoslovakia through Egypt Although
deliveries have not been completed, one regiment of T-34's
is reliably reported in the armored brigade on the Israeli
frontier. The Czechs have agreed to furnish in the near fu-
ture 32 85-mm antiaircraft guns to equip two battalions for
the defense of Damascus. An unspecified number of Hispano-
Suiza 30-mm antiaircraft guns to equip two additional battalions
have also arrived recently. The new equipment will permit
release of all 20-mm antiaircraft guns to front-line units.
All but eight of 100 recently requisitioned
Israeli civilian cargo and dump trucks departed the central
motor park near Tel Aviv for an unknown destination on the
night of 2-3 April, according to the American army attach�n
Tel Aviv. The call-up of vehicles complements the recent mo-
bilization of personnel which has brought Israeli forces to an
advanced state of readiness on all fronts. The above vehicles
might also be intended for use in the recently instituted program
of fortifying the border settlements.
5 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
SECRET
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Neer
BIWEEKLY SUMMARY
22 March-4 April 1956
THE TAIWAN STRAIT
Report of the IAC Current Intelligence Group
for the Taiwan Strait Problem
1. There were no significant combat operations in the
area during the period. Peiping's propagaidn attention to the
subject of Taiwan remained at a low level.
5 Apr 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
�6602NFIDENTI4L___
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TAIWAN STRAIT SITUATION
4 APRIL 1956
CHINESE COMMUNIST AIRFIELD LEGEND:
DESIGNATIONS
ACTIVE BASE FOR MILITARY 8. CIVILIAN AIR
CRAFT. SOME BASES USED BY PISTON TYPES
MAY BE USABLE BY JETS
INACTIVE BASES CAPABLE OF ELSE BY AIRCRAFT
CURRENT STATUS UNDETERMINED
.
SECONDARY AIRFIELD
PRIMARY AIRFIELD AUXILIARY OR EMERGENCY BASES
CONSIDERED MOST IMPORTANT IN OR FIELDS OF LESSER IMPORTANCE.
AREA WITH PREPARED RUNWAY RUNWAYS GENERALLY LESS THAN
GENERALLY 5000 FEET OR LONGER. 5000 FEET.
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