CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/04/17

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02995601
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: April 17, 1956

CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
4-0
� 2 9 � 9 ;
17 April 1956
Copy No. 103
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. SOVIET POSITION ON ARAB-ISRAELI PROBLEM
(page 3).
2. TURKISH ECONOMIC STABILIZATION PROGRAM
THREATENEll (page 4).
3. SHARP INCREASE IN EAST GERMAN REFUGEES
(page 5),
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 6)
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1. SOVIET POSITION ON ARAB-ISRAELI PROBLEM
Moscow apparently regards the Arab-
Israeli dispute as a useful lever to
achieve Western recognition of its in-
terest as a great power in Near East-
ern affairs. Moscow considers that
efforts to deal with the immediate
threat of war should be kept within the
jurisdiction of the Security Council,
where the USSR can most effectively
promote soviet-Arab policies. Moscow has repeatedly in-
dicated, however, that it would like to participate in a con-
ference on general Near Eastern problems.
Moscow does not appear to be urging
the Arabs at present to attack Israel.
Once the great powe-s become involved,
there would not be much chance of keeping it confined, as
was done in Korea. In the Near East, there are other con-
siderations such as oil.
During the period of superior Israeli
strength, the USSR probably will direct its tactics toward
avoiding an early Arab-Israeli war. If, however, the USSR
does not attain' the position it desires in the area after the
Arabs achieve military superiority, Moscow may then be
willing to see a local war break out.
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2. TURKISH ECONOMIC STABILIZATION
PROGRAM THREATENED
The American charg�n Ankara reports
that Turkeys economic stabilization
program appears to be at "dead center"
and that in the absence of renewed cabi-
net ea ers ip, the entire program may be abandoned. The
stabilization program is losing two of its strongest propo-
nents in the resignation of Minister of Economy Ulas and the
imminent resignation of Assistant Secretary General of the
Treasury Kurdash.
The charg�elieves that the recent Soviet
aid offers to� Turkey will become significant only as the idea
grows that the "US is letting her ally down" and as the economic
situation worsens.
Comment Prime Minister Menderes may regard
the Soviet aid offers as strengthening his
position in regard to American stabilization demands, and he
may be willing to approve acceptance of some aid in order to
ease the domestic economic situation.
The resignation of Ulas and the anticipated
resignation of Kurdash, both of whom favor devaluation, in-
dicate that Menderes will continue to oppose this step when he
meets with the representative of the International Monetary
Fund next week or soon thereafter.
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3. SHARP INCREASE IN EAST GERMAN REFUGEES
During the week of 30 March to
5 April,a total of 5,472 East German
refugees registered in West Berlin,
an increase of almost 80 percent
over the previous week. These ref-
702 persons in the military age bracket of
17-24 years. American officials in Heidelberg attribute
this sharp increase to a relaxation of border controls for
the Easter holiday.
Comment The above total is the highest number
of East German refugees to register
in West Berlin in a single week since June 1953. This
sharp increase follows several months during which the
rate of exodus decreased, though it remained considerably
higher than during the comparable period of 1955.
Over the past six months an average
of over 3,000 refugees have registered in West Berlin each
week Approximately the same number have crossed di-
rectly into West Germany.
the East Germans are known to be preparing to
establish more severe border control regulations in the
five-kilometer security zone along the 700-mile Western
frontier.
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 16 April)
Israeli prime minister Ben-Gurion angrily
rejected UN secretary general Hammarskjold's note of 13 April
which expressed conviction that Egypt sought to avoid war with
Israel and that the question of war or peace rested in Israel's
hands. Ben-Gurion also expressed disappointment with Hammar-
skjold's statement that he was not competent to deal with the
question of freedom of passage for Israeli vessels in the Suez
Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba.
This disillusionment was probably responsi-
ble for accelerated Israeli mobilization of personnel and vehicles
over the week end. The American army attache in Tel Aviv esti-
mates that this latest call-up includes between 10,000 and 15,000
men. Subsequent reports indicate that the mobilization now in-
cludes some second-line units in which only half of the personnel
is equipped with uniforms. Members of a home guard brigade
mobilized during the night of 13-14 April in the Tel Aviv area,
although armed, were not in uniform. _
un io April an Israeli Foreign Ministry
official told Ambassador Lawson that Ben-Gurion had been un-
der "tremendous pressure from all quarters to retaliate" for
Egyptian-sponsored terrorist activities. The prime minister was
reported to be still incensed at the "highly arbitrary placement of
responsibility upon Israel" in Hammarskjold's note, but had de-
cided to wait until the secretary general's arrival in Israel on
Tuesday before engaging in further exchanges.
In Egypt, recent rail movements of armor,
including 20 T-34 tanks and 75 Bren gun carriers, and supplies
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from the Cairo area have been reported. The destination of
these shipments is reported to be the Canal zone or the Sinai
area, but this cannot be confirmed Increased civilian de-
fense activity including mobilization of vehicles and establish-
ment of emergency sources of water was reported in Cairo
over the week end.
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