CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1954/10/21

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03000844
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2019
• Publication Date: October 21, 1954

Approved for Release: 2019/08/13-003000844,
TO C.RET
21 October 1954
Copy No. 80
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
iN CLASS )e...
DEZLASSIFIED
CLASS, CHANGED TO: TS $ C
NEXT REViEW DATE:
AUTH: HR 70-2 .
DATE: 7 Ta'h s;(3REVie,WI:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 7"7//7/
7fdarioll T
TOP SEGREr
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
*nor
SUMMARY
FAR EAST
1.
2.
3.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Vietnamese opposition may aim to paralyze government by pro-
longing negotiations (page 4).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
4. Libyan monarchy reported threatened by provincial unrest (page 5).
5. New Moroccan government reported being formed (page 5).
LATE ITEM
6. Comment on Pakistani prime minister's sudden return to Karachi
(page 6).
* * * *
21 Oct 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2
TM) C CD 'P
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
� TrIP-Arrk-FT
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
Sloe 'Noire
FAR EAST
SOUTHEAST ASIA
21 Oct 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3
Prn Cr, 171
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
TOP .SEPATT
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
NW' 'goo
3. Vietnamese opposition may aim to paralyze government by pro-
longing negotiations:
Pham Xuan Thai, Vietnamese informa-
tion minister, told an American em-
bassy officer in Saigon on 17 October
he believes Chief of Staff Hinh and the
uyen organization are stringing out negotiations with the
Diem government in order to paralyze it and bring about its
eventual collapse.
Ambassador Heath comments that this
theory may have a great deal of truth in it and would explain the
frequent "backing and filling" of both Hinh and Bay Vien, the
Binh Xuyen leader.
Comment: Hinh precipitated the govern-
ment crisis over a monthg-6-ipy suggesting that Diem send him
on leave and then representing Diem's orders to this effect as an
attack on the integrity of the army as a whole. Since then Hinh's
objective has apparently been to maintain a state of tension be-
tween the government and its opponents and to shift his ground
whenever necessary to prevent the reaching of agreement.
21 Oct 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4
TnP F"1"
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
D v.PrOPT
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
New'
General Ely's recently renewed advocacy
of Tam, Hinh's father, as the best available successor to Diem
suggests that the opposition's tactics may eventually pay off.
During the recent talks in Washington,
the French declared Tam "unacceptable" as a candidate for the
premiership, but neither this statement nor Ely's insistence that
Hinh must be removed has been translated into action.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
4. Libyan monarchy reported threatened by provincial unrest:
discontent among both the
townsmen and bedouins of the eastern
province of Cyrenaica has reached such
proportions that there are indications
of a popsible revolution against King
Idriss and Cyrenaica's ruling family,
the Senussi.
The American legation in Tripoli notes
that the eight young members of the Senussi family arrested in con-
nection with the assassination of palace adviser Shalhi on 5 October
represent important branches of the family. This emphasizes the
extent to which the royal family is embroiled in and divided by re-
cent events.
Comment: The monarchy has gained
little respect since its establishment in December 1951, and it is
unlikely it could survive a serious challenge. Overthrow of King
Idriss would delay final approval of the American bases agree-
ment.
5. New Moroccan government reported being formed:
A new Moroccan government to include
nationalist Istiqlal party members is be-
ing formed in Paris,
ENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5
ToP .T
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
Tr)P KEPArrT
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
*NO
Former sultan
Mohamed ben Youssef will be moved to Paris from exile in Mada-
gascar. The present sultan will abdicate and be succeeded by a
regency council, which in turn ultimately will give way to the re-
enthronement of Mohamed ben Youssef.
Comment: The French government may
be considering this plan as a solution to the current impasse in
Morocco, despite Premier Mendes-France's previous declarations
that no dynastic solution is envisaged. However, Istiqlal participa-
tion in the initial phases of such a plan would be a major change in
the party's policy of demanding the immediate return to the throne
of Ben Youssef as a prerequisite to further French-Moroccan nego-
tiations.
Any attempt to effect such a scheme
would encounter the concerted opposition of a majority of the French
settlers in Morocco and Moroccan functionaries such as El Glaoui,
the pasha of Marrakech.
LATE ITEM
6. Comment on Pakistani prime minister's sudden return to Karachi:
The Pakistani ambassador's statement on
20 October that Prime Minister Mohammad
All had canceled his prospective visit to
Canada and was returning from Washington
to Karachi "immediately" almost certainly
means that the prime minister is in serious
political difficulty at home.
This view is supported by the fact that on
18 October former prime minister Nazimuddin, a leader of the dis-
sident Moslem League group responsible for the so-called constitu-
tional coup of 21 September, in which Mohammad All concurred,
appeared "worried, possibly perplexed, and definitely not confident"
in a conversation he had with an American embassy officer. During
this conversation, Nazimuddin tried to shake the confidence of the em-
bassy in Governor General Ghulam Mohammad and to build up the
reputation of the dissident group.
21 Oct 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULIAETTN Page 6
'MP C17
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
rrn D C rern�rifT-
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844
Nere
Neither Mohammad Ali nor Nazimuddin
gives the appearance of confidence befitting men invested with new
power by the 21 September revision of the Government of India Act.
It seems more likely that they foresee defeat in their struggle for
power with the governor general.
Though Mohammad Ali may be retained
in office for some time for appearance's sake, his star seems
definitely waning.
21 Oct 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 7
Fynr r ri /�g fro
Approved for Release: 2019/08/13 C03000844