CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/12/12

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03003002
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: December 12, 1956

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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
12 December 1956
Copy No.
112
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. SOVIET MIG-17's ARRIVING IN SYRIA
(page 3).
2. SABOTAGE OF KUWAIT OIL INSTALLATIONS
(page 4).
3. IRAQ EXPLORING NATIONALIZATION OF IRAQ PETROLEUM
COMPANY (page 5).
4. HUNGARIANS LAUNCH GENERAL STRIKE (Canfictentral)
(page 6).
5. SZCZECIN RIOT icslaifierrtirnpage 7).
6. POLITICAL SITUATION IN HAITI Lcsu1li4ett1) (page 8).
7. SOVIETS MAY PUSH IN UN FOR AN INDEPENDENT CYPRUS
(page 9).
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1. SOVIET MIG-17's ARRIVING IN SYRIA
Comment on:
Syria
would receive 12 MIG-17 jet fighters
by 12 December,
MU-17's wouict
be supplied by the USSR. They apparently are to be deliv-
ered by sea and assembled in Syria,
they would not be ready to fly until 1 January 1957a It is
therefore possible that some of the 15 Soviet aircraft assembly
technicians, who were offered to Syria on 23 November, have
arrived or will arrive shortly.
Syria: requested that Egypt provide six
pilots to operate the aircraft, because "there are no Syrian
pilots at present capable of flying them:'
Egyptian markings would be put on the aircraft, probably
in deference to the repeated Soviet insistence on preserving
the secrecy of the new arms aid agreements. The aircraft
may be based at Hama airfield, where the runways have re-
cently been extended. Syria has also requested that five Egyp-
tian air force officers be sent to assist control of air opera-
tions from airfields at Hama and Damascus.
12 Dec 56
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1 L/F
Nose
2. SABOTAGE OF KUWAIT OIL INSTALLATIONS
Comment on:
insianauons were sabotaged at three
oints in Kuwait on 10 and 11 Decem er
Damage occurred to a well with a resulting loss of 3,000
barrels per day, to a submarine loading pipe in the harbor,
and to a scrubbing plant
Imminent sabotage of Kuwait's oil faci.1-
ities had been indicated
Kuwait's normal oil production, nearly
1.5 million barrels a day, had been cut back as a result of
transport shortages stemming from the closure of the Suez
Canal.
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Nu,
3. IRAQ EXPLORING NATIONALIZATION OF IRAQ
PETROLEUM COMPANY
Company with corn
in Baghdad.
Iraqi
officials have been discussing the possi-
ble nationalization of the Iraq Petroleum
any officials and the British ambassador
Comment The Nun i Said government is apparently
looking for some dramatic device such
as this to restore its prestige internally and in the Arab world
generally and to facilitate an early agreement with Syria on re-
pair of the sabotaged IPC lines and the resumption of oil ex-
ports to the Mediterranean terminals. Details of the reported
Iraqi proposals are not available.
The Iraq Petroleum Company is owned by
British, French, Dutch, and American interests.
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4. HUNGARIANS LAUNCH GENERAL STRIKE
The general strike launched by Hungarian
workers on 10 December apparently is
almost completely effective in both Buda-
pest and the provinces. Although initially
scheduled to end after two days, the strike
may be extended if the regime continues
to refuse the workers' demands. Accord-
ing to press reports, regime-controlled
Radio Budapest has admitted that the strike
is the "most complete" to date and that transportation is at a
standstill. Hungarian police have been almost totally unsuccess-
ful in their attempt to round up weapons.
The Soviet Union apparently still hopes that
the Hungarian police will be able to restore order with only a
minimal commitment of Soviet forces. It also apparently hopes
to avoid a complete Soviet military dictatorship. But the re-
gime's imposition of martial law and dissolution of the regional
workers' councils has strengthened the determination of the
workers to resist and may make inevitable the large-scale com-
mitment of Soviet forces to support elatively weak security
units of the regime. 0 i IAL)
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5. SZCZECIN RIOT
The 10 December riot in Szczecin
(Stettin), climaxed by an attack on
the Soviet consulate, demonstrates
that the Gomulka regime is prepared
to act quickly to prevent situations
that might provide the USSR a pretext for intervention.
This incident points up the problem confronting Gomulka
in maintaining an alliance with the USSR in the face of a
deep-seated hatred of the Russians which has been inten-
sified by the Kremlin's suppression of the Hungarian up-
rising.
A Radio Warsaw broadcast on 11 Decem-
ber warned that the rioters would be punished with the
"full severity of the law" and that "public opinion" would
not "tolerate any leniency" toward them. This announce-
ment continued the hard line the regime adopted toward
public demonstrations after the B oszcz disturbances
on 18 November. (C IAL)
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6. POLITICAL SITUATION IN HAITI
The "palace revolution" of 6 December
in Haiti by which the army returned Pres-
ident Magloire to power shortly after his
resignation has caused a sharp increase
in unrest in the country. A successful
general strike against the regime is re-
ported to be in effect in the capital city.
If the strike continues there may be con-
siderable bloodshed, and a serious at-
tempt may be made to oust Magloire.
Magloire is authorized in his new role
as "chief of the executive power" to take "exceptional meas-
ures" to restore order. These may well include an attempt
to break the strike by strong-arm tactics. Constitutional
rights are suspended, and many oppositionists including a
leading presidential candidate have been arrested since
6 December.
The army, a key factor in the situation,
is supporting Magloire, but disagreement and disaffection
among members of this force were reported in November.
Army chief of staff General Levelt is apparently under ar-
rest.
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7. SOVIETS MAY PUSH IN UN FOR AN INDEPENDENT CYPRUS
Comment on:
soviet bloc UN delegates, assisted by
Krishna Menon of India, apparently in-
:end to support actively the Greek posi-
tion on the Cyprus question when it is
:aken up in the UN General Asseinbly in
ibout two months. Soviet support is pos-
31b1y aimed at the creation of an inde-
pendent Cyprus,
The USSR will reportedly try to prevent
a, negotiated settlement and if there is
progress toward such a settlement, will
lemand UN control of all the islandts
y j.ue Communists on Cyprus reportedly are
also prepared to demand independence for Cyprus.
British, Greek, and Turkish officials
have expressed the opinion that partition, with all its prob-
lems, may be a last-resort solution of the Cyprus dilemma.
British Colonial Office deputy under
secretary Martin has stated that the British constitutional
proposals for Cyprus to be announced about 20 December
offer the last chance for a practicable solution regarding
the island for a considerable time, according to the Amer-
ican embassy in London. Both Greek and Turkish officials
reportedly have been studying the possibility of an independ-
ent Cyprus, but there is no unanimity on this point.
Moscow's apparent determination to pre-
vent a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus issue is probably
designed to (1) foster continuing irritation in the Middle East,
so as to further weaken the Western alliance, (2) deny Britain
the use of Cyprus as a military base, and (3) draw world at-
tention away from the turmoil in its European Satellites.
12 Dec 56
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