CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1953/12/05

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03003753
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: July 15, 2019
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2019
• Publication Date: December 5, 1953

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SECURITY INFORMATION
5 December
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO rt
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. te
LI DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE' -4009
HR 70-2
DATE :2...044/49REVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOP SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
1953
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SUMMARY
SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. New army crisis imminent in Indonesia (page 3).
2. Indonesian army chief of staff tenders resignation (page 4).
NEAR EAST AFRICA
3. Comment on Egyptian threat of neutrality in East-West conflict
(page 4).
4. British parliamentary opposition to Suez agreement seen growing
, (page 5).
5. Spanish Moroccan protest meeting reportedly scheduled for
5 December (page 5).
LATIN AMERICA
6. Guatemala renews relations with Czechoslovakia (page 6).
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SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. New army crisis imminent in Indonesia:
According to Lieutenant Colonel Sutoko,
a former Indonesian army deputy chief
of staff, the commander of the West
Java Military Distrtet, who is unsympa-
3.3(h)(2)
thetic to the government, is redeploying his forces to effect a junction
with those of the Central java Command and is moving his heavy equip-
ment to places of safety. Ambassador Cumming and his service
attaches have observed the movement of heavy artillery and equipment
out of Djakarta.
Sutoko said he had reason to believe that
there were plans for the imminent arrest of himself and other members
of the pro-Western group which demonstrated against Parliament on 17
October 1952.
The Djakarta press reports that all territorial
commanders have been summoned to Djakarta for a meeting with the
army chief of staff on 5 December.
Comment: Sutoko was relieved as deputy
chief of staff after charges that he was irnlicatd in the 17 October
affair
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2. Indonesian army chief of staff tenders resignation:
Indonesian army chief of staff Colonel
Bambang Sugeng has submitted his resig-
nation in protest over the appointment on
30 November of Lieutenant Colonel Lubis,
an officer with limited military knowledge,
staff,
The resignation reportedly has been accepted by the defense
minister but will not become final until approved by President Sukarno,
who has refused to accept Sugeng's resignation several times previously.
Lubis' appointment reportedly has aroused strong feelings in army
circles.
Comment: Since the reorganization of the
Defense Ministry, which has reduced the influence of pro-Western
officers in the army, Colonel Sugeng has been the ranking moderate
in the army and a stabilizing influence. Colonel Lubis reportedly is
anti-American, and his appointment may be another example of the
rising influence of leftists in the Indonesian military establishment.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Comment on Egyptian threat of neutrality in East-West conflict:
Egypt's publicized threat of strict neutrality
in any East-West conflict unless there is an early settlement of the
Suez base issue is a maneuver aimed at inducing the United States to
press Britain for additional concessions. It also reflects frustration
over the situation as it is developing.
The regime's interest in impressing official
Washington on the eve of the Bermuda conference with the need to do
something for Egypt is reflected in press releases, in diplomatic
approaches in Washington and Cairo,
Should Egyptian leaders despair of a Suez
settlement as well as of American economic aid, they may expand
Egypt's commercial contacts with e Orbit and generally reduce co-
operation with the West. ET)
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4. British parliamentary opposition to Suez agreement seen growing:
Foreign Secretary Eden has told Ambassador
Aldrich that the Sudan election results will
increase opposition within the Conservative
Party to any Suez agreement. Foreign Office
officials hope the Bermuda conference will produce assurances of
American support for Britain.
According to press reports, 37 "rebel"
Conservatives have met to discuss the effects of the Sudan elections
on the Suez negotiations, and following the Bermuda conference, may
present a motion in Parliament opposing any agreement with Egypt.
In addition, the embassy understands that some Labor Party leaders
are seriously considering opposing any agreement on the grounds that
"it is the opposition's duty to oppose."
Comment: The British government's desire
to conclude what it considers a satisfactory agreement has not been
affected by the parliamentary situation. There are no indications that
Britain will make any concession on the two unresolved issues, the
right of British technicians to wear uniforms on the base and the
availability of the base in time of war.
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5. Spanish Moroccan protest meeting reportedly scheduled for 5 December:
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A "mass meeting" of nationalist leaders is
scheduled for 5 December in Tetuan, the
capital of Spanish Morocco.
A communique expressing
opposition to the French dethronement of the Moroccan sultan and ap-
preciation for Spain's attitude will allegedly be issued after the meeting.
Comment: Such a meeting could result in
riots if French agents attempted to interfere. Spain has been trying
to capitalize on the current unrest in Morocco to enlarge its Moroccan
territory as well as to enhance its prestige with the Arabs.
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LATIN AMERICA
6. Guatemala renews relations with Czechoslovakia:
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Comment: Communists and pro-Communists
holding official positions in the Guatemalan government have consistently
been pressing for the re-establishment of relations with Czechoslovakia,
which were broken in 1948. The renewal of relations may result in an
increase of trade between the two countries.
The Guatemalan government may also hope
to obtain military equipment from Czechoslovakia in view of the United
States ban on export of arms to Guatemala.
The new minister also will represent his
country in Mexico and will maintain residence there.
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