CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/01/08

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03020479
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: January 8, 1956

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e'4Z
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r CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
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TOP SECRET
8 January 1956
Copy No. 0 ,
DOCUMENT' NO
MO CHANGE IN CLASS.
(1 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE. 0 / 0
AUTH: HR 70-
DATE: REVIEWER: _
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOP SECRET
3.3(h)(2) f
3.5(c) f-A
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4 4.0.
CONTENTS
1. FRENCH AMBASSADOR SEES MORE FLEXIBLE
JAPANESE POSITION IN TALKS WITH USSR
(page 3).
2, SYRIA RECEIVING ARMS FROM SOVIET BLOC
(page 4).
3. LIBERIA STALLS USSR ON OFFER OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS AND ECONOMIC AO (page 5).
4. PRESENT PROSPECTS FOR NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT
(page 6).
5. COUP IN CUBA RUMORED SET FOR ABOUT 10 JANUARY
(page 7).
6. NAVY REVOLT IN BRAZIL TENTATIVELY PLANNED
FOR THIS MONTH (page 8).
7. STATE OF SIEGE IN CHILE
8 Jan 56
(page 9).
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 10)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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1. FRENCH AMBASSADOR SEES MORE FLEXIBLE
JAPANESE POSITION IN TALKS WITH USSR
Matsumoto's position and authority
have been strengthened by recent contacts with
all segments of Japanese government opinion. The French
ambassador considers it significant that no Japanese in
authority has indicated the possibility of any breakdown
in the negotiations.
Comment The Hatoyama government has adopted
the hard line advocated by Shigemitsu
and the conservative Liberal-Democratic Party. This poi-.
icy calls for the unconditional return of the southern Kurils,
in addition to Shikotan and the Habomai Islands, as well as
the solution of other outstanding issues before restoring re-
lations. Hatoyama and his advisers, including Matsumoto,
however, have on occasion urged an early agreement with
the USSR to bolster their domestic political prestige.
8 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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.2. SYRIA RECEIVING ARMS FROM SOVIET BLOC
the $5,880,000 arms contract
has
been signed and its implementation
begun. This contract provides for
delivery within four months of 60 T-34
_tanks complete with accessories, re-
placement parts for three years,
40,000 shells and 2,000,000 rounds of machine gun ammu-
nition.
the spare parts
in the contract would be dispatched on the Bulgarian freighter
Chipka. 60 machine guns, 15 radios, 12 peri-
scope assemblies and other equipment for the tanks had al-
ready been sent. the Chipka
loaded at Burgas, and passed Istanbul on 15 December, ar-
riving at the Syrian port of Latakia on 23 December and
Beirut on 24 December. It may have unloaded arms for
Syria at either port.
another contract which would provide for delivery of
2,000 machine pistols with ammunition in January and an
additional quantity in March. negotiations
have also been under way for other types of military equip-
ment, including antiaircraft guns, self-propelled guns, ar-
mored vehicles and tank tracks for maintenance of the German-
made tanks already in Syria. (Concurred in by ORR)
8 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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3. LIBERIA STALLS USSR ON OFFER OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS AND ECONOMIC AID
President Tubman of Liberia told
Ambassador Jones on 6 January he
had informed the Soviet delegation
now in Liberia for the presidential
inauguration that the establishment of diplomatic rela-
tions between the two countries was dependent on a legis-
lative appropriation and the existence of a treaty of friend-
ship. He said he had agreed in principle to a friendship
treaty but had insisted that the present delegation was not
authorized to conduct such negotiations.
Tubman also said he had informed the
Russians that Liberia could not accept the Soviet Union's
offer of economic aid as long as no treaty of friendship ex-
isted. He also said he would tell the Soviet delegation that
"the economic and other relations existing between the
United States and Liberia are neither for sale nor barter
with any country and that Liberia now has all the aid it can
use and would make its request to the United States if it
needed more."
8 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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4. PRESENT PROSPECTS FOR NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT
The Republican Front has a large edge
in popular interest because of the dynamic
campaign it conducted and because of the
right-center's psychological depression
over its electoral losses. The American
embassy in Paris expects a Socialist
leader in the Front to have the first chance
to form a government, since right-center
votes essential to investiture might not be available to Mendes-
France. The embassy feels, however, that Republican Front
leaders Mendes-France and Mollet must present to the Faure-
Pinay parties a less uncompromising program than their cur-
rent public statements profess if they wish to govern France.
Key right and center leaders are more in
favor of a Socialist than a Mendes-France government
The embassy sees no evidence that any
Republican Front leaders are contemplating the extreme move
of threatening to ally with the Communists.
Comment Despite past rebuffs, the Communist Party
can be expected to press its 6 January ap-
peal to the Socialist and Radical Socialist Parties to join in a
popular front government. The Communists may feel that they
can weaken the firm opposition of the Socialist national leader-
ship to any Communist participation in the government by ap-
pealing to grass-roots Socialist sentiment. On 6 December,
the Socialist National Council rejected electoral alliances with
the Communists by 1,979 to 1,243, with 324 abstentions. Mol-
let will probably avoid too uncompromising a stand in nego-
tiating with the center and right in order to forestall pressure
from the local Socialist federations to turn to the Communists.
8 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
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Noe Natime
5 COUP IN CUBA RUMOR:ED SET FOR ABOUT 10 JANUARY
Havana states
there are many rumors and partially con-
firmed reports of a coup set for about
10 January which allege army unrest and
participation in the revolt.
the rumored revolt date
may be based on an assumption that the
opposition talks with President Batista
scheduled for 10 January will fail,
expects no imminent attempt against
the regime, although during a visit to strategic Camp Colum-
bia in Havana uneasiness over
potential trouble,
student disturbances are to take place prior to 10 January.
that a general strike is being pre-
pared for 9 January in three provinces and that labor dis-
turbances may result from an internal conflict in the sugar
workers' federation.
Comment The armed forces, the key to political
power in Cuba, are generally considered
loyal to Batista. Political tension, however, has been in-
creased by the opposition's persistent demand that the presi-
dent allow general elections as soon as possible, and recent
widespread student and labor disturbances suggest that popu-
lar dissatisfaction, while not well organized, is increasing.
8 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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6. NAVY REVOLT IN BRAZIL TENTATIVELY PLANNED
FOR THIS MONTH
the Brazilian fleet, which left
Rio de Janeiro on 4 January for maneu-
vers, may attempt to revolt
The revolt is tentatively planned to take
place in late January, with the naval forces seizing the city
of Salvador in the state of Bahia.
the
coup group is not as "formidable" as it was a month ago
and that the plan calls for a risky operation in which the
navy would revolt with the hope that this would set off insur-
rection throughout the armed forces, it is im-
possible to predict whether this revolt will be attempted
since the plans are dependent on the decision of a small
group of men.
Comment Admiral Penna Botto, who was ousted
as commander in chief of the fleet fol-
lowing the 11 November revolt, has been involved in most
of the plotting to prevent President-elect Kubitschek and his
vice presidential running mate, Goulart, from taking office
on 31 January. While it is possible the disgruntled naval
units may make some last-ditch effort to keep Kubitschek
from taking office, War Minister General Lott still appears
to command sufficient support in the army to prevent a suc-
cessful revolution at this time.
8 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
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7. STATE OF SIEGE IN CHILE
President Ibanez' declaration of a
state of siege throughout Chile to
head off a general strike called for
9 January by the largest labor confed-
eration, CUTCH, has confronted the
regime with one of its most serious
political crises. While public confi-
dence in the administration is perhaps at an all-time low,
Ibanez appears capable of controlling the situation at this
time.
CUTCH called the strike in protest
against the government's plan to freeze wages, prices,
and pensions. The president's declaration of a state of
siege was followed by the arrests of hundreds of labor
leaders, Communists, and other leftists.
The government has placed the armed
forces and carabineros on alert status and has increased
Santiago's military strength to 30,000, almost half of the
nation's total military and security forces.
Since the wave of strikes last July, the
administration has adopted a much firmer position against
leftist and CUTCH pressures. This new firmness was an
important factor in the decision of several opposition par-
ties to support the government's wage-price bill, which still
faces one more test vote in the Senate in the next few days.
8 Jan 56
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 8 January)
UN truce supervisor General Burns has
concluded that developments are leading toward general hostil-
ities between Israel and Egypt. Burns told the American em-
bassy in Tel Aviv on 3 January he believed Nasr was too smart
to launch a war against Israel until Egypt was prepared, prob-
ably in two or three years, although certain of his subordinates
might not exercise the same restraint. Burns thought there was
a good chance the Israelis would precipitate a war in the next
several months. The embassy comments it does not believe
any decision for preventive action has been taken by Israel, but
that it is probable that if Israel's concern for its air defenses
is not alleviated, Tel Aviv would be forced to consider the pos-
sibility of preventive action,
8 Jan 56
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