CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/01/20

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03148908
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: January 27, 1956

Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
�11519-SECREF
. NO.
27 January 1956
Copy No.
103
NO CHANGE IN CLASS
Li DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE: >01 0
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE. (1 7;h, t0 REVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOP SECRET
z
tiff
3.5(c) /
3.3(h)(2)
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
lek Amak
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
A N.." AJA-Ii...0 A 11.1.4 A
CONTENTS
1. AFGHANS REPORTEDLY SENDING ARMS TO TRIBES
ON PAKISTANI FRONTIER (page 3).
2. USSR REPORTEDLY MAKES OVERTURE TO IRAQ
(page 4).
3. HUNGARY PROPOSES ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS WITH BRAZIL (page 5).
* * * *
27 Jan 56
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 6)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
TOP SECRET
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Pik �775-r�SteRET
1. AFGHANS REPORTEDLY SENDING ARMS TO TRIBES
ON PAKISTANI FRONTIER
Nine thousand rifles and an unknown
number of grenades--believed to be
part of a November 1955 Soviet bloc
arms shipment--have been sent to the
Pushtoon tribal area along the Pakistani border,
Additional arms are to be sent to the
Pushtoons soon, and Kabul expects another shipment from
the USSR.
Comment
Afghanistan had received Soviet
bloc arms in November 1955, but the deliveries have
never been confirmed. If Kabul is sending such quantities
of arms to the Pushtoon area, border raids are likely.
Favorable weather conditions for such action will prevail
during the next few months.
Top Pakistani officials have recently
stressed that they expect Afghan prime minister Daud's
government to use Soviet arms against Pakistan within a
year. They also believe that Governor General Mirza's
visit to Kabul�now proposed for May--is unlikely to set-
tle issues between the two countries.
The Pakistani warnings may be an at-
tempt to justify in advance raids by Pakistani-controlled
Pushtooria..4 (Concurred in by ORR) ( �
27 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
- 11-4%.� 1, la I
2. USSR REPORTEDLY MAKES OVERTURE TO IRAQ
Comment on:
The Soviet Ministry of Foreign Trade
has informed Iraq that it considers
still valid the Soviet-Iraqi contract of
1954 to barter 4,000 tons of Iraqi dates for Soviet goods
and is willing to accept delivery of the remaining 2,000
tons of dates from Iraq, according to press reports fkom
Baghdad. Iraq suspended relations with the USSR in Jan-
uary 1955, and the USSR subsequently canceled the remain-
der of the contract.
Moscow's reversal of its former posi-
tion appears to be the first move in a Soviet attempt to
re-establish relations with Iraq in the hope of eventually
weakening its ties with the West. Iraq might now be sus-
ceptible to Soviet overtures, ince it is disturbed over its
isolation from the other Arab states and is jealous of
Egypt's ascendancy in the Arab League.
The USSR has recently made overtures
to three other members of the Baghdad pact.
(Concurred in by ORR)
27 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
�
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
.
3, HUNGARY PROPOSES ESTABLISHMENT OF
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH BRAZIL
Comment
The Hungarian approach indicates
that the Orbit is following up Soviet
premier Bulganin's 16 January statement calling for an
extension of diplomatic and economic relations with
Latin American On 18 January, the Hungarian party
newspaper announced Hungary's intention to seek closer
relations with Latin America in all fields.
Although Brazil appeared receptive
to Hungarian overtures for a renewal of diplomatic rela-
tions in 1953, President-elect Kubitschek will probably
react with caution.
27 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
TY113 crrprer
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
THE ARAB- ISRAE LI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 26 January)
A half-hour exchange of mortar fire
across the Israeli-Egyptian border near Gaza is the only.in-
cident reported. (Press)
Israeli foreign minister Sharett made a
new appeal for arms aid from the United States in an inter-
view with Ambassador Lawson on 24 January. Sharett sug-
gested that if the United States has reached a favorable de-
cision but does not wish to announce it at present, he would
guarantee complete secrecy. He asked only an "informal
word" that a decision in principle had been taken plus assur-
ance of early discussion of types, quantities and deliveries.
Referring to what he termed a reported British line of argu-
ment, Sharett said those who believe Israel is so desperate
it can be persuaded to make "far-reaching" conressinnst, aria
due for "sharp disappointment."
Major Sarraj, the acknowledged leader
of the dominant younger officer gerolin in Syria,
he Syrian army is "not
at all satisfied" with the UN censure of Israel and will be sat-
isfied only with the disappearance of Israel. Sarraj asserted
that the Arab states' combined military strength is now greater
than Israel's and that the time to fight Israel would come sooner
than the West thought. Sarraj also said Egyptian prime minis-
ter Nasr would never accept any form of settlement with Israel;
Sarrai believed Nasr would hp mrprthroum if 1.1126 friC1/1 +3 do so.
Prime Minister Ben-Gurion presented a
detailed civil defense program to a conference of the Israeli
national civil defense council on 25 January. According to the
27 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908
" I (J1-' WC., I
Israeli radio, the program includes steps for the mobilization
and training of civil defense forces and the constructign of
air-raid shelters.
(-'
a $524,300 con-
tract for submachine guns, ammunition and possibly other
small arms, Deliveries are to begin immediately. Syria has
evidently already received some of the military equipment cov-
ered b a separate $5,880,000 contract signed in November.
27 Jan 56
z
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
irrIP C'PF7
Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03148908