CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1959/03/27

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03156028
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: February 25, 2020
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2020
• Publication Date: March 27, 1959

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27 March 1959
Copy No. C
CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
DOCUMLNT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.)4
; DECLASSIFIED
GI.ASS. CHANGED TO: T303SCi oc,in
NEXT REVIEW DATE: _ _741114 164 �
AUTH: H
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27 MARCH 1969
I. THE COMMUNIST BLOC
Soviet internal propaganda plays
down risk of war over Berlin.
USSR working to quiet down UAR-
Iraq quarrel.
Tibet - Chinese apparently hold
firm control of Lhasa
; Dalai Lama near Indian or-
der.
Peiping's views on nuclear-free zone
in Apia.
Communist China and Ceylon sign
air agreement.
II. ASIA-AFRICA
Laotian Government decides to cur-
tail drastically French military role
there.
0
III. THE WEST
Spanish dictator said to see strong
possibility of revolution in Portugal.
Growing discontent in Cuba; Castro
seen likely to lose further support
as result of rift with former Costa
Rican president over best means to
bring down Caribbean dictators.
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
27 March 1959
DAILY BRIEF
I. THE COMMUNIST BLOC
USSR: Soviet leaders have made consistent efforts since
November: to reassure their population that no grave risk of
war over Berlin exists, according to the American Embassy
in Moscow. While there have been scattered articles in the
Soviet press conveying the impression of hysteria and belli-
cosity in the United States, there has been no campaign charg-
ing the existence of an American "war psychosis." The Amer-
ican Embassy believes the Soviet public is now more con-
cerned over a war threat than before Khrushchev's Berlin
moves, but less than during the Suez and Taiwan Strait crises.
There have been no rumorl of hoarding which were prevalent
during the earlier crises. 1
USSR-UAR: The USSR, while continuing to canter Nasir's
public attacks, is working to tone down the dispute between the
TTAR and Traa.
intensification
of the quarrel was not in the interest of either country and
pressed the USSR's public line that the dispute benefits only
the West and Israel. The Soviet press
and radio have welcomed Arab League offers to mediate between
Cairo and Baghdad, and have emphasized that economic aidl to
the UAR is continuing. (Page 1)
Tibet: rUe Dalai Lama, who fled Lhasa on 17 March to
seek asylum in India, was expected to be some 60 miles from
the Indian border on 26 March. He is headed for a town some
20 miles from the border where he and his party expect to meet
additional members of the Tibetan resistance group in India.
he Chinese Commu-
nists are in firm control of Lhasa following the "retreat" of tht3
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1
Eebe is on 24 March, While Peiping will undoubtedly increase
its efforts to wipe out the remaining Tibetan dissidence, guer
rilla activity in outlying parts of Tibet and western China is
exnected to continue for some tithe.'
1%.41.1.114,; (4G 11,11.1.11GOV l.A.././01.1.1.111.1111.06.0 J. Vl...GlIft,Jesf
told members of the Japanese Socialist party delegation, dur-
ing a discussion on a nuclear-free zone for the Far East, that
they "definitely" possess no nuclear weapons. The Chinese d
manded that the zone "include Asia and the Pacific Ocean"lt
area. This report supports previous indications that Peipin
finds Khrushchev's call for the zone, at the Soviet 21st party
congress, useful in its effort to encourage Asian opposition tc
US nuclear testing and to any possible increase in US-nuclear
weapons capabilities in the Far Easq
(Page 2)
*Communist China - Ceylon: Communist China and Ceylon
agreed on 26 March to establish air service between the two
countries. The flights, probably from Canton to Colombo, in
effect will be an extension of China's only other air route in
the free world which connects Canton and Kunming with Ran-
goon. An air agreement with India has been under discussion
or spyeral years
11. Ablik-11.1,1111.A
Laos: atie Laotian prime minister has told the America
ambassador that his government has decided to curtail dras-
tically French military activities in Laos,. The decision runs
counter to French hopes to expand their influence there, in
nart by enlaraine their training missioE
(Page 3)
27 Mar 59
DAILY BRIEF ii
ii
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III. THE WEST
Portugal: General Franco is said to have told the Span-
ish cabinet early this month that a revolution in Portugal was
a strong possibility and he was not convinced that the present
regime could easily quell it. The Portuguese authorities are
apparently arresting additional military personnel as well as
members of Catholic Action as a result of the recent abortive
move against the regime. Widespread disaffection is reported
nirtnna rnilitnry officers as high as the rank of colonel.
a: former
his visit to Cuba to convince Fidel Castro that Castro's move-
ment is supporting irresponsible Communist groups in its
campaign against Caribbean dictatorships. This rift between
Castro and the popular Figueres will bring about a loss of
confidence in Castro in Cuba itself as well as among those
hemisphere leaders who wish to bring about a change in the
dictatorships. There is growing discontent in Cuba even
among former Castro supporters, but as yet no organized
opposition. (Page 4)
IV. SIGNIFICANT INTELLIGENCE
REPORTS AND ESTIMATES
(Available during the preceding week)
Chinese Communist Intentions and Probable Courses of
Action in the Taiwan Strait Area. SNIE 100-4-59. 13 March
1959.
he Berlin Crisis, SN1E 100-2/1-59. 17 March 1959.
27 Mar 59
DAILY BRIEF iii
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I. THE COMMUNIST BLOC
Moscow Working to Smooth Over UAR-Iraq Dispute
The USSR, while continuing to counter Nasir's attacks, has
been working assiduously to smooth over the UAR-Iraq dispute.
an intensification of the
quarrel was not in the interest of either Arab country. Zaitsev
also reportedly stressed the USSR's public line that the dispute
benefits only the West and Israel.
The Soviet press and radio have welcomed Arab League ef-
forts to mediate the differences between Cairo and Baghdad.
Moscow has also emphasized that deliveries of materials under
agreements to give economic assistance to the UAR are continu-
ing.
Although Soviet leaders apparently hope that the polemics
will subside without a further deterioration in relations with
the UAR, Soviet spokesmen have replied to Nasir with counter-
blasts of equal intensity. Moscow has reacted particularly to
Nasir's charge of 22 March that Egypt stood "alone" during the
Suez invasion and that, during the period of fighting, "no state
was backing us." One Soviet broadcast in Arabic specifically
singled out Nasir's charges as "lies" and included in the broad-
cast several recorded excerpts from a speech by Nasir during
his April 1958 visit to the USSR in which he praised Soviet"sup-
port" and "intervention" in the Suez crisis.
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Peiping's View of Nuclear-Free Zone in Asia
/he Chinese Communists recently told members of the
Japanese Socialist party delegation, during a discussion of a
Far Eastern nuclear-free zone, that the zone must "include
Asia and the Pacific Ocean" area,
The Chinese position closely parallels remarks
made by Khrushchev at the Soviet 21st party congress in con-
nection with his demand to halt nuclear tests in the Pacific--in
his words, an area "which has become the main proving ground
for the testing of American atomic weapons." He stated that
a "zone of peace and, above all, a zone free from atomic weap-
ons can and must be set up in the Far East and the Pacific
Ocean basin as a whole27
/he propagandistic nature of Khrushchev's statements and
the prominence given them by the Chinese Communists indicate
they were not intended by Moscow as a pretext for withholding
nuclear weapons from China. The Chinese told the Japanese
delegation that China "definitely" has no nuclear weapons. De-
spite its public position on a nuclear-free zone, Peiping's ef-
forts to acquire such weapons with Soviet assistance will prob-
ably continues-j,
laeiping had already called for an Asian atom-free zone in
February and March 1958 in support of a suggestion by Prime
Minister Nehru. Its current treatment of the propaganda theme
is designed to encourage Asian opposition to US nuclear testing
and to any increase in US nuclear-weapons capabilities in the
Far East. Moscow as well as Peiping probably does not expect
any Western agreement to such a zone in the near futuLe_j.
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II. ASIA-AFRICA
Laos Reaffirms Decisiotito Eliminate Frerith Military Role
rThe Laotian Government on 24 March decided to reject
France's recent offer to send 80 additional military instructors
to Laos. The cabinet also decided to curtail the functions al-
ready exercised by the French mission and to insist on control
of the French airfield and base at Seno. Prime Minister Phoui
Sananikone informed the American ambassador that these deci-
sions were part of the over-all objective of eliminating entirely
the French military position in Laos. He said that only US
representations over the past several months had prevented
earlier action
ahoui said that he would shortly send a formal letter re-
questing US military training assistance. He said he appreciated
the need to avoid an unpleasant breach with the French and invited
the American ambassador to help him make his notification to
the French as "palatable as possible." Phoui gave a noncommit-
tal reply to the ambassador's contention that it was essential
for Laos and the US to retain French cooperation.
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I I I. THE WEST
Castro's Policies Isolating Cuba in Latin America
Fidel Castro's increasing tendency to blame the United
States for Cuba's economic and political problems and to in-
sist on a "neutralist" position in world affairs is widening the
rift between Cuba and the liberal bloc in Latin America led by
former Costa Rican President Jose Figueres and Venezuelan
President Romulo Betancourt. Castro strongly refuted Figueres'
pro-US speech in Havana on 22 March, in which Figueres ad-
vised Cuba to follow a moderate approach to revolutionary re-
forms and to align itself with the West. This undoubtedly
spelled failure for any attempt by Figueres to orient Castro
toward the Figueres-Betancourt axis�particularly with re-
spect to the "campaign against dictatorships?' Figueres report-
edly had hoped to convince Castro he should withdraw his sup-
port of those Nicaraguan and Dominican revolutionary exile
groups which are Communist influenced.
Castro's reply to Figueres, which was followed by another
strong attack against Figueres' views by the Cuban official
newspaper Revolucion, may also encourage internal opposition
to the Castro government by emphasizing Cuba's isolation from
the Latin American liberal bloc. Many commercial and busi-
ness groups have already been alienated by Castro's economic
policies, which seem directed against "vested interests" and US
influence on Cuba's economy. There is also discontent within
some political circles, although there is as yet no cohesive op-
position to the government.
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THE PRESIDENT
The Vice President
Executive Offices of the White House
Special Assistant for National Security Affairs
Scientific Adviser to the President
Director of the Budget
Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization
Special Assistant for Security Operations Coordination
Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities
Special Assistant for Foreign Economic Policy
Executive Secretary, National Security Council
The Treasury Department
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Department of State
The Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
The Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs
The Deputy Under Secretary for Administration
The Counselor
Director, International Cooperation Administration
The Director of Intelligence and Research
The Department of Defense
The Secretary of Defense
The Deputy Secretary of Defense
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
The Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Air Force
The Chairman, The Joint Chiefs of Staff
Commandant, United States Marine Corps
The Director, The Joint Staff
Chief of Staff, United States Army
Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy
Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
Assistant to Secretary of Defense for Special Operations
Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff
Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the Army
Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of the Navy
Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander in Chief, Pacific
The Department of the Interior
The Secretary of the Interior
The Department of Commerce
The Secretary of Commerce
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Director
Atomic Energy Commission
The Chairman
National Security Agency
The Director
National Indications Center
The Director
United States Information Agency
The Director
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