CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/02/08

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03161766
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: February 8, 1956

Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03161766
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
-TO-P-SECRET
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
c---p 2-7
8 February 1956
Copy No.
103
',..;VIENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS
L1 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE: 2 0 (9
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE. REVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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Aft*
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'1.71-0-1110-1"
CON'rENTS
1. USSR REPORTEDLY OFFERS LIBYA $809000,000
CREDIT (page 3).
2. SYRIAN ARMY GROUP REPO INTENDS TO
REPLACE PRIME MINISTER7E17(page 4).
3. AFGHAN OFFICIAL ATTACKS HELMAND VALLEY
DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (page 5).
4. BURMESE REPORTED INTERESTED IN SOVIET TANKS
(page 6).
5. PEIPING SEEN MAKING PROPAGANDA GAINS IN
THAILAND (page 7).
8 Feb 56
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 8)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
TOP SECRET
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TOP SECRET
1. USSR REPORTEDLY OFFERS LIBYA $80,000,000
CREDIT
Comment
Libya.
This is the first indication as to the
actual amount of Soviet aid offered
8 Feb 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
1P-5-EGRET
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var Avf
2. SYRIAN ARMY GROUP REPORTEDLY INTENDS
TO REPLACE PRIME MINISTER
The dominant Syrian army group
led by Major Abd al-Hamid Sarraj,
head of army intelligence, wants to
replace Prime Minister Ghazzi with
-7-'ex-prime minister Khalid al-Azm,
Ghazzi has refused to accede to de-
mands that (1) Syria cut all ties with Iraq, (2) Syrian ar-
my covert activity in Jordan be stepped up, and (3) mili-
tary courts be given jurisdiction in cases involving press
attacks on the army.
Comment
� The Ghazzi government has not here-
tofore effectively opposed army demands
and may capitulate.
Azm, who has had army support in the
past, has probably encouraged army dissatisfaction with
Ghazzi. Azm has sought for some time to return to power
and to that end has been willing to co-operate with any and
all elements. As foreign minister in the previous cabinet,
he followed a pro-French, anti-Iraqi, anti-American line
and opposed accords with the West.
8 Feb 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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iLrRrT
3. AFGHAN OFFICIAL ATTACKS HELMAND VALLEY
DEVELOPMENT SCHEME
Afghanistan's new acting press chief,
Abdus Sattar Shalizi, formerly Afghan-
istan's liaison official with Morrison-
Knudsen in San Francisco, has made
omplaints to the American embassy in
Kabul against the Morrison-Knudsen Company and its Hel-
mand Valley development projects.
Shalizi has charged that the Helmand
Valley projects are a "gigantic fiasco." He has suggested
to embassy officials that the United States government take
over responsibility for the projects and finance them with
"grants" until they become paying propositions.
Comment Since 1953, when Afghanistan's financial
position became acute, Afghan officials
have sought ways of lessening their government's consider-
able expenditures on the undramatic, long-range projects
being undertaken in the Helmand Valley. They have from
time to time attempted to play upon American pride and to
hold up the threat of Soviet penetration to induce the United
States to take over a large share of the financial obligations.
Shalizi himself is reported to have told a group of Americans
that Afghanistan's policy now is to "play the two sides off
against each other."
If additional financing is not forthcom-
ing, the Afghan government may eventually insist on the
abandonment of certain projects in the Helmand Valley in
order to concentrate expenditure on those remaining.
8 Feb 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
SECRET
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Nov
4. BURMESE REPORTED INTERESTED IN SOVIET TANKS
Comment This report probably refers to a Bur-
mese purchasing mission which has
recently returned from an extended tour of the Soviet Union
and some of the Satellites.
The Burmese have long been interested
in developing alternate sources of arms in order to reduce
their dependence on Great Britain. Although Premier Nu
recently stated his opposition to the purchase of military
equipment from the Communist bloc, accumulating credits
from sales of rice to the Orbit would make such purchases
attractive to influential elements in the country.
8 Feb 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
SECRET
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oft CONFIDENTIAL
5. PEIPING SEEN MAKING PROPAGANDA GAINS
IN THAILAND
Peiping is making propaganda gains
in Thailand as a result of its warm
reception of the unofficial Thai dele-
gation led by Thep Chotinuchit and
e conciliatory one of its commentary on the visit. The
Bangkok press is printing daily summaries of Chinese
Communist broadcasts on the Thep visit.
Comment
Thep, who is Thailand's leading advo-
cate of neutralism, was permitted to
leave for Communist China in mid-January accompanied
by a small group of other members of parliament and news-
men. The group is now touring North China.
In its propaganda regarding the visit of
the Thep group, Peiping has stressed Sib-Thai cultural
and historical affinities and the potentialities of direct trade.
It has lately been avoiding derogatory comments on the Phi-
bun regime and has not mentioned the exiled former Thai
premier, Pridi, although Thep had announced he intended
to see Pridi while in China.
8 Feb 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
CNELDNTht
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L ...FA ..-111-414,11 11. La I
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 7 February)
UN truce supervisor General Burns has
informed the American embassy in Tel Aviv he believes there
is enough danger of war to require immediate decisions by
the United States, Britain and France regarding preventive
action or intervention. Burns thinks war could start with
either an Israeli land attack or an Egyptian air assault. He
is considering proposing a buffer in the form of a UN force
in the El Auja demilitarized zone and around the southern end
of the Gaza strip, but is uncertain what measures should hp
taken against an air attack.
8 Feb 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
TnP cFriDIC'T
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