CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/02/09

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Keywords: 2018 Sanitization
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03161992
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: February 9, 1957

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3.3(h)(2)
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DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLA
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CLASS. CHANGED TO: T;.; S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
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2 14EVIEWEIT
9 February 1957 o/4
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Copy No. 31
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. SOVIET PROPOSAL FOR FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING
(page 3).
2. SHOWDOWN IN JORDAN MAY FOLLOW TERMINATION OF
ANGLO-JORDANIAN TREATY (page 4).
3. ISRAEL SAID TO BE DETERMINED TO HOLD OUT AGAINST
ANY UN SANCTIONS (page 5).
oV 4. UNREST REPORTED IN NORTHERN SYRIA
(page 6).
5. CYPRUS DEBATE IN UN MAY BRING FALL OF GREEK
GOVERNMENT (page 7).
It") �
\ 6 JAPANESE PRIME MINITER REPORTEDLY SUFFERS
Li STROKE (page 8).
. MOSCOW BLAMES ISRAEL FOR SOVIET "ANNULMENT" OF
OIL CONTRACTS (page 9).
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1. SOVIET PROPOSAL FOR FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING
Comment on:
In agreeing to the Western proposal to
convene the UN Disarmament Subcom-
mittee in London on 11 March, Soviet UN
delegate Kuznetsov proposed on 7 February
that the meeting be held at the foreign mm-
is ter level. his is mainly an attempt to create the impression
that the USSR is continuing its efforts to reach a disarmament
agreement and to place the onus for rejecting this initiative
on the Western powers. Since the General Assembly already
had voted unanimously to hold another meeting of the subcom-
mittee in London, Moscow probably expects that its new pro-
posal for a higher level meeting will be rejected.
The suggestion was also made that the meet-
ing be expanded to include military, economic and financial ex-
perts, apparently to demonstrate Moscow's readiness to nego-
tiate on technical details of inspection and control, including
reductions in force and military expenditures.
The Soviet position in the subcommittee talks
will probably be based primarily on the Soviet omnibus disarm-
ament proposals of 17 November 1956, which included a state-
ment of Soviet readiness to discuss the use of aerial inspection
in a zone of about 500 miles on either side of the line dividing
East and West in Europe.
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2. SHOWDOWN IN JORDAN MAY FOLLOW TERMINATION
OF ANGLO-JORDANIAN TREATY
Comment on:
Jordan's political crisis remains unre-
solved amid growing indications that a
showdown between King Hussain and his
nationalist government may take place
within the next two weeks.
discussions
for termination of the Anglo-Jordanian
treaty might be completed within that time
The pro-Egyptian Nabulsi government,
is consid-
ering taxing positive steps to limit the power and jurisdic-
tion" of King Hussain after measures for abrogation of the
treaty have been completed. the
government was considering at the same time "detaining or
placing under house arrest" several conservative leaders,
including two former prime ministers and the secretary of
the Arab Constitutionalists--the party most favorable to the
West. the cabi-
net is supported by the major political parties and most of the
army and legislature.
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3. ISRAEL SAID TO BE DETERMINED TO HOLD OUT
AGAINST ANY UN SANCTIONS
An official closely associated with the
Israeli prime minister told an American
embassy official on 6 February that the
government is working overtime in an at-
tempt to cut Israel's proposed 1957-58
e sy ,000 pounds (about $84,000,000) in anticipa-
tion of the application of economic sanctions by the UN with
American support. The Israeli official asserted such sanc-
tions are already in effect de facto, and said he believes
Israel could hold out against them for three to six months.
He observed that there would be nothing ignominious if a
small country like Israel had to buckle under to pressure
from all the rest of the world, but he anticipated that be-
fore this happened the justice of Israel's "modest demands"
would be recognized. Even if this did not occur, Israel
could never forgive itself for not trying to prevent a return
to the status quo ante, and the experience of belt-tightening
might not be a bad thing, as it would have the effect of
forcing "stark economic reality" on the Israeli people.
Comment
These remarks, while designed to con-
vince the United States that there is no
object in pressing Israel for concessions at this time, never-
theless appear to be an accurate reflection of Israeli policy.
The current Israeli press campaign and the mass demonstra-
tions of support for the government's intransigent stand,
planned by all Israeli parties except the Communists for this
week end, will make it more difficult for the government to
retreat even should it decide at the last moment to do so.
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4. UNREST REPORTED IN NORTHERN SYRIA
Comment on:
Press reports of an uprising in Aleppo
are partially confirmed by American of-
ficials in Syria. The practically harm-
less bombing of government buildings
and the homes of leftist and Communist
leaders suggest that the "revolt" may
have been planned by leftist army ele-
ments in order to justify the continuance
of martial law and to further the elimi-
nation of opposition elements. Aleppo,
a conservative stronghold, has been a
center of resistance to the leftist trend
in Syria, and Damascus has recently
strengthened its garrison there. There
have been reports of the distribution of anti-government
and anti-Communist pamphlets and the purported forma-
tion of a secret rightist political movement aimed at the
government.
According to the American embassy in
Damascus, Syria has now become practically a police state.
Conservative and pro-Western political leaders are intimi-
dated and the Syrian army intelligence is staging "treason"
trials complete with Soviet-type confessions. High civil
servants are being dismissed and transferred in large num-
bers, especially those deemed "unreliable" by leftist ele-
ments. The combination of army and leftist-Communist
elements appears to be moving Syria toward a one-party
"democratic republic:"
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5, CYPRUS DEBATE IN UN MAY BRING FALL OF
GREEK GOVERNMENT
Comment on:
.National positions for the UN debate over
Cyprus, which will probably begin next
week, appear to be shaping up in such a
manner that the debate may cause the over-
throw of the Karamanlis government in
Greece. Ambassador Allen reported on
7 February that a UN resolution merely
calling on the parties concerned to resume
negotiations might result in the fall of
Karamanlis and his replacement by a gov-
ernment which would be slack in fulfilling
its obligations to NATO.
The British seem determined to fight any
UN formula which might enable Karamanlis to withstand the
attacks of his domestic opposition. They have long been dis-
satisfied with the Karamanlis government, and Allen recently
reported that the British embassy in Athens appears to be seek-
ing the establishment of a coalition government of the right
Britain intends to take an "uncompromising
hard line" in attacking Greek interference on Cyprus,
Britain considers it important that "the Greeks
should not win what they consider a victory at the UN:'
The Turks are also prepared to give all-
out battle to the Greeks in the UN. They recently added to
their UN delegation former acting foreign minister Zorlu, who
vigorously presented Turkey's case on Cyprus at the London
conference of 1955.
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6. JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER REPORTEDLY
SUFFERS STROKE
Comment on:
,
Prime Minister Ishibashi has suffered
a stroke which has paralyzed half of his
face and made his retirement imminent,
Ishibashi has secluded himself from all
except a few close associates. Ishibashi's
illness, first reported as a cold and later
as pneumonia, led to the appointment of
Foreign Minister Kishi as acting prime minister on 31 Janu-
ary.
former minister
of agriculture and forestry Kono, strong man of the previous
cabinet, intends to reveal the nature of Ishibashi's illness if
it is not made public by 20 February. Kono has promised to
support former state minister Matsutaro Shoriki for prime
minister if Shoriki will finance Kono's faction in the govern-
ment party.
The American embassy has been unable to
verify rumors that Ishibashi's illness is more serious than re-
ported, and notes that they stem chiefly from the prime minis-
ter's political enemies. Ishibashi's physician and family have
given assurances that he is recovering satisfactorily.
The tenuous nature of Ishibashi's control
of his party, demonstrated when he was forced to accept in-
traparty opponents in his cabinet, was further shown when
the party compelled him to drop a proposal to increase the
consumer price of rice. These defeats reflect the rapid re-
covery of Kono's influence in the party and probably have stim-
ulated his manipulations and encouragement of Shoriki, who
has long aspired to the premiership.
9 Feb 57 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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7. MOSCOW BLAMES ISRAEL FOR SOVIET "ANNULMENT"
OF OIL CONTRACTS
Comment on:
A Soviet note of 6 February blaming
Israel for Moscow's "annulment" of oil
contracts presages a renewed Soviet
propaganda and diplomatic attack on
Israel. The note, which was in reply
to an Israeli protest on 28 December against Soviet suspen-
sion of shipments of "crude oil and pipes" in early Novem-
ber, said Israel's "aggressive actions against Egypt" made
it impossible for the USSR to honor these contracts.
Although propaganda attacks on Israel
were reduced recently, Moscow's anti-Israeli line is ap-
parently to be renewed. A Soviet broadcast warned Israeli
leaders on 5 February that in doing the bidding of the United
States, "which now is leading the colonialists," they were
"performing their shameful tricks on the brink of the abyss!'
On 1 February, Syria began a weekly broadcast in Russian
to Russian-born immigrants in Israel encouraging hostility
toward "Zionist rulers:'
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