CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/12/04

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03169434
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: December 4, 1956

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CONTENTS
1. BRITISH AND FRENCH ANNO7SICE__DEICLSION TO WITH-
DRAW FORCES FROM EGYPT (page 3).
2. SYRIAN ARMY OFFICERS PLANNING COUP IN IRAQ
(page 4).
3. FRENCH DISCOUNT SHISHAKLI'S COUP CAPABILITIES
IN SYRIA (page 5).
4. CHOU DISCUSSES AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY WITH
NEHRIJ (page 6).
5� POLISH COMMUNISTS REPORTEDLY SEEK CONTACTS
WITH SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL (page 8).
6. FRENCH ENVOY PREDICTS UPHEAVAL IN BULGARIA
(page 9).
7. NEW UPRISINGS FORECAST IN NORTH VIETNAM
(page 10).
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1. BRITISH AND FRENCH ANNOUNCE DECISION TO
WITHDRAW FORCES FROM EGYPT
Foreign Secretary Lloyd and Foreign
Minister Pineau have announced that
Britain and France will withdraw their
troops from the Suez Canal zone "with-
out delay!' Lloyd told the American em-
bassy in London on 2 December that the
French were opposed to announcing a
specific date for completion of the with-
drawal, but that Secretary General Hammarskjold was being
informed that the withdrawal would be finished by 18 Decem-
ber.
Lloyd told the embassy that the Conserva-
tive government "may well fall" because of the decision. He
indicated that he was "less than sanguine" about the results
of the cabinet's week-end efforts to marshal its parliamentary
support. In this connection, Lloyd stated that it would be help-
ful if the UN could utilize some of the canal clearing equipment
assembled by Britain and France.
Comment Lloyd's tone suggests that the cabinet group
now handling affairs doubts that it can con-
tinue in office much longer. The French government has in-
dicated it still hopes to delay completion of the withdrawal to
ease its position in the foreign policy debate scheduled to be-
gin 18 December.
The Nasr regime, while hailing the Anglo-.
French announcement as a victory for Egypt, is likely to
continue pressing for a public commitment on a specific with-.
drawal deadline before agreeing to canal clearing operations
by the UN. Its propaganda in this respect will make the Brit-
ish Conservatives' problem still more difficult.
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2. SYRIAN ARMY OFFICERS PLANNING COUP IN IRAQ
Some Syrian army officers are trying
to instigate a military coup by the Iraqi
army,
The
coup was expected "shortly."
the Syrians had told the Iraqi officers with
whom they were in contact that they could enter the Syrian
army if the coup failed.
Comment Army discontent with the Nun i govern-.
ment is particularly widespread among
the junior officers. Some officers are probably thinking in
terms of a coup in the present unsettled situation.
Prime Minister Nun i Said is, however,
fully aware of the threat. In mid-November, some 40 army
officers were arrested for antigovernment activities. Nuni
is reported to have placed loyal officers in all key army posi-
tions, and every army unit down to platoon level reportedly
has a member of the Iraqi G-2 serving as an informer.
4 Dec 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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TO? SECHLI.
3. FRENCH DISCOUNT SHISHAKLI'S COUP CAPABILITIES
IN SYRIA
A French mission which was sent to
Syria to examine the possibilities of a
successful coup in Syria by former
dictator Shishakli has returned to France
believing that he "now has no supporters
left in Syria,"
Comment French foreign minister Pineau told
Ambassador Lodge on 14 November that
the British and French were in touch with Shishakli and that
France favored an autonomous Syria under the former leader,
probably the last major political asset the French had there.
Shishakli, who has lived in Paris since
his ouster in February 1954, has been involved in various
conspiracies aimed at reversing the leftist drift in Syria, in-
cluding an Iraqi attempt. The Iraqis, however, appear to have
dropped him too. Reports of Shishakli's most recent visit to
the area support the French mission's evaluation of his strength.,
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4. CHOU DISCUSSES AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
WITH NEHRU
Conversations between Chou En-lai and
Prime Minister Nehru have been devoted
primarily to discussions of US foreign
policy and Soviet policy in Eastern Europe,
unou arguea mat Ub policy nas un-
dergone no basic change. As evidence he pointed out that the
American attitude in the ambassadorial-level meetings at
Geneva remains the same.
Chou told Nehru that public unrest and
revolt in Eastern Europe were the result of mistakes on the
part of both Soviet and Satellite leaders. He emphasized that
it would be difficult for the USSR to consider withdrawing its
troops from Eastern Europe unless Moscow had assurance
that American troops would be pulled out of Western Europe.
Nehru differed with Chou on both problems.
The Indian leader argued that Washington's foreign policy had
changed, citing among other things the American stand on Suez
at the UN. Nehru saw the unrest in the Eastern European Satel-
lites as a genuine expression of majority opinion, instead of
counterrevolutionary activity as claimed by Chou.
Comment The trend of these discussions suggests
that Chou is seeking to encourage further
efforts by Nehru to foster a rapprochement between Commu-
nist China and the United States during his coming visit to
Washington--probably in the expectation that an American
rebuff would damage US prestige with the Afro-Asian nations
Chou and Nehru did not explore the Sino-
Indian border situation in detail in their first round of talks,
although there was a brief discussion of Peiping's boundary
dispute with Burma. Discussion of the Indian border question,
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reported earlier as a subject of great interest to New Delhi,
may have been deferred until Chou's next meeting with the
Indian leader on 29 December after Nehru has returned from
Washington.
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SLCI(E, 1
5, POLISH COMMUNISTS REPORTEDLY SEEK CONTACTS
WITH SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL
the Polish United
Workers' (Communist) Party (PZPR) wants close contact
with the Socialist International. He said that former Polish
Socialists who had never joined the PZPR were now doing so
and that many now held important posts. He thought that most
PZPR members were no longer Marxist-Leninist in outlook
but "reformist in the Western sense."
Comment Although the Soviet Union has been inter-
ested in improving bloc relations with
individual Socialist parties, it is less likely to favor bloc rela-
tions with the Socialist International, particularly in the case
of Poland.
The Gomulka regime has openly encouraged
Socialist participation in party affairs as a means of winning
additional popular favor,
Leaders of the Socialist International will
probably want to encourage any signs of independence within
the Soviet bloc, but they have in general discouraged formal
Socialist-Communist contacts. Last September they post-
poned indefinitely the question of establishing ties with the
Yugoslav party.
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6. FRENCH ENVOY PREDICTS UPHEAVAL IN BULGARIA
The French Foreign Ministry believes
Bulgaria is "ripe for troubles and will
probably be the next Satellite to blow up."
According to the French minister in
Sofia, arrests have taken place, although on a smaller scale
than rumored, and at least one concentration camp has been
reopened. The minister reports that the Yugoslav ambassador
in Bulgaria estimates the number arrested at 1,200, with 300
of these in Sofia.
Comment Discontent among workers, students and
intellectuals is reportedly widespread.
There is no indication, however, that these dissident elements
have gained control of organizations similar to those through
which Polish and Hungarian dissidents operated.
Although some factionalism exists at the
middle and upper levels of the party, it does not appear to be
sufficiently strong to challenge party leaders, who are making
a determined effort to control the situation through arrests
and minor economic concessions. Premier Yugov reiterated
on 1 December the necessity for continuing the present ideolog-
ical indoctrination, which he admitted was being opposed by
elements among Bulgarian youth.
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_--STTERE""
7. NEW UPRISINGS FORECAST IN NORTH VIETNAM
New uprisings in North Vietnam similar
to the recent riots near Vinh are con-
sidered likely in the near future,
Popular dis-
content is allegedly very strong in the vicinity of Haiphong,
North Vietnam's primary port.
heavy taxation seems to be the main complaint and that there
appears to be a willingness to risk harsh repression in case
of an uprising because "nothing could be worse" than present
conditions. "How can I get to South Vietnam?" is the most
common question asked _of foreigners.
the regular army
appears loyal to the regime which is vriry attentive to the
welfare of the troops.
Comment While new outbreaks during the next few
months are quite possible, Hanoi appears
confident of the army's ability to keep the situation from get-
ting out of hand. Nevertheless, the apparent inability of the
Communists to consolidate their control over -�Lio�..tulation
or to obtain Vietnamese unification fOreshaJows continued
severe internal problems for the Viet Minh leadership.
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