CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/01/28

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03179137
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: January 28, 1956

Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 C03179137
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
TOP SECRET
ji
/)0
3.3(h)(2)
28 January 1956 3.5(c)
Copy No.
103
DOCUMENT NO S
NO CHANGE IN CLASS ja
El DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S 04.67,1%.,,,,---. .,
NEXT REVIEW DATE. 2.0 I 0
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE. 1 01:Zik- REVIEWER*
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
P1
-TOP- 'SE-G-R-E-
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CONTENTS
1. FRENCH PREMIER-DESIGNATE GUY MOLLET
(page 3).
2. FINNISH GOVERNMENT RESIGNS
(page 4).
3. CONGRESS PARTY'S NEW PLAN FOR REORGANIZATION
OF STATES (page 5).
28 Jan 56
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
page 6)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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Aso, Amt,
CONFIDENTIAL
1. FRENCH PREMIER-DESIGNATE GUY MOLLET
Socialist leader Guy Mollet stands a
good chance of forming a French gov-
ernment. He is nevertheless having
some difficulty in getting agreement
within the Republican Front on the distribution of cabinet
posts, and he still has no assurance of support from the
Faure-Pinay bloc, although the Popular Republican Party
seems increasingly inclined to back him. Without some
support from right-center parties, Monet will be obliged
to accept Communist votes.
Mollet is a supporter of European inte-
gration, is strongly anti-Soviet, and believes firmly in a
militarily strong Western alliance. Although he has on oc-
casion criticized elements of American policy, his friend-
ship for the United States is well established.
His socialism tends to be pragmatic rather
than doctrinaire, and he is reportedly against a rapid increase
in nationalization. Nevertheless, on social and financial pol-
icies, which figure _primarily in Socialist-Communist competi-
tion for worker support, his position raises fears of inflation
among businessmen and conservative political leaders.
Mollet can be expected to hold the line
against Communist participation in policy formation; but the
Communists can, by raising the church-school issue or through
widespread wage demands, play on the divisions he hopes to
eliminate between his own party and the right-center. He will
have to rely on the right-center for support on foreign policy.
28 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
CONFIDENTIAL-
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2. FINNISH GOVERNMENT RESIGNS
Premier Kekkonen submitted the
resignation of his Agrarian-Social
Democratic cabinet to President
Paasikivi on 27 January after the
Social Democrats withdrew in protest against an in-
crease granted in the prices of dairy products.
the withdrawal was also
prompted by Socialist resentment of the premier's at-
tempts to use recent developments in Soviet-Finnish re-
lations, such as the return of Porkkala, to further his
own candidacy for the presidency in the 15 February
electoral college balloting.
The outgoing government may be asked
by Paasikivi to remain in office in a "caretaker" capacity
until a new president has been chosen. Both the Agrarians
and the Social Democrats have a strong interest in retain-
ing control of the government in order to protect farmer and
trade union interests No party is likely to risk popular dis-
approval by advocating collaboration with the Communists,
who have not been represented in the government since 1948.
28 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
--etehtr49._
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LL. 1 /P./A-a
3, CONGRESS PARTY'S NEW PLAN FOR REORGANIZATION
OF STATES
Prime Minister Nehru and Congress
Party leaders, influenced by rioting
in Bombay and other cities, are appar-
ently seeking an alternative to the plan
for dividing India into 16 linguistic states.
They are now intensively campaigning
for a reorganization of India into only
five regional divisions.
This campaign is rapidly gaining accept-
ance among groups with a wide range of
interests, including local Congress Par-
ties, the Praja Socialist Party, and the rightist Jan Sangh
Party.
No strong opposition to the new plan has
been expressed. The Communist Party is the only one op-
posed to merger. Its opposition to the government may di-
minish the feeling of rapprochement between India and the
USSR that both the party and Moscow have been trying to
create.
28 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
CONFIDENTIAL
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L.1 411 P
I NW NIMPf
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
27 January)
An Israeli spokesman stated that Egyptian
antiaircraft fired on but did not hit an Israeli plane near the
Gaza strip. (Press)
The ex-mufti of Jerusalem is trying to
organize with Saudi Arabian financing and under joint Egyptian-
Syrian direction two units of guerrilla troops from among Pales-
tine refugees,
These units, presumably based in Syria and
Jordan, would be used as terrorist or shock troops against either
Israel or Jordan. The mufti plans also to organize a brigade of
guerrilla troops based in Egypt.
the ability of the Israelis to utilize jet aircraft of
recent design without foreign expert assistance is somewhat du-
bious, about half of the 22 recently acquired Ouragan
jet fighters are grounded owing to the use of contaminated fuel.
General Glubb Pasha, commander of Jordan's
Arab Legion, has told that
Israel is likely to initiate hostilities this spring if "constructive
action" is not taken before then by the West. He said the Israeli
attack would probably be a ten-day offensive with the Jordan River
as the objective. British troops could not ar-
rive and the Security Council could not intervene effectively within
that time, also estimated that Egypt would not have its new
war material effectively integrated into units until 1957.
28 Jan 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
SECRET
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