CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/06/21

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03194477
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: June 21, 1955

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21 June 1955
Copy No.
99
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. _64-
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
Fi DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE�
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE: -9/LJc90 RFVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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i
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''tqwe vftri
SUMMARY
SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. Move to oust Thai army chief
EASTERN EUROPE
2. Political changes believed imminent in Hungary (page 3).
WESTERN EUROPE
. Further delay seen in Italian ratification of NATO Status of Forces
Agreement (page 4).
LATIN AMERICA
4. Comment on the Argentine situation (page 5).
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"441.0, "%of
SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. Move to oust Thai army chief
Comment: The contemplated move by
"junior army officers" against their chief was probably arranged
by Phao and might have brought active resistance from army ele-
ments loyal to Sarit.
Phao appears to be nearing paramountcy
within the ruling clique and it seems only a question of time be-
fore he succeeds in getting rid of his rival as a political force in
Thailand. It remains possible that in the meantime Sarit and his
supporters will resort to violence in an attempt to stern the tide.
EASTERN EUROPE
2. Political changes believed imminent in Hungary:
The American legation in Budapest re-
ports: "All observers are agreed that
something is brewing in Hungary and
that we probably won't have long to wait
to find out what it is." Many and varied rumors are circulating
In Budapest, most of them concerning the future of Party First
Secretary Rakosi.
According to the legation, Hungarian
premier Hegedus was in Moscow on 17 June, less than a week
after Rakosi and Hegedus had talked with Khrushchev in Bucha-
rest, and Soviet ambassador Andropov left Budapest for Moscow
on 13 June.
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*le
Comment: The presence in Moscow of
Premier Hegedus and the Soviet ambassador to Budapest sug-
gests that the USSR may be planning to reduce Rakosi's role in
public affairs. He may, however, continue to exert influence
from behind the scenes.
It is possible that greater public respon-
sibility will be delegated to younger, locally trained Communists,
such as Premier Hegedus and Vice Premier Hidas, who are not
specifically associated with either the Nagy or Rakosi cliques.
Such leaders would probably be better able to gain support for the
regime's program from the party rank and file, who are apathetic
because of the numerous changes of policy during recent months.
WESTERN EUROPE
3. Further delay seen in Italian ratification of NATO Status of Forces
Agreement:
Foreign Minister Martino doubts that the
Italian parliament will ratify the NATO
Status of Forces Agreement before the
summer recess. He told American
charge Durbrow on 18 June he expects a foreign policy debate of
perhaps two weeks' duration in the Chamber of Deputies follow-
ing the 'Current cabinet reshuffle.
The Communists, according to Martino,
have made it clear that they will do all they can to filibuster
against the Status of Forces Agreement. When told by Durbrow
that no American troops could be deployed to Italy before ratifi-
cation of the agreement, Martino argued that troop deployment
prior to ratification would cut the ground out from under the Com-
munists.
Comment: The NATO Status of Forces
Agreement, which defines the legal position of foreign troops in
a NATO country, passed the Italian Senate on 4 February. The
imminence of American troop withdrawal from Austria has made
passage of the agreement more urgent, but the government has
continued to delay a vote in the Chamber of Deputies.
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slime 'Nur'
This delay apparently stems not from
opposition to the terms of the agreement but from hopes of win-
ning certain concessions. The Italians desire, among other
things, to assure continued operation of the base at Leghorn, now
used mainly to supply American troops in Austria.
LATIN AMERICA
4. Comment on the Argentine situation:
Minister of the Army Lucero seems at
present to be the key figure in Argentina,.
Lucero continues to issue orders in "the
president's" name, however, thus contra-
dicting, for the time being at least, rumors
that he has replaced Peron. The army
claims control of the entire country, but
some rebel forces may still be holding
out at the major naval base of Puerto
Belgrano in southern Argentina.
There is still no conclusive information
on the whereabouts of the rebel fleet which
has been variously reported as en route to Puerto Belgrano and as
near Buenos Aires, threatening to bombard the capital if Peron does
not resign. There are indications that negotiations for peace terms
are under way between the fleet and the joint military command un-
der Lucero.
The joint military command issued a com-
muniqu�n 20 June stating that the only units which took part in the
16 June revolt were the marines and naval aviators. This was the
first official disclaimer that any units of Argentina's sea or river
fleet had participated in the uprising, and was probably designed to
facilitate peace talks. Earlier communiqu�had also pointedly
omitted mention of any participation by the air force.
Lucero
exacted two promises from Peron as the price for
remaining loyal during the 16 June revolt. One was to dismiss
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Minister of Interior and Justice Borlenghi, who is a bitter enemy
of Lucero and is considered to be a main instigator of the church-
state conflict; the other was to curtail the activities of the pro-
Peron General Confederation of Labor and the Nationalist Alliance
Additional demands of Lucero, as reported
by the press, include a constitutional amendment forbidding a presi-
dent's re-election, a plebiscite on the separation of church and state,
and the suppression of the government's propaganda department to
give the press and radio complete freedom. ,
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