MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH ASIA

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00865A001700290002-2
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
October 18, 2001
Sequence Number: 
2
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
September 12, 1975
Content Type: 
NOTES
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PDF icon CIA-RDP79T00865A001700290002-2.pdf200.82 KB
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Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 Sect NoF gvl~p KOVE~ 0 Middle East Africa South Asia Secret 3 , No. 0853/75 3, September 12, 1975 Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 No Foreign Dissem/No Discern Abroad Background Use OnZy/ControZZed Dissem Warning Notice Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions Classified by 010725 Exempt from general declassification schedule of E.O. 11652, exemption category: ? 5B(1), (2), and (3) Automatically declassified on: Date Impossible to Determine Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/f64P79T00865A001700290002-2 SERET MIDDLE EAST - AFRICA - SOUTH ASIA This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington com- munity by the Middle East - Africa Division, Office of Current Intelligence, with occasional contributions from other offices within the Directorate of Intelligence. Comments and queries are welcome. They should be directed to the authors of the individual articles. 25X6 Ghana: Government Structure May be Revamped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Bangladesh: Regime Tries Some Image Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Bangladesh-USSR: Aircraft Negotiations Resumed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sept 12, 1975 Approved For Release 2001/1' PCrgDP79T00865A001700290002-2 25X6 Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/ GS - P79T00865AO01700290002-2 Ghana Government Structure May be Revamped Junta leader Colonel Acheampong will soon unveil a sweeping restructuring of Ghana's three-year- old military government, Acheampong apparently hopes the move wi shore the regime's flagging support in the armed forces and reverse the impression of drift.conveyed by the government's performance in recent months. Implementation of the plan, however, could encounter resistance from three key officers on the present ruling body who collaborated with Acheampong in the 1972 coup. Their relations with Acheampong have become somewhat strained lately and they would be downgraded significantly in the new set up. I 25X1 C e government is to be will head a new supreme military council that is to include the chief of the defense staff, service and police heads, and 20 to 25 younger officers drawn from the ranks. The present 10-man ruling military council will be reconstituted with no policy making role and will be charged with overseeing the operation of government ministries. patterned loosely after that of Nigeria. Achmeapong The plan also provides for an institutional procedure for removing the head of state by unanimous vote of the supreme military council. The intent evidently is to reduce the possibility that ais- gruntled elements may be tempted to resort to a coup d'etat to redress their grievances. (SEC:aET NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY/ 25X1A CONTROLLED DISSEM) Approved For Release 2001/1113RM "P79T00865A001700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/MGIT4 1IP79T00865A001700290002-2 Bangladesh Regime Tries Some Image Building The new regime is taking steps designed t distinguish it from the government or former president uji anu to project an image of a decisive, honest government with a concern for civil liberties. At the same time, the new leaders in jacca have clearly demonstrated there are limits on how far they will go for now in liberalizing the system--a reserve that may be a reflection of concern over internal security. The regime has moved at a cautious pace, hovweve::. This may be due in part to the quiescent but still unresolved leadership disp.ite among military and civilian figures in the government. The regime may also have had difficulty in formulating policy in the short time since the coup; the coup leaders had no clear goals at the time they took over other than the removal of Mujib. The most recent moves by President Mushtaque's regime have included a decision to review the cases of those arbitrarily removed from the military under Mujib. This week the government also rua~ie some modest economic moves, such as price. reductions for cloth and cement and the easing of some distribution controls. Dacca has still not made any dramatic economic decisions, except for some politically motivated steps shortly after the coup, which included blocking the bank announts of Mujib and some of his associates. (Continued) Sept 12, 1975 3 Approved For Release 2001/11/ER-d79T00865A001700290002-2 25X6 Approved For Release 2001/1 'jZ1X!TbP79T00865A001700290002-2 The new regime's other positive steps have included: --the arrest of allegedly corrupt officials of the Mujib government: and his now defunct party; --the return to their owners of two popular newspapers nationalized by Mujib last June; --the repeal of an order by Mujib sanctioning the dismissal of civil servants without cause or appeal; --the offer of a general amnesty to all those who turn in illegally held arms by this weekend. Along with these moves, the government has placed certain limits on civil. liberties. It has banned all political. panties and has promulgated tough martial law =egulations under which there have been several convictions. There is also speculation that the government may reimpose a strict curfew, in Dacca after the amnesty expires to facilitate raids by government security forces on the university and other places where the government suspects arms have been cached. (CONFIDENTIAL) Sept 12, 1975 Approved For Release 2001/11S:BC& bP79T00865A001700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/SIRE* jP79T00865A001700290002-2 Bangladesh-USSR Aircraft Negotiations Resumed Bangladesh will continue to depend on the USSR for aircraft even though the new government has stepped back a bit from Mujib's close relations with the Soviets. negotia- tions on aircraft that were in progress with the USSR at the time of the coup on August 15 have been resumed. Moscow apparently is willing to continue to supply Dacca with aircraft, despite misgivings about the orientation of the new regime. (SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSE`I/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY/CONTROLLED DISSEil) Sept 12, 1975 25X1 C Approved For Release 2001/11/i (_gR P79T00865A001700290002-2 Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2 Secret Secret Approved For Release 2001/11/20 : CIA-RDP79T00865AO01700290002-2