CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00975A001800070001-4
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
December 15, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 15, 2003
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
November 3, 1954
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP79T00975A001800070001-4.pdf320.41 KB
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ZA ase 20/ ~p'1,',~~19TOQ, 3 November 1954 Copy No. CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DOCUMENT NO. --- NO CHANGE IN CLASS. I I DECLASSIFIED CL ASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C NEXT IiEVIFEVV DATE: _ -0 10 _-__ RUTH: HR 70-2 DATE: Z1J8_Q __ REVIEWER: Office of Current Intelligence CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY DIA and DOS review(s) completed. Or% se 204T4%P1SJF0C41VJW9T00W//Z 25X1 Approved For$slease 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T0097501800070001-4 SUMMARY GENERAL 25X1 Yoshida disappointed by his reception in Britain (page FAR EAST 3. Chinese Communists may attack Ichiang Island north of Tachens (page 4). 2. SOUTHEAST ASIA 4. Indian representative abetting Communist consolidation in north- ern Laos (page 5). NEAR EAST - AFRICA 5. Israel's new diversion of Jordan River waters called "hot potato" for Western powers (,page 6). 6. Ethiopia reported interested in financing Sudanese independence movement (page 6.). EASTERN EUROPE 7. Poland seen planning "show" trial with Hermann Field as witness for prosecution (page 7). 25X1 3 Nov 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2 Approved For Releas,20j01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975A001800070001-4 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4 Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4 25X1A Approved ForWease - 54D01800070001-4 25X1A Prime Minister Yoshida is distressed by the general public indifference and the hostility of textile interests and of leftist members of Parliament he has uring his visit to Lin, F 'Yoshida as concluded the 2. Yoshida disappointed by his reception in Britain: British have little interest in Japan's future and are unprepared to make concessions designed to maintain a friendly administra- tion in power in Tokyo and to keep Japan aligned with the West. Yoshida was reported to be generally ?'satisfied" with the attention shown him by the queen, Prime Minister Churchill and other high British officials. Comment: Yoshida has followed a policy of close co-operation witie West at the cost of consid- erable domestic political support, and he probably did not expect the generally apathetic welcome he has received in Europe. The approach by Asakai was undoubtedly designed to encourage more tangible evidence of American sup- port for Yoshida, especially since the results of his trip may be decisive on his ability to remain in power. FAR EAST 25X1A The American army attache in Taipei believes the "most likely" Chinese Communist action in the Tachens area would be a landing on Nationalist-held Ichiang Island, about eight miles north- west of Upper Tachen. Ichiang's capture would permit the Commu- nists to use long-range artillery against the Nationalist garrison on Upper Tachen. In view of the absence of reports of Communist troop or naval concentrations near the Tachens, it 3. Chinese Communists may attack Ichiang Island north of Tachens: 25X1 3 Nov 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 Approved For Releaseb4Yk/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4 l 25X1A Approved For eplease ZOO41D/1b : Z - 754901800070001-4 is highly improbable that the Communists will attempt a landing on the main Tachen Islands in the near future, according to the attache Comment: The Communists currently seem to be softening Ichiang's defenses prior to a landing attempt. The island, which is defended by about 850 Nationalist guerrillas, has been under frequent shellfire from Communist-held Toumen Island to the north in recent weeks. Three thousand rounds of artillery are reported to have struck Ichiang in an eight-hour period on 1 November, and on the following day, it was bombed by Communist planes. The Nationalist defense minister has urged that American Seventh Fleet carriers put in an appearance in the Tachens area. He believes that such evidence of American interest would be the best means of deterring the Communists from expanding the conflict. SOUTHEAST ASIA 25X1A 4. Indian representative abetting Communist consolidation in north- ern Laos: The Indian chairman of the international commission in Laos is still unwilling to concede the royal government's right to administer the two northern provinces designated as assembly areas for Pathet Lao forces, According to the American charge in Vientiane, the Indian has admitted that the Pathet Lao demand for exclusive jurisdiction would be weak- ened if commission teams could confirm the claim of the French and Laotians that their forces actually occupy some parts of the provinces. In any case, he has stated, he wants to avoid a show- down on the question in order to keep the commission working "as a team,' India's representative, moreover, is con- vinced the Pathet Lao forces are not really Communists but in- stead good nationalists and Buddhists. He apparently is hoping that "friendly conversations" between the Laotian government and Pathet Lao representatives will "improve the atmosphere" 3 Nov 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5 Approved For Releas%-W,601/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4 25X1A 25X1 5. Israel's new diversion of Jordan River waters called "hot potato,, 25X1 NEAR EAST - AFRICA 25X1A Approved For R& ase 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AQ61800070001-4 Comment: The Laotian government has not yet: established administrative, machinery in the two northern provinces, although in its declaration at Geneva it clearly asserted its right to do so. for Western powers: Jordan's complaint to the Western powers on 1 November that the new Israeli move to divert water from the Jordan. River is a threat to the peace is a "hot potato" with complicated legal aspects, in the view of the American., British and French chiefs of mission in Amman. Ambassador Mallory, in reporting this, observes that if the Jordanian complaint is substantially accurate, there may be an increase in.Israeli-Jordanian incidents, Comment: Israel's request in September for the use of American counterpart funds for the project referred to--different from the controversial diversionary canal being built by Israel in the Israeli-Syrian demilitarized zone--was turned down by Washington as prejudicial to the negotiations on the American-sponsored Johnston plan for the unified development of the Jordan River. 6. Ethiopia reported interested in financing Sudanese independence movement: 25X1A Ethiopia is so anxious to assure the Sudan's independence that it is willing to make "substantial funds" available to the Sudanese independence movement, 3 Nov 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 6 25X1A Approved For Releas 9004101116 - - 001800070001-4 25X1A Approved For.jelease 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T0097C001800070001-4 according to the Ethiopian liaison officer in Khartoum. He added, however, that Ethiopia had found no one reliable to deal with in the movement. Emperor Haile Selassie is reported con- vinced that union of the Sudan with Egypt would stir up trouble among the Moslems in Ethiopia and Eritrea. He is said to be- lieve that such a combined state would constitute a threat to Ethiopia. Comment: Under the terms of the Anglo- Egyptian agreement of 190-,e hSudanese. are to decide between union with Egypt and independence by 1957. Egypt has clearly indicated its intention to achieve union with the Sudan.. Major Salah Salim, Egyptian minister for Sudanese affairs and national guidance, told Ameri- can liaison officer Sweeney in Khartoum with unusual frankness on 4 October that the Nasr regime is determined to take over the Sudan. He emphasized that Egypt "had spent millions of pounds to achieve its objectives." Ethiopia is unlikely to match Egypt's financial efforts to win the Sudan, but any Ethiopian intervention of the sort envisaged would cause friction between Egypt and Ethiopia. The Ethiopian challenge suggests, moreover, that orderly political development in the Sudan is likely to be jeopard- ized by these maneuvers and intrigues. EASTERN EUROPE 25X1A 7. Poland seen planning "show" trial with Hermann Field as witness ' for prosecution: The American embassy in Warsaw be- lieves that the Polish regime is prepar- ing a propaganda trial of security police officials in which Hermann Field will appear as a witness tor the prosecution. The Poles would attempt to fix blame for Field's mistreatment on Jozef Swiatlo and other "American agents infiltrated into the Polish security organs." 3 Nov 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 7 Approved For Release?Xl1/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975A001800070001-4 25X1A Approved For4&elease 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975*001800070001-4 Field has now informed American embassy officials that he has delayed his departure until 10 November and that the Poles have set up a special commission to investigate and prosecute persons who mistreated him during his imprisonment. Comment: A trial featuring the Field case would enable the regimed Pict Swiatlo and other security police officials as American agents and thus use them as scape- goats for past unpopular policies. . It could also be used to exon- erate previously convicted national deviationists, a trend which has already been noted in Hungary. Satellite political trials since the inaugu- ration of the new course, however, have been conducted without publicity and Polish leaders might hesitate to stage a major "show" trial which might be interpreted as a reversion to harsh Stalinist practice. 25X1 3 Nov 54 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 8 Approved For Release 2QB4(gA16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4 25X1 L Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4 Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO01800070001-4