CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00975A002000370001-8
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
8
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 22, 2002
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
May 21, 1955
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP79T00975A002000370001-8.pdf300.72 KB
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y- N No. CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DOCUMENT NO. _39 NO CHANGE IN CLASS. ri DECLASSIFIED CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C NEXT REVIEW DATE: 1811.1Q AUTH: HR 70-2 DATE: -SWgQ- REVIEWER: Office of Current Intelligence CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY DOS review(s) completed. DIA review(s) completed. 94 e 209MR36FLC60biW9TOOWIPI!?rllllllllllllllooo Approved Foelease 2 1WO02000370001-8 25X1 SUMMARY GENERAL 1. USSR may offer Yugoslavia "atomic energy" and seek joint state- ment on German neutrality and disarmament (page 3). 2. USSR apparently made large purchases of copper in Western Europe recently (page 3). 25X1 4. Burmese defense mini SOUTHEAST ASIA ster reportedly providing arms to Commu - 5. nists (page 5). Pakistan conditionally SOUTH ASIA agrees to five-nation investigation of Pes ha- 6. war incident (page 5). Italy concerned over p WESTERN EUROPE ossibility of Austria's admission to UN 7. (page 6). Bonn diplomat suggest s bluffing Moscow on German neutrality (page 7). 21 May 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 25X1 * Approved Fotelease 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79TO097 002000370001-8 GENERAL 1. USSR ma offer Yugoslavia "atomic energy" and seek joint state- ment on.German neutrality an 'sarmamen : The. USSR will offer Yugoslavia "atomic energy" for peaceful purposes during the Belgrade conference and will endeavor to obtain Yugoslav approval in principle for neutral Germany and or the latest Soviet disarmament proposals. 25X1 Comment: In addition to the announced Soviet intention of buildingomic reactors in countries of the Sino-Soviet bloc, the USSR has hinted willingness to lend similar assistance to non-Orbit countries? Such an offer would appeal to the Yugoslavs,, who, claiming that atomic energy will usher in the age of Socialism, strongly subscribe to the principle of interna- tional co-operation on atomic matters as an aid to their own pro- gram o Belgrade, while never fully explicit on the subject, has in recent months strongly favored a reunified, un- committed Germany. Likewise, it has reacted favorably to the latest Soviet moves on disarmament. The Soviet and Yugoslav leaders can probably find enough common ground on both subjects to issue statements of agreement on basic principles. (Concurred in by GSI) 2e USSR apparently made large purchases of copper in Western Europe. recently: T. T. Ivanov, a leading official of a Soviet foreign trade agency, told that the USSR no longer had any interest in buy- ing copper because o purchases "this past week" in Europe. 21 May 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 Comment: This information suggests that Soviet trade officials, eari.ng a tightening of Western export controls, have contracted for large quantities of copper very re- cently. The Soviet Union has taken advantage of the relaxation in controls last August to make substantial purchases of copper wire in Western Europe. (Concurred in by ORR) 21 May 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 25X1 Approved For elease r LAA-K 09WO02000370001-8 SOUTHEAST ASIA 4. Burmese defense minister reportedly providing arms to Commu- nisi- Comment: Ba Swe exhibited strong pro- Communist inclinations before B ecame a cabinet minister in April 1952, but since his assumption of the defense post9 the army has continued its campaign against the Communists. The defense minister and his family have often been rumored to be engaged in various profitable transactions with the insurgents, and this report would appear to lend substance to these charges. SOUTH ASIA 5. Pakistan conditionally. agrees, to five-nation investigation of Pesha- ent: A senior official of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry told Ambassador Hildreth on 19 May that although Pakistan had rejected Saudi mediation efforts, it would neverthe- less agree to investigation of the Peshawar incident of 1 April by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey9 Iraq and Iran if Afghanistan would first make adequate amends for the Kabul outrages of 30 March. :'The official, who said Pakistan would abide by the recommendations of this group, said Egypt and probably Saudi Arabia would favor Afghanistan while Turkey, Iraq, and maybe Iran would side with Pakistan. 21 May 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 25X1 Approved For+pelease 02000370001-8 Comment: The Pakistanis are apparently confident that Turkey, Iraq, and Iran will produce a three-to-two decision in their favor on the Peshawar incident. Such a decision would serve to re-emphasize whatever prior Afghan admission of guilt might have been made regarding the Kabul affair and to inten- sify the pressure on the Afghan government to remove Prime Minister Daud or give up agitation on the Pushtoonistan issue, WESTERN EUROPE 6. Italy concerned over possibility of Austria's admission to UN: The Italian UN observer told Ambassador 'Lodge on 18 May that he believed it would create a very bad impression in Italy if Austria were admitted to the United Na- tions and Italy were not. Lodge comments that there would be a setback to Communism in Italy if the USSR vetoed Italy' admission to the UN after approving that of Austria. Comment: The Italian peace treaty and the new Austrian state treat' ~o affirm the desirability of UN membership for these countries. UN membership for each has been vetoed by the.USSR. Ambassador Thompson in Vienna re- ported on 18 May that Soviet officials had indicated to the Austrians that they would not treat Austria's application for UN membership any differently from other applications- -that is, only as part of a "package" deal. The USSR may propose Austrian UN member- ship as part of a package similar to its 1953 proposal which called for the simultaneous admission to the UN of five countries whose peace treaties favored such admission, namely, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, Finland, and Italy. 21 May 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 6 25X1 Approved For Releas - 5AO02000370001-8 25X1 Approved Fors Wease 12002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79TOO975A002000370001-8 7. Bonn diplomat suggests. bluffing Moscow on German neutrality: The newly arrived West German am- bassador in London, Hans von Herwarth, told the American embassy on 18 May that in his opinion the West, confronted by more flexible Soviet tactics, should seize the initiative and run the risk of offering German unification even on an alliance- free basis. He considered that such a bold proposal would stump Moscow, which would "never" accept it, lest a unified Germany be as much tied to the West as Sweden, if not more so. Herwarth, an expert on Soviet affairs, also said that West Germany should proceed at "full steam" to create its 12 army divisions, because Soviet objectives remain unchanged. He maintained that the Germans must be made to realize that the real issue is not the division of Germany, but of Europe. He thought that Soviet demands for the withdrawal of American forces from Germany should be met with insistence that the USSR withdraw its troops from the Satel- lites. Comment. Chancellor Adenauer too has been talking of the necessi y or more "flexibility" in dealing with the USSR. The "flexibility" Bonn has in mind, however, ap- parently would not go beyond an offer to set up a collective security system to which the Soviet bloc countries could-belong. Adenauer reportedly is telling his ambassadors to take a rigid position against German neutrality. 21 May 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 7 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 r- I 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8 Approved For Release 2002/07/30 : CIA-RDP79T00975AO02000370001-8