CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

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Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00975A002100100001-5
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RIPPUB
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T
Document Page Count: 
9
Document Creation Date: 
December 21, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 31, 2002
Sequence Number: 
1
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REPORT
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S Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 26 June 1955 Copy No. CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN DOCUMENT NO. NO CHANGE IN CLASS. [I DECLASSIFIED CLASS. CHANGED TO: Tj~S~ S, C NEXT REVIEW DATE:1 ------- AUTH: HR 70 2 DATE: ; Office of Current Intelligence CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY *Army and State Department review(s) completed. r i TOP SECRET Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 SUMMARY FAR EAST 1. South Korean defense minister being promoted as successor to Rhee (page 3). SOUTHEAST ASIA 3. British concerned over impact of Malayan Communists' peace proposal (page 4). NEAR EAST - AFRICA 4. Syrian army officers plan action against anti-Western elements (page 5). EASTERN EUROPE 5. Anti-American trial in Hungary appears imminent (page 6). WESTERN EUROPE 6. Embassy Paris sees Morocco as only issue likely to overthrow Faure (page 7). LATIN AMERICA 7. Peron apparently accepting army's demands (page 7). 8. France ahead of schedule in withdrawing troops from Indochina (page 8). 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975A002100100001-5 H FAR EAST 1o South Korean defense minister being promoted as successor to R - ee: Plans are in operation to promote the election of South Korean minister of efens-e Sohn Won-il as President Rhee's unning mate in the 1956 election, ac- coraing to Army Chief o Staff Chong Il-kwon, The plans, which were developed by. Sohn, Chong, and Yi Ki-pung, head of Rhee's Liberal Party, have been presented to Rhee, whose reaction was "not unfavorable.,, Comment: Rhee's age and physical condition make it likely that the vice president elected in 1956 for the next four years will be called on to serve out Rhee's term. Rhee's past behavior suggests that he may choose someone like the aged incumbent, Ham Tae-yong9 who would not be in a posi- tion to challenge his authority. Army Chief of Staff Chong has strong presidential aspirations, and Yi Ki-pung is probably the leading political contender. They may have decided to support Sohn9 who has been out of favor with Rhee for several months, in or- der to avoid too open a bid for power at this stage. Sohn, now in Washington for aid dis- cussions, has been generally co-operative with American offi- cials. He is an able administrator, but has little personal polit- ical following. SOUTHEAST ASIA 2.6 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 3 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975A002100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 3. British concerned over impact of Malayan Communists' peace proposa ; The British authorities in Malaya are publicly treating the Communists' re- cent offer to negotiate a settlement of the seven-year-old terrorist campaign as a sign of weakness, but privately they are dismayed by it. The British consider the proposal, which would appeal to a large number of Malayans, admirably timed to promote the Communists' objective of dividing the coun- try before its first elections, on 27 July, and recognize that their rebuff of the bid can be used by the Communists to promote anti-British sentiment. Comment: The Communists' proposal was contained in a letter sent to several Malayan organizations from the outlawed Malayan Communist Party's headquarters in 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 southern Thailand. It asked for an end to the war and the emer- gency regulations, to be followed by a round-table conference of all parties and general elections in a "democratic peaceful atmosphere." The British secured consent for their rejection of the offer from a representative of the Alliance, a combined Malay-Chinese party which is the Malaya Federation's largest and is expected to win. the July elections. Since then, leaders of the Alliance- -apparently sensing popular reaction-- .have announced that they would be willing to work out peace terms with the Communists. NEAR EAST - AFRICA 4. Syrian army officers plan action against anti-Western elements: 180 Syrian army officers plan in about a week to give Prime Minister Asali an ultimatum to remove Foreign Minister Azm and certain other ministers from the cabinet. The offi- cers, ranging in rank from captain through brigadier general, also plan to demand the dismissal of Chief of Staff Shawkat Shuqayr. Should Asali refuse, they would assume temporary control of the country. The group is said to oppose the pro- jected pact with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and to wish to strip the leftist Arab Socialist- Resurrectionist Party of its power in favor of closer relations with the West and Iraq. Ambassador Moose believes that these plans may be the cause of recent indications that the chief of staff is considering withdrawing his support from Foreign Minister Azm. Comment: A coup of this kind, if at- tempted, would appear to ve a fair chance of success. Azm, the real leader of the cabinet, has been out of the country since 12 June, and there are indications that the Arab Socialist fac- tion in the army has not recovered from the assassination of its leader last April. These factors, together with the apparent 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 defection of the opportunistic chief of staff and the decreasing warmth in Cairo's attitude, toward the Asali cabinet, leave it in a seriously weakened position. While such a coup would orient Syria more toward the West, there is little prospect that the country's internal stability would be much enhanced. EASTERN EUROPE 5. Anti-American trial in Hungary appears imminent: The American legation in Budapest is convinced that a "show trial" of a Hungarian employee of the Associated Press in Budapest is imminent, and that it will inv. ve the legation. Recently arrested local em- ployees of the legation will provide the "supporting cast" for such an action. The legation reports that the last regular Hungarian employee of the USIS news bulletin section was arrested on 23 June. Comment: A trial implicating the le- gation, while obviously design-o, warn the Hungarian people of the dangers of contacting American representatives, would be aimed primarily at justifying the retention of Soviet troops in Hungary because of the danger of American interference in in- ternal affairs. In late May the legation reported that there had been a sharp increase in the general use of terror and intimidation tactics by the Hungarian security police, par- ticularly against those local citizens who visited the legation to receive news bulletins. Both the terror tactics and an intense anti-American campaign which has been in effect for several months are also probably considered necessary by the regime to strengthen its internal control in the face of widespread pop- ular and party disaffection. 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 6 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975A002100100001-5 WESTERN EUROPE 6. Embassy Paris sees Morocco as only issue likely to overthrow Faure: The American embassy in Paris be- lieves that Morocco is the only issue which might cause Premier Faure's downfall before the French assembly recesses on 15 August. The embassy points out, however, that Faure is unlikely to present any Moroc- can program this summer that would cause the overthrow of his government. A slight additional delay in instituting reforms in Morocco could be justified on the grounds that Resident General Grandval will be new at the post when he takes over in about two weeks. Comment: The situation in Morocco may deteriorate to such an extent as to force Faure to take stronger steps than he now intends, thus precipitating an attack on him from Socialist and other left-of-center forces in the assembly. Failure by Faure to gain command of the Algerian situation might also provoke sharp parliamentary criticism. LATIN AMERICA 7. Peron apparently accepting army's demands: The military junta was dissolved on 22 June following President Peron's agreement to demands resulting from army-navy negotiations, Army offi- cials agreed to allow Peron time to pro- ceed alone in fulfilling these demands but do not trust him fully and continue in control of the state of siege, The reported demands require Peron to: (1) obtain the resignations of all cabinet ministers; (2) prosecute 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN -Page 7 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975A002100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 legally all criminals; (3) see that no punishment is meted out to navy men; (4) purge the General Confederation of Labor; (5) drop the church-state issue; and (6) provide the navy with more ammu- nition and petroleum. the resignation of all cabinet ministers on 22 June indicates that Peron is responding to army pressure. Former foreign minister Remorino de- nied to Ambassador Nufer on 23 June that the army had demanded cabinet changes and said that any impending changes would re- flect merely an intracabinet struggle. He added that Minister of the Army Lucero's influence over Peron was no greater than his and that rumors of a military junta were unfounded. Nufer com- ments that this is obviously an underestimate of the army's in- fluence, Comment: Remorino's remarks reflect the same line stressed in government communiques designed to convince the public that the situation has returned to normal and that the army has returned to its regular duties. the military is trying to conceal its power over Peron in order to avoid protests from pro-Peron civilian and/or military elements. 8. France ahead of schedule in withdrawing troops from Indochina: General Guillaume, who has just com- pleted a four-day inspection tour of the French military establishment in Vietnam, told Ambassador Reinhardt in Saigon that French forces in Indochina have been reduced to 55,000 men. He also stated .the sentiment of many French offi- cials in favor of complete and immediate evacuation of all French troops from Indochina was being strengthened by France's re- quirements in North Africa. The cost of maintaining the French Expeditionary Corps would also be an important factor in deter- mining the government's final decision. 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 8 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5 the general gave him the impression that hews inclined points out that recommend that about 50,000 men be retained for the next 18 months. . Comment: The French have been. threatening for some time to w raw their expeditionary force. This is the first indication, however, that their strength is be- low the 75,000 men the French government had planned to main- tain in Indochina until 1 July. 26 June 55 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 9 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP79T00975AO02100100001-5