CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A008000360001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 15, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

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TOP SECRET 15 December 1964
I
Copy :o.,
CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
RELATING TO NATIONAL SECURITY
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State Dept. review completed
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15 December 1964
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
CONTENTS
1. Israel: Prime Minister Eshkol's resignation a
tactical move brought on by split within Mapai
party. (Page 1)
3. Syria: Military regime showing signs of splin-
tering. (Page 3)
5. Italy: Bitter and divisive contest in prospect
over presidential balloting. (Page 5)
6. UN-USSR: Thant believes further postponement
of normal General Assembly proceedings may
be necessary. (Page 6)
7. Notes:
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
15 December 1964
DAILY BRIEF
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*Israel: Prime Minister Eshkol's resignation yes-
terday almost certainly is a tactical move precipitated
by a split within his Mapai party.
The breach has been caused by former Prime Min-
ister Ben-Gurion's determined opposition to certain of
Eshkol's policies. The struggle is likely to continue
until the party's convention in late. January. Eshkol
probably has the support to win a test of strength at
that time, and in the meantime is expected to be asked
to head a "caretaker" government.
Ben-Gurion's opposition centers around the. "Lavon
Affair," a controversial scandal which has divided the
party since 1954. Lavon, who was defense minister
at the time, was charged with responsibility for an
abortive sabotage operation against US and UK installa-
tions in Egypt that was designed to embitter relations
between Egypt and the West. Israeli agents assigned
to carry it out were caught and exposed by Egypt.
A cabinet committee on which Eshkol served ex-
onerated Lavon four years ago, despite Ben-Gurion's
vehement objections. Ben-Gurion now claims he has
new evidence and has demanded a reinvestigation of
the affair. Eshkol resigned in order to bring the issue
to a head.
V/
V
tagonized Ben-Gurion..,because it involved a deal to
An electoral alignment Eshkol has negotiated with
another, smaller party--Achdut Haavoda- -further an- 25X1
"rehabilitate" Lavon as a member of Mapai.
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Syria: The delicately balanced Syrian military
regime is showing signs of splintering.
Prime Minister Hafiz has held the military to-
gether for over a year by a series of compromises.
However, the ouster from the army last week of
Hafiz' former number-two man, Major General Mo-
hammed Umran, may indicate that Hafiz' peace-mak-
ing efforts are now meeting stiffer opposition from
other regime members.
The Baathist regime has taken no steps to broaden
its political base, but some effort is being made to
alter its rigidly militaristic image. A recent general
amnesty for political prisoners included even the pro-
Nasir leaders of the abortive July 1963 revolt.
Baathist civilians may soon be assigned a larger
front role in the government.
These political moves are unlikely to be effective.
The amnesty will probably spur increased antiregime
plotting, and dissension over defining the future role
of the civilians is likely only to aggravate the tensions
within the military regime
15 Dec 64 DAILY BRIEF
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Italy: A bitter and divisive contest is in prospect
when the parliamentary electoral college convenes
tomorrow to select a successor to President Segni.
Balloting may continue into next week as the
center-left parties try to agree on a candidate whose
election will be the least disruptive to the coalition.
Christian Democratic contenders - - ex- Premiers
Fanfani and Leone and Minister Piccioni- -appear to
have the edge over Social Democratic chief Saragat
and Acting President Merzagora.
Christian Democratic accord on an "official"
party choice is not determinative, because party
discipline will probably not prevail during the secret
balloting. The other coalition parties reportedly will
back Saragat, whose chances appear slim, on the
first three ballots. In subsequent ballots, when only
a majority is needed, one or more of them may shift
their vote to the leading Christian Democratic candi-
date.
The US Embassy reports a great deal of pessi-
mism that, whatever the outcome of the election, "the
effect on the coalition will be negative." Nenni, for
example, is very pessimistic about the impact of the
election, and he does not exclude the possibility of a
crisis within a month. The US Embassy comments
that such pessimism is "probably premature" but 25X1
concedes that election of such a controversial figure
25X1 as Fanfani "might well make a government crisis in-
evitable.
15 Dec 64 DAILY BRIEF 5
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UN-USSR: Secretary General Thant believes that
lack of progress on the Soviet arrears problem may
necessitate another postponement in normal General
Assembly proceedings.7
;Thant is convinced the USSR is willing to make
only a "token contribution" to a UN reserve fund. He
believes it is now giving consideration to his original
plan for a six-week adjournment after the Christmas
recess in order to permit time for further negotiations,
oviet UN Ambassador Federenko has insisted to
Ambassador Stevenson that the USSR can make no
voluntary contribution unless all claims against it
are canceled and there are no further complaints
about its "so-called arrears." Federenko would not
say how much the USSR would be willing to contribute.
He also indicated that the voluntary contribution scheme
is acceptable only if the Assembly proceeds with its
work on a normal basis]
[Moscow probably feels confident it is in a strong
negotiating position. The USSR appears to be count-
ing on stringing out negotiations on its arrears until
several other UN members, notably France, become
subject to the Article 19 sanction on 1 Januar
(The present nonvoting arrangements meanwhile
are raising some awkward problems. A resolution
affirming the arrangements worked out last spring
at the UN Conference on Trade and Development may
soon come up. Any move to stall or suggest even.
minor changes in the resolution could provoke a vote
and risk a showdown over Article 19. A vote may
also be necessary to determine whether Jordan or
Mali is to receive a seat. in the Security Council
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 Approved For
THE PRESIDENT
Executive Offices of the White House
Special Counsel to the President
The Special Assistant for National Security Affairs
The Scientific Adviser to the President
The Director of the Budget
The Department of State
The Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
The Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
The Counselor and Chairman of the Policy Planning Council
The Director of Intelligence and Research
The Treasury Department
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Under Secretary of the Treasury
The Department of Defense
The Secretary of Defense
The Deputy Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Air Force
The Assistant Secretary of Defense ( International Security Affairs)
The Assistant Secretary of Defense
The Chairman, The Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy
Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
Chief of Staff, United States Army
Commandant, United States Marine Corps
U.S. Rep., Military Committee and Standing Group, NATO
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander in Chief, Pacific
Commander in Chief, Atlantic
The Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
The Director, The Joint Staff
The Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of Army
The Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of Navy
The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Air Force
The Department of Justice
The Attorney General
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Director
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The Administrator
The Atomic Energy Commission
The Chairman
The National Security Agency
The Director
The United States Information Agency
The Director
The National Indications Center
The Director
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