MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A002000050001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 17, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

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Secret
NOFORN
a
ETr
Middle East
Africa
South Asia
Secret
No. 0870/75
October 17, 1975
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NOFORN/NOCONTRACT/ORCON
Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
(WNINTEL)
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
)ISSEMINATION CONTROL ABBREVIATIONS
NOFORN- Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals
NOCONTRACT- Not Releasable to Contractors or
Contractor/Consultants
PROPIN-- Caution-Proprietary Information Involved
USIBONLY- USIB Departments Only
ORCON- Dissemination and Extraction of Information
Controlled by Originator
REL ... This Information has been Authorized for
Release to ...
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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.
Saudi Arabia: New Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bangladesh: Internal Security Concerns
Persist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Oct 17, 1975
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Saudi Arabia
The cabinet reorganization in Riyadh this
week, did not reflect any change in the political
balance within the ruling family, but did suggest
the regime's concern about speeding up economic
and social development. Six new ministries were
created in the shake-up; many of the new ministers
are not well known to the public.
King Khalid, who retained the office of prime
minister, relinquished the post of foreign minister
to Prince Saud, a son of King Faysal. Saud had
been minister of state for foreign affairs. Crown
Prince Fahd turned over the interior ministry to
his full brother and former deputy, Prince Nayif,
one of his strongest supporters. Defense Minister
Prince Sultan retained his post.
Two other princes, half-brothers of the King
and Fahd, were given cabinet posts for the first
time. Prince Mitab, minister of public works and
housing, has had previous, but undistinguished,
government service as deputy defense minister and
emir of Mecca. He has held no office since the
mid--1960s; lately he has been active in business.
Prince Majid, now minister of urban and rural
affairs, had never held office. Both of these
ministries are new and will handle large amounts
of development money.
Central planning office chief Hisham Nazir,
a protege of Fahd and one of the rising stars in
the Saudi establishment, has been named to head
a newly created planning ministry. His function
will not change much, but his new post will give
him more clout in setting the course of national
development. In his mid-forties and a graduate of
UCLA, Nazir is one of the western-educated commoners
who have been moving into prominence in recent
years. He is thought to be something of a rival
of Petroleum Minister Yamani, also Western-educated,
who retains his post in the new cabinet.
(Continued)
Oct 17, 1975 1
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Muhammad aba al-Khayl, who is often allied
with Nazir in policy debates, has become finance
minister. He was previously minister of state for
finance and national economy. He replaces Prince
Musaid, the king's uncle, who resigned several
months ago. The finance ministry has, however,
been stripped of some of its most important functions;
it no longer prepares the budget, and the control
of housing and public works has been transferred
to a new ministry.
Other economic ministries--commerce and the
new ministry of industry and electricity--have
been assigned to young, energetic, well-educated,
and capable commoners, Dr. Sulaiman al-Sulaim and
Dr. Ghazi al-Qusaibi. Neither of them has had
extensive experience in government administration,
although Sulaim has recently functioned as Saudi
coordinator for the US-Saudi joint economic commission.
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Bangladesh
Internal Security Concerns Persist
The Dacca government apparently remains deeply
concerned about internal security.
Meanwhile, the government's campaign to con-
fiscate the large number of illegally held arms
throughout Bangladesh has entered its second month.
According to government reports, a large number
of people and a wide variety of weapons continue to
be rounded up. Last month the government reported
that about 1,500 people had been arrested for illegal
possession of weapons.
The government's concern over its security is
likely to persist for some time. In addition to
opposition from Mujib's supporters and the economic
and social woes inherited from his regime, Mushtaque
and his associates face other thorny problems.
A post coup leadership struggle in the military,
although currently quiescent, could boil over.
Mushtaque probably also realizes that public dis-
enchantment is inevitable unless his regime makes
some progress in dealing with the country's problems.
So far, it has taken few policy initiatives, and there
is little evidence it has generated much popular
support. (SECRET NOFORN/NOCONTRACT/ORCON)
Oct 17, 1975
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