CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/08/15

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03193798
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: August 15, 1956

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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
15 August 1956
Copy No. 105
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
Li DECLASSIFIED
CLAM. CHANCED TO; IS S
NEXT REVIEW DATE;
AUTH; H 0�2
DAT
F1EVIEWER:
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1. EGYPT OBTAINS COPY OF ALLEGED WESTERN PROPOSAL
ON SUEZ (page 3).
2. USSR OUTLINES ITS TACTICS AT SUEZ CONFERENCE
(page 4).
3. EGYPT SEEKS TO GAIN TURKISH SUPPORT ON SUEZ
(page 5).
4. JAPANESE GOVERNMENT UNANIMOUS IN OPPOSING SOVIET
TREATY TERMS (page 6).
5. INDONESIAN ARMY ATTEMPTS TO ARREST FOREIGN
MINISTER (page 7).
6. ILLNESS OF HONDURAN CHIEF OF STATE MAY BRING
ARMY RULE (page 8).
15 Aug 56
* * * *
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
page 9)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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1. EGYPT OBTAINS COPY OF ALLEGED WESTERN
PROPOSAL ON SUEZ
15 Aug 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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2. USSR OUTLINES ITS TACTICS AT SUEZ CONFERENCE
15 Aug 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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3. EGYPT SEEKS TO GAIN TURKISH SUPPORT ON SUEZ
Egypt is urging Libya and Lebanon, as
friends of Turkey, to persuade Ankara
to oppose the idea of international admin-
istration of the Suez Canal,
Egyptian
1,1 cazuciLL rictbr iceu Lile LAW an premier
to point out while in Turkey the bad prece-
dent such a decision would set, consider-
ing the status of the Turkish Straits, and
to suggest that the situation offers a good
/ -
opportunity to improve Turkey's relations with the Arab states.
Nasr also requested the Lebanese government to mediate with
Turkey to get it to support "whatever would be in the best inter-
ests of Egypt:'
Comment Turkey, whose relations with Egypt are
strained, is firmly committed to support
the Western position favoring international administration of the
Suez Canal. However, Turkey will be alert to oppose any impli-
cation that can later be used to challenge its complete control of
the Turkish Straits.
15 Aug 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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4. JAPANESE GOVERNMENT UNANIMOUS IN OPPOSING
SOVIET TREATY TERMS
The Japanese cabinet and the leaders
of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party
were unanimous in opposing Foreign
Minister Shigemitsu's recommendation
fiat the'Soviet terms for a peace treaty be accepted. Frank
Matsumoto, a cabinet official, has told Ambassador Allison
that government leaders were amazed that Shigemitsu pro-
posed not only to yield Japan's claims to the Southern Kurils
but also would agree to limit navigation of the Sea of Japan by
naval vessels to ships of the riparian powers. They believe
that Moscow has somehow affected the foreign minister's mind.
Matsumoto said Minister of Agriculture
and Forestry Kono is the leading advocate of a firm stand
against Moscow's terms. Kono is willing to go to Moscow to
confront Bulganin, since the present Soviet position repudiates
Bulganin's statement to him in May that a way would be found
to put the problem of the Southern Kurils aside and that the
USSR would drop the Sea of Japan issue.
Comment Tokyo's strong reaction to the Soviet treaty
terms and its readiness to place the blame
on Shigemitsu probably reflect Japanese expectations that a
face-saving formula avoiding surrendering Japan's claims to
the Kurils would be found. The fact that the Japanese govern-
ment is not proposing to break off the talks suggests Tokyo
may now consider a restoration of diplomatic relations with-
out a treaty the most feasible solution of the present impasse.
Should Shigemitsu, on instructions from
Tokyo, threaten to break off the treaty talks, the USSR might
again advance the idea of a simple exchange of ambassadors.
15 Aug 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
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5, INDONESIAN ARMY ATTEMPTS TO ARREST
FOREIGN MINISTER
The attempted arrest of Foreign Min-
ister Abdulgani on the eve of his depar-
ture for the London conference apparently
was an effort on the part of the army to
embarrass the government with the aim of forestalling a re-
cent government decision to reassign several top Indonesian
army commanders. The arrest was ordered by Colonel
Kawilarang, army commander in West Java. The govern-
ment had hoped the reassignment of commanders would pre-
vent the development of "war lordism," particularly on the
part of officers who have held regional commands for several
years.
Abdulgani was to have been taken into cus-
tody on charges of corruption, and only the intercession of
Prime Minister Ali and the army chief of staff prevented the
arrest and permitted the foreign minister's departure for the
London conference. The attorney general has announced that
the corruption charges are being investigated�an indication
that the government hopes, by this gesture, to conciliate the
army and keep the matter in government hands.
Since 1953 the army has successfully re-
sisted repeated government efforts to make high-level per-
sonnel changes without army concurrence or significantly to
reorganize the territorial command structure. Kawilarang
and at least one other of the seven territorial commanders
have been strongly opposed to the National Party since 1952
when that party accepted Communist parliamentary support
in an effort to reorganize the army. Kawilarang was probably
involved in the crisis in July 1955 in which the army forced
the fall of the first Ali cabinet.
15 Aug 56 Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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60 ILLNESS OF HONDURAN CHIEF OF STATE MAY
BRING ARMY RULE
The broad powers apparently granted
the new Defense Co-ordinating Command
in Honduras would place it in an excel-
lent position to assume control of the
government if Chief of State Lozano is incapacitated as a
result of his stroke on 11 August.
The new (Command was formed about
9 August to"regulate and unify military and civil security
action throughout the country" It is composed of a general
and two colonels, all of whom are believed to be friendly to
the United States.
Political unrest has mounted steadily in
the past several months and culminated in an unsuccessful re-
volt on 1 August. The political situation could deteriorate
rapidly and critically without a strong government ready to
effect a transition to constitutional government in the rela-
tively near future.
15 Aug 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
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� THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 14 August)
� The French chairman of the Israeli-Lebanese
Mixed Armistice Commission is being held in custody by the
Lebanese police, according to a press report from Beirut. No
official reason was given for the detention of the UN truce offi-
cer. (Press)
The Damascus branch of the Arab Joint Com-
mand advised Cairo that an Israeli patrol crossed the Israeli-
Syrian truce line on 13 August but withdrew after meeting machine
gun resistance.
15 Aug 56
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 9
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