CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1956/05/29

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02027260
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: October 25, 2019
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2019
• Publication Date: May 29, 1956

Approved for Release: 2019/10/21 CO2027260
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CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
BULLETIN
uP SECR
�
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. y
DECLASSIFiED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C 2.601
NEXT REVIEW DATE.
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE..1 liREViEWER;
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOP SECRE1-
29 May 1956
Copy No. I U
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
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CONTENTS
1. EGYPT URGING OTHER ARAB STATES TO RECOGNIZE
PEIPING (page 3).
2. AUSTRIAN BUSINESSMEN MAY ACCEPT INVITATION TO
VISIT COMMUNIST CHINA (page 4).
3. EAST GERMAN STUDENTS STAGE ANTIREGIME DEMON-
STRATIONS (page 5).
4. MARSHAL ROKOSSOWSKY MAY BE REPLACED
Noforn) (page 6).
5. ALBANIA REFUSES TO MAKE CONCESSION TO TITO
(page 7).
6. BURMESE PREMIER COMPLAINS OF FOREIGN INTER-
VENTION IN ELECTIONS (page 8).
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 9)
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1. EGYPT URGING OTHER ARAB STATES TO
RECOGNIZE PEIPING
Libyan prime minister Ben Halim told
Ambassador Tappin on 23 May that the
Egyptians were applying pressure on
Libya and other Arab states to follow
Egypt's lead in recognizing Communist
China. The Egyptian ambassador, Ben
Halim said, had told him that other Arab
states, including Lebanon and Syria,
were giving the matter serious consider-
ation. The prime minister said he had told the Egyptians
Libya would not recognize Peiping.
The government-controlled Cairo radio
reported on 25 May that the Arab League secretariat had been
informed Saudi Arabia would soon recognize Communist China
and had nearly completed arrangements for re-establishing
diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
Comment Although Egypt is almost certainly work-
ing to bring other Arab states to follow its
lead, only Syria and possibly the Sudan are likely to recognize
Communist China in the immediate future.
29 May 56
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2, AUSTRIAN BUSINESSMEN MAY ACCEPT INVITATION TO
VISIT COMMUNIST CHINA
Austrian businessmen will accept at
east one of several invitations they have received to visit
Communist China. An invitation from the Peiping govern-
ment through its trade representatives in East Berlin for
a delegation of Austrians to come to China in June is said
to have been discussed with an Austrian Foreign Ministry
official who expressed the view that Austrian businessmen
could go anywhere as private individuals.
Comment East German proposals, reportedly made
last February. that Austria accept sub-
stantial orders for deliveries of industrial items to Commu-
nist China, were discussed within the Austrian government
in March. Despite great interest expressed in such trade by
spokesmen for the Chamber of Commerce and the League of
Industrialists, it was decided to take no action until after the
13 May elections. The Austrian government has indicated
that it will try to keep trade with China in harmony with es-
tablished control procedures. (Concurred in by ORR)
29 May 56
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3. EAST GERMAN STUDENTS STAGE ANTIREGIME
DEMONSTRATIONS
East German university students
demonstrated in Dresden between
24 and 27 May to 'protest the regime's
opposition to students taking vacation
trips to West Germany.
Comment
Keeping East German youth in line has
been one of the major problems of the
regime. Other reports indicate that university students have
been increasingly critical of the party and its policies since
the Soviet Twentieth Party Congress.
29 May 56
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4. MARSHAL ROKOSSOWSICY MAY BE REPLACED
Polish minister of defense Marshal
Konstanty Rokossowsky was to be re-
placed by Lt. Gen. Zygmunt Berling
at a plenary meeting of the central
committee of the Polish United Workers (Communist)
Party scheduled to meet on 27 May, according to rumors
reaching the American embassy in Warsaw on 25 May.
Comment The removal of Marshal Rokossowsky,
a World War II Soviet general, would
be a logical part of the present campaign to build up the ap-
pearance of Polish independence. Such a move would be
welcomed by the Polish people to whom he symbolizes
Poland's subservience to the USSR. He was in command
of the Soviet forces that refused to come to the aid of the
Poles at the time of the Warsaw uprising against the Ger-
mans in 1944.
General Berling, presently under secre-
tary of the Ministry of State, was the commander of the
Kosciuszko Division which was organized in the Soviet Union
during World War II. He was removed from this position
late in 1944, reportedly for attempting to send forces to aid
in the Warsaw uprisin&and has occupied only minor posts
during the past decade. However, he was recently awarded
the Banner of Labor First Class.
29 May 56
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5. ALBANIA REFUSES TO MAKE CONCESSION TO TITO
Albanian Communist Party boss Enver
Hoxha announced on 25 May to his party's
third congress that the execution in 1949
of Koci�Xoxe, former interior minister
and the leading Albanian Titoist, was "completely justified."
He denounced Xoxe's activities as having been hostile to the
party and state, and claimed that Xoxe's crimes, along with
fabrications by Beria and other "misunderstandings," were
the cause of the bad relations with Yugoslavia.
Comment The failure to rehabilitate Koci Xoxe in-
dicates the extreme sensitivity with which
the Tirana regime still regards its relations with Yugoslavia.
Albania's refusal, unique among the Satellites, to make any
significant concessions to Yugoslavia presumably stems from
a fear that any move in this direction would be interpreted as
an invitation for the resumption of Yugoslav influence in Albania.
The strong support of Xoxe's condemnation
suggests that no major effort to placate Tito, such as demo-
tion of Tito's archenemy, Premier Mehmet Shehu, will be made
at the congress.
29 May 56
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6. BURMESE PREMIER COMPLAINS OF FOREIGN
INTERVENTION IN ELECTIONS
Comment
The Burmese government has publicly
attributed much of the good showing by
pro-Communist candidates last month to intimidation of voters
by the Communist underground. There are strong indications,
moreover, that Burmese leaders are particularly disturbed
because the Chinese Communist embassy, both directly and
through the local branch of the Bank of China, has been subsi-
dizing the activities of the pro-Communist Burma Workers and
Peasants Party and its satellite fronts.
Some Burmese officials also
nbelieve that the United States has been financing opposition
parties which are sympathetic to Karen insurgents and the Chi-
nese Nationalist irregulars.
Whatever advice Nehru may give, the
Burmese are unlikely to take any overt action that would an-
tagonize Peiping.
29 May 56
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 28 May)
An Israeli army spokesman stated on
28 May that Israeli troops in the El Auja area were fired on
by Egyptian forces on the night of 27 May. No casualties
were reported. (Press)
Egyptian ambassador to the United States
Hussein, now in Cairo for consultations, told Ambassador
Byroade, following his meeting with Prime Minister Nasr last
week, that (1) he personally was completely reassured that Nisr
had no, intention of attacking Israel but that (2) Nazi.% feelings
"were intense" on the question of arms for Israel and he be-
lieved there was a definite decision made to try to keep Israel
as strong as the Arab states. Nasr apparently feels that the
British are behind the rumors of a plan for a UN arms embargo,
and that they envisage a plan whereby Israel could circumvent
it as in the past. Hussein, on Nasr's orders, stated that Egyp-
tian recognition of Communist China was not "to slap the United
States' but was related -solely to establishing a new source of arms
because of Nasris feelings on the question of arms Tor Israel.
Major General Ntiwak, new commander in
chief of the Jordan Arab Legion, told the press on 25 May that
the days of meeting Israeli aggression with complaints are gone
forever. Hereafter, aggression would be met with force.
ine American air attac,ne in Amens reports
that Greece on 27 May granted clearance for landing and refuel-
ing of six French-built Ouragan jet fighters en route to Israel.
These planes have not yet been reported as landing in Athens.
They are apparently French deliveries to Israel in addition to the
24 Mysteres already agreed upon. A strong Arab reaction,par-
ticularlv from Egypt, is likely should this become public.
Accoramg to a usually rename source with
Egypt has concluded a deal with Poland for
/IN
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a supply of gun tubes and spare parts for British-made field
artillery0 flew of this deal was
released by mistake by the Egyptian radio
A usually reliable source'reports that the
66 Soviet air technicians who arrived in Egypt on 9 May de-
parted on 16 May0 the technicians may
�have come to Cairo regarding plans for a proposed Moscow-
Cairo direct commercial air connection. The field comments
there is a possibility that this report may be an official cover-
up explanation for the Soviet crews who accompanied the recent
delivery of IL-14 transport aircraft.-
Syrian thief of staff Shuqayr told the
American army attach�n Damascus on 25 May that the Syrian
army was in the process of reepiv-ina Pnnii rzeCh SU-100
assault guns for a regiment. Syria had been
tentatively offered more T-34 tanks but he had refused and had
selected the SU-100's instead, presumably to use as tank de-
stroyers. The attach�omments that a Syrian armored regi-
ment has 54 tanks or tank destroyers.
29 May 56
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