Current Intelligence Weekly Summary

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Approved for Release: 2026/03/06 C03176167
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY
23 March 1962
MIDDLE EAST HIGHLIGHTS 0 . 0 . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16
The Syrian-Israeli border clashes of the past two weeks
probably mark the beginning of a period of sharply height-
ened Arab-Israeli tensions. Both Syria and Israel seem ready
for further action, and Damascus appears to believe that
"the battle of the Jordan waters" has already begun. The
Dawalibi cabinet in Syria has made some political gains from
what it describes as its "victory" over Israeli units, but
it is under increasing domestic criticism on other counts
and may soon fall or be reshuffled. In Saudi Arabia, last
weekfs drastic cabinet revision returned Crown Prince Faysal
to a key position of power in the government. \
STALINISTS REMOVED FROM BULGARIAN CABINET . . . . 0 . . . Page 19
The'newly elected Bulgarian National Assembly at its
first meeting approved changes in the Council of Ministers
which were another victory for the pro-Khrushchev leader-
ship of party First Secretary Zhivkov over the powerful
Stalinist segment in the party and government. With his
control of the party leadership nowrmore solidly assured,
Zhivkov stands a better chance to avert a Stalinist
challenge at the next party congress, scheduled to begino
in late August, \ \
MONGOLIA: KHRUSHCHEV'S ADVOCATE IN ASIA . . . . . . , . . Page 20
Mongolia has made it clear that it is solidly behind
the Soviet Unionin its controversy with the Chinese Com-
munists. After denouncing the Albanians and openly criti-
cizing Peiping's support for Tirana, the Mongolians em-
barked on their own version of de—Sta1inization by attacking
Marshal Choybalsan, who ruled the Mongolian party and state
from the 1930s until his death in 1952. A similar effort
to follow Moscow's lead in the de-Stalinization campaign
of 1956 had severe repercussions within the Mongolian
farty before the pro-Moscow faction: asserted its control.
THE MACMILLAN GOVERNMENT'S POLITICAL PROBLEMS. . 0 . . . . Page 21
A protest vote against the Macmillan government has
been registered in four recent by-elections,Jin one of which
the Liberal party captured a "safe" Conservative seat by
nearly 8,000 votes. The Conservatives, in office since
1951, have appeared unsure in dealing with a wide range
of foreign and domestic issues. Although the Labor party
has failed to capitalize on the government's shortcomings
and general elections need not be called for another two
and a half years, five more by-elections are due this
spring, and the government may be unusually sensitive to
popular pressures during this time on such issues as dis-
armament. \
COMMON MARKET RELATIONS WITH AFRICA , 0 G . . 0 O , , . . Page 21
The six European Common Market (EEC) countries are
agreed that the 1957 convention associating 16 African
states with the EEC should be renewed when it expires at
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Approved for Release: 2026/03/06 C03176167