Approved for Release: 2019/03/14 C02003043

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• 28 March 1951
3.5(c)
Copy No.

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN~
~ ··•·.•.-·-~--,.,-
DOCUMEN"T NO. ----r-~__...,__,_,-=
NO CHNJGE IN CLASS.
1 , occ1_1-.:::;s1F1r:D
CL/\SS. CHi.NGED TO: .TS SA A
NE:<T rn::v:~=:w DATE: - ______ _w_&
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AUTH:
DATEt'-~-'j_:LtlEVIEWl:R: 3.5(c)
3.5(c)
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Office of Current Intelligence

. i CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

3.5(c)

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Approved for Release: 2019/03/14 C02003043

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3.5(c)

- SUMMARY
•
FAR EAST
• 3.3(h)(2)

• 2. De Latfre's reinforcement s to come from North Africa (page 3) .

3. French hope to forestall Chinese Communist intervention in Indochina
• (page 4) .

•
EASTERN EUROPE
•
4. Izvestia charges US with planning aggression against Albania (page 4) .
•
• LATIN AMERICA

5. Peron seeks maximum propaganda benefit from atomic energy

• announcement (page 5) .

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• 3.5(c)

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- TOP SECRET
3.5(c)

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Approved for Release: 2019/03/14 C02003043
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T~ H ~ 1 -
•
3.3(h)(2)
FAR EAST
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2. De Lattre' s reinforce ments to come from North Africa~
• Impleme nting its decision to provide De

- Lattre with the reinforce ments he requeste d

for Indochina, the French Governm ent will
33
send two below-st rength French Army divisions , totalling 13,000 men, - (h)(2)
from North Africa to lndo~hina as soon as transport ation is available ,
• These divisions will be replaced wi1th conscrip ts and voluntee rs.

• Comment: The apparent settleme nt of

the Morocca n crisis and the absence of sympathe tic d~monst rations in
Algeria and Tunisia permits the French to substitut e recruits and con-
• scripts for the seasoned troops now in North Africa" Army strength
in that area -- now apprqxim ately 88,000 -- is aqequate to maill,tain
• order .
These reinforce ments are not expected to
• begin arriving in Tonkin until 1 May, and therefore may be too late to aid
the French in co1,llltering an-,,,all-out Viet Minh offensive which is believed
. to be imminen t .

•
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- 3.5(c)

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- 3. French ho2e to _forestall Chinese Co~l:!!1!,list interventiol !_in Iridoc~
'
General ~e Lattre and the French Govern-
3.3(h)(2)/
· /

- ment evidently believe that, by maintaining

a non~provoc ative attitude toward the Chi-
nese Communis ts in military and informa-
• tional operations, they can reduce the likelihood of an invasion of Indo-
china. De Lattre apparently hopes that, with an improved-m ilitary

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•
situation, he will be able to negotiate with the Chinese Communis ts for
1'r:Jle cessation of aid to the Viet Minho As a matter of policy, the French
are playing down any reference to Chinese assistance and doubtlessly
intend to ignore the issue as long as posslble .
Comment: De Lattre' s estimate that the
• situation in Indochina can be "normalize d" by the end of 1951 is based
on the premise that Chinese Communis t units will not support Viet

- Minh'\s -forces. Like the British, he is apparently willing to negotiate

with ttte Chinese Communist s, at least until Frencµ efforts to obtain

- a joint US- UK-French policy in the Far East are successful.

• EASTERN EUROPE

4. Izvestia charges US with planning aggression against Albania~

~1/
3.3(h)(2)
The Moscow press has? for the first time,
adopted the Satellite propaganda line con-
cerning "Operation Lightning," an alleged
plan for Western aggression against Al-·
• bania this spring. A 25 March Izvestia article describes "Operation

-. Lightning" as a US-sponso red affair involving a coordinated Turkish-

Greek offensive, supported by Tito, against Albani~" The article charges
that Yugoslavia , Greece and Italy are committing border violations with
the ultimate purpose of enslaving Albania .
Comment: Heretofore , accusations regarding

- Western plans for an imminent attack on Albania have emanated only

from Satellite and Free Greek sources. Albanian propaganda dealt
with the threat to Aloanian territorial integrity, while the other .Satel-
- lite and Free Greek radios outlined Western plans to attack the USSR,
advancing through the Balkans by means of "Operation Lightning."

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- 3.5(c)

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Approved for Release: 2019/03/14 C02003043
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• • T ·Approved for Release: 2019/03/14 C02003043 3.5(c)
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LATIN AMERICA
5. Peron seeks maximum eropaganda benefit from atomic energy
/-
1

announcement: ·
3.3(h)(2)

-• Comment: It is becoming increasingly

evident that Argentina is attempting to de;rive full propaganda benefits
• from Peron's recent claim of atomic energy successes. Present in-
formation does not permit a definite conclusion as to what Argentina
has accomplished in the field of atomic res~arch. However, it is un-
• likely that anything has been accomplish.ed which would enable Argen-
tina to produce atomic weapons pr atomic power .

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- 3.5(c)

Approved for Release: 2019/03/14 C02003043