WEEKLY SUMMARY - CHINA: SOVIET-SATELLITE SUPPORT OF CLANDESTINE AIR ACTIVITY T

Created: 11/12/1948

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

SOVTET-SATELLITE SUPPORT OF CLANDESTINE AIR ACTIVITY TO PALESTINE

Allegations ol direct Soviet support of themachine were contained In public charges

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by evidence already available,etailed account of the organization of the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Mr Transport Command and describes the methods used In secretly flying considerable quantities of aircraft and

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munitions from Europe into Palestine. The charges of direct Soviet support, however, stanttated at this time. Bis testimony confirms reports that Prague hasajor center for the procurement of airplanes and munitions for shipment to Israel.government direction of these procurement andactivities Is clearly Indicated by the number ofgovernment agencies already Implicated. These agencieszechoslovak consuls Tho have been instructed to Issue visas for Israelis and foreign volunteers enroute to Czechoslovakia forhe Czechoslovak Air Force which has conducted the training program. Issued Czechoslovak uniforms to the trainees, and placed military airfields at the disposal of foreign aircraft operators engaged tn arms-running to Palestine;heCommunist security police who have protected these various activities to insure secrecy and prevent localMoreover, the Communist Party ba Czechoslovakia hasorporation, with Israelisinority interest, for the express purpose of facilitating the sale and delivery of Czechoslovak munitions to Israel.

Although there Is no indication of the precise role played by the USSR in tbe Czechoslovak arms traffic, these activities could have been undertaken only with the approval

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of the Soviet Union. The sale of arms and munitions to the Israelis certainly has served the Soviet desire to protract the conflict In the Near East. (Czechoslovakia has contracted to supply arms and munitions to Arab states as well ast the same time, Czechoslovak) has been provided with much needed hard currency. The same dual purpose probably Inspired Yugoslavia to pre vide an airfield In southernfor clandestine air operations to Israel.

There Is some evidence that Soviet andfor the support of Israel Is diminishing.

reported to the USthe Czechoslovakntends totraining of[ the recruitment of volunteers

to serve ins now exercising more rigid control over the movement of Jewish refugees through the country;s investigating the offices of the American Joint Distribution Committee which handles for Israel theof Jewish DP's. These Prague reports may have been designed to deceive the USrelude to carrying on the operations tn greater secrecy. The USSR and Czechoslovakia may simply believe that greater caution Is needed in order to forestall charges of violating UN truce obligations. On the other band, the USSR may be convinced that the Israelis have won their fight and that Soviet purposes will be better servedloser balance of military power between Israel and (he Arab states.

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