ملف رقم ٢١٨٢ لسنة ١٩١٣، الجزء ٤ "الخليج الفارسي: السياسة تجاه ابن سعود (بعثة النقيب شكسبير)" [ظ‎‎٤‎٨] (٤٢٦/٩٣)

9
dinned into their ears that Islam was being attacked. Some of them
might even believe the amazing stories that were told about the
conversion to Islam of eminent Germans, including the Empetor
himself.”
1 have the honour to submit a few notes of information which I have
collected regarding the extent to which the Arabs have co-operated with the
Turks in the Shatt-ul-Arab country; the considerations which have led
them to co-operate, and the results to themselves and to the Turks of such
co-operation ; with some remarks upon the position of those Arab tribes
which have held aloof or tacitly sided with Ilis Majesty’s Government.
2. The Arab forces which took part in the recent operations in the
neighbourhood of Shaiba were composed mainly of 4,000 members of various
communities from Iraq and 0,000 of the Muntafik tribes from the country
lying on the banks of the Euphrates and the Shatt-ul-Gharaf between
Khamisiah on the south and Kut-ul-Aniarah on the north. The only other
Arabs who appear to have helped the Turks on this occasion are a few
hundred men of the Bani Hakam and the Bani Hasan who inhabit the
swampy region adjoining Sukh-us-Shiyukh.
3. The Iraqis have had very little connection with us, and dwell too far
away ever to have come under the influence of our Persian Gulf officials.
The Resident at Baghdad has in all probability had little opportunity of
cultivating their friendship or of making his influence felt amongst them,
and no astonishment need be expressed at their having joined the Turks,
which was natural. Of the Muntafik much the same may be said. Their
country nowhere touches upon Persian Gulf administrative limits, and !
learn that no decided efforts have ever been made by His Majesty’s Consuls
at Basrah to establish friendly relations with them ; in fact, they probably
did not consider such a proceeding to be part of their duty, as it would have
been regarded by the Turks with grave suspicion if not with resentment.
It may also be remembered that the Muntafik land lies in the direct route
of Turkish troops advancing on Basrah from Baghdad and in districts which
have for centuries been governed or misgoverned by Ottoman officials. ' It
would have been strange indeed had they elected to oppose the Turkish
forces with, so far as they could see, everything to lose and nothing to gain
thereby. The small tribes west of Basrah mentioned above, who know little
of the British, were bribed or forced to give what help they could like the
Basravis, numbers of whom had been compelled some months earlier to join
in opposing our first advance, on pain of destruction of their lives and
property and those of their relatives.
4. The conduct of the Iraqis seems to have been correct from the
Turkish point of view, except that they occasionally displayed a lack of
discipline and perhaps courage. But in the course of the engagements of
A mil 12-15, the Muntafik showed clearly that their hearts were not in the
struggle from any national or religious enthusiasm, but that while motives
of self-preservation had led the. chiefs to take up arms, the common people
were out for plunder from whomsoever it might be taken. On 13th April
these same Muntafik plundered the Turkish encampment during their retreat
after being repulsed by our troops, the ostensible reason, according to