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Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [292v] (584/1031)
The record is made up of 1 file (515 folios). It was created in 10 Apr 1941-19 Mar 1947. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
support. This I promised to give, and he assumed office when the rioting was at
its height. As every minute almost was of importance, the Regent gave him a
free hand, and on the 3rd June the following appointments were announced :—
Prime Minister : Jamil Madfai.
Foreign Affairs : Ali Jaudat-al-Aiyubi.
Interior : Mustafa-al-Umari.
Communications and Works : Jalal Bahan.
Finance and Justice : Ibrahim Kamal.
Economics : Nasrat-al-Farisi.
Education : Ridha-al-Shabibi.
Social Affairs : Ja’far Hamudi (appointed a few days later).
4. The new Government had much to do. Their immediate tasks were to
re-establish relations with His Majesty’s Government on the basis of the Treaty
of Alliance of 1930, to punish rebels and rioters, to discipline the army, the police
and the public services, to stamp out Axis propaganda and to change the heart
of a great mass of the people.
5. For two or three days I had prolonged talks with the Prime Minister
and the Minister for Foreign Affairs about the essential conditions of a good
understanding with His Majesty’s Government, and then, after I had formally
given notice that in the opinion of His Majesty’s Government a state of imminent
danger of war had been reached, the Cabinet on the 5th June authorised the
Minister for Foreign Affairs to communicate to me the following decisions :—
(a) The Iraqi Government agree that for the duration of the war, and for
war purposes alone, His Majesty’s Government may station their
ground and air forces at such places as may be necessary for the
defence of Iraq, subject to—
( 1 ) the Iraqi Government being notified as far as possible in advance;
(2) due consideration being given to such observations as the Iraqi
Government may make on account of local administrative
necessities;
(b) The Iraqi Government agree to establish a postal and telegraphic censor
ship and to safeguard the interests of His Majesty’s Government in
these matters by employing in the department concerned a British
official from among those in the service of the Iraqi Government. (A
later letter informed me that British interests in the control of aliens
in Iraq would be safeguarded in a similar manner);
{c) The Iraqi Government agree to the British military authorities exercising
the necessary measure of control in co-operation with the Iraq?
authorities over the base area at Basra and will issue orders to the
Basra port authorities to co-operate fully regarding all measures
necessary to facilitate and ensure the safe arrival of British forces
at Basra.
I also received an oral assurance that relations with Italy would be broken off.
6 . The decision about our troops has, up to the present, given good results
Our forces- have moved everywhere without opposition and, with few exceptions,
friendly co-operation has been given by the Iraqi police, military and civil officials.
News of all movements is passed to the Ministry of Defence through the remaining
officers of the Advisory Military Mission who now act as connecting link between
Force Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence.
7. The press and postal censorship is beginning to get into its stride and
with the tactful use of the trained staff which the Middle East Command is
providing, it should become more effective before long.
8 . Details of the British co-operation which it is desirable to establish at
Basra, both in the port and the base areas, are being studied, and in the mean
while the provisional arrangements in operation are working reasonably well
9 - Relations with Italy were formally broken off on the 8 th June and the
Italian Minister and his staff left for Turkey via Syria on the following dav
The Japanese Military Attache installed during May has been obliged to leave
and the Japanese Government have been informed that their present minister is
persona non grata to the Regent.
• 10 w T f dea ] ^ith the worst rebels and rioters, military courts have been set
up in Mosul and Bagdad, and a large number of persons, including manv of
Rashid Ah s outstanding supporters, have been summarily arrested A new
About this item
- Content
This file is a continuation of IOR/L/PS/12/2862. It contains correspondence and memoranda regarding relations between HM Government ( HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. ) and the Government of Iraq, and documents the reaction of the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. and Foreign Office to political developments within Iraq. The file opens with descriptions of the situation following the coup d'état of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, and documents the build-up to the Anglo-Iraqi War (2-31 May 1941), including the arrival of British and Indian troops in Basra (under rights granted in the Anglo-Iraq Treaty of 1930), arrangements to evacuate the Regent 'Abd al-Illah, British attempts to shore up support from the Turkish and Egyptian authorities, and Axis propaganda in Iraq. The papers then contain communications regarding the progress of the war, including reports on troop movements, the dispatch of war materials, the actions of Germany, Italy, France and Turkey, and Indian public opinion regarding the conflict. These papers consist of dispatches sent by the British Ambassador to Iraq (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis) to the Foreign Office, as well as numerous copy communications between the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the Commander in Chief of the East Indies Section, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Kuwait, the Viceroy of India, and HM Ambassador to the United States.
From the end of the war the file consists primarily of dispatches from Cornwallis to the Foreign Office, reporting on the return of the Regent, the pogrom against the Jewish community, the breaking of diplomatic relations with Vichy France and Japan, the trial of the coup supporters, the Iraqi declaration of war against Germany, Italy and Japan, the possibility of Iraqi membership of the United Nations, and the release of political prisoners from the Ammara [̔Amāra] concentration camp. The regular dispatches also contain details of various cabinet crises, and details of the domestic economic and military situation. The file contains a small amount of material for the years 1944-1946, including annual reports submitted by Cornwallis and his successor, Sir Hugh Stonehewer-Bird.
The file includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references found in the file by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 2-4).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (515 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 515; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-514; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2863
- Title
- Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:15v, 17r:86v, 90v:105v, 107r:119v, 121r:298v, 300r:304v, 307r:373r, 379r:401v, 405r:515v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence