Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎292v] (589/982)

9. Not all the tribes of the Middle Euphrates joined the anti-Government
movement. Those with long-standing or traditional hostility towards Abdul
Wahid, and the section of the Fatlah tribe subordinate to his influence, rallied
to the support of the Government and met the war-dances of theTFatlah with
counter-demonstrations of warlike intentions. The local officials received offers
from these tribes to attack the insurgent elements, but, not wishing to plunge the
whole district into tribal warfare, they wisely declined them and counselled
patience.
10. On the 15th March the troops were in position, but the Government
faced with the necessity for taking a decision, hesitated to employ force to restore
their authority. It may well be that they were actuated by a genuine reluctance
to embark on a course of action which, they were warned, would probably lead to
civil war. On the other hand, they were by no means sure that the army would
fight. Many of the officers were believed to be strongly in sympathy with the
Government's opponents, and the majority of the rank and file, being Shiahs, could
not be expected to have much zeal for fighting against their co-religionists. ’ Some
few officers actually refused to proceed to the “front,” and the men of the punitive
column, on reaching Abu Sukhair, fraternised closely with the local inhabitants
and were reduced to tears by the appeals of the women not to shed the blood of
their brother Arabs and co-religionists. In any case, it was quite clear that
most of the Cabinet shrank from the responsibility of taking the only course bv
which it seemed possible for the Government to assert its authority.
11. The advent of the religious festival of A1 Adha offered an excuse for
procrastination, and on the 14th March the Cabinet, still hesitating to strike
postponed a decision until after the holidays.
!2. The following day they resigned.' The source of the impulse which
brought them to this decision is not accurately known, but it seems likely that the
iking caused them to understand that they were not in his view the right combina
tion to deal with the situation either by force or conciliation. Most of the Ministers
it may readily be believed, were only too glad to escape from their dilemma’
i few da 1 ys 1 lS nSmg ^ ^ ° ffiCe S ° ful1 ° f h ° pe and S ° cheerfu11 ^ onl y
-p n ^ King immediately sent for Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and the formation of the
following Cabinet was announced on the 17th March
Prime Minister
Hashimi.
Minister for the Interior : Rashid Ali Beg A1 Gilani
Minister for Foreign Affairs : Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. A1 Said.
Minister for Defence : Jafar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. A1 Askari
Minister for Justice : Muhammad Zaki Beg.
Minister for Economics and Communications : Amin Zaki Beg.
x mister for Education : Sheikh Muhammad Ridha-al-Shabibi.
MranrMTn^tofo/FinaMe^' 11 ^ iSSU6d a PP ointin S Rauf Be S A1
members nfMbp e p Ce ^ t ^°f 1 tPe Ministers for Education and Finance, all the
of their rmcu p ^ W ^ ap ! ne ^ are well known in political life in Iraq, and details
this Emhassv aie Q>f- m 6 m 1 tPe anr mal lists of personalities prepared by
belonnffia ^ uh “ d Ri dha-al-Shabibi is a Shiah of Bagdad
associated and hehf th amdy i who has long been one of Yasin Pasha’s political
¥ d Q th | of /t 10 ^ 011 in his Cabinet in 1924. Rauf Beg
from the Taw ^ a family of merchants. He graduated
Finance, whei^ he° rose no^Tt 6 inc ° n ¥ CU0U l ly ir i the Ministr y
* - 5 n °k' T is to be feared, altogether by merit, to be
appears thatch is inrl ^ § U P 1( ^ an ^ has hitherto played no role in public life. It
placate the"shiahs ^ ue to Grovernment’s desire to
.will remain in Yasin Pala’s hS 6 ^ ^ effective directi ^ of financial policy
declaring aSSUm ^ n ^-¥ ce ’. ^ Cabinet issued a communique
and appealing to thosp ™ b ° m accordance with the Constitution,
peacefully to their homes witM^three by /^ nt events to di *P erse
scattered bv aimrafi L f lree oays. Copies of this communique were
X read between tho lk 6 ^° entres of the Middle Euphrates. To those
no read between the lines, this pronouncement of policy, coupled with the