'Historical Summary of Events in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, 1928-1953' [‎43r] (90/222)

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52. In June 1953 an official of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed
Her Majesty's Embassy that the Iraqis had given up their idea of requesting the
cession of Warbah and Bubiyan and he was accordingly asked whether the
demarcation of the frontier could not be proceeded with.( 10;! ) He promised to
discuss the matter with his Ministry but nothing further was heard on the subject in
spite of frequent reminders and it appeared that the Iraqis were unable to make up
their minds whether to proceed with the Umm Qasr scheme or not, but that,
should they decide to do so, they would probably ask for the cession of Warbah
or Bubiyan or both.( 104 ) A Committee had been appointed to examine the question
but had not met by December 1953. In that month, when the Iraqi Government
complained officially about some alleged Kuwaiti violations of the frontier. Her
Majesty's Embassy called attention to the absence of any definitive answer to their
note of December 195i.( 105 ) Ever since 1940 the Iraqis have been finding excuses
for refusing to agree to proposals which have from time to time been made to them
for the demarcation of the frontier, and it seems likely that they are avoiding the
issue in the hope that one day the absorption of Kuwait by Iraq will remove the
necessity for any such demarcation (paragraph 118 below).
{b) With Saudi Arabia and the Neutral Zone, and between the Neutral Zone
and Saudi Arabia
53. The following is the definition of the southern boundary of Kuwait in
the Kuwait-Najd Boundary Convention of 1922.( 106 ) " The frontier between Najd
and Kuwait begins in the West from the junction of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. al Aujah with the
Batin, leaving Raqi to Najd, from this point it continues in a straight line until
it joins latitude 29° and the red semi-circle referred to in Article 5 of the
Anglo-Turkish Agreement of July 29, 1913. The line then follows the side of the
red semi-circle until it reaches a point terminating on the coast south of Ras al
Qaliah." The red semi-circle mentioned is described in the Anglo-Turkish
Convention^ 07 ) as having the town of Kuwait at its centre, the Khor Zubair at its
northern extremity and Qrain at its southern extremity.
54. The boundary has never been demarcated and no question arose
regarding it until 1948 when in view of the grant of a concession for the Neutral
Zone to the American Independent Oil Company the Kuwait Oil Company called
attention to the fact that two Qrains were marked on War Office map No. 3954
of 1936, one a hill and the other a group of wells about two miles to the south of
it and enquired which of them marked the southern frontier of Kuwait.( 108 ) No
definite reply could be given to this question pending demarcation^ 09 ) but it may be
noted that the boundary shown on the War Office map referred to appears to run
through the hill, while on the map referred in the Kuwait-Najd Boundary
Convention Qrain is shown south of the boundary.
55. In December 1948 the Ruler pressed for the demarcation of this
boundary. At the end of the year a despatch was drafted to His Majesty's
Ambassador at Jedda asking him to endeavour to obtain the Saudi Arabian
Government's acceptance of a line which showed the Qrain wells as lying within
Kuwait territory on the basis of an examination of the case which had been
undertaken by Professor Mason. The despatch was forwarded to the Political
Resident for his comments( 110 ) and the Ruler agreed to the terms of the approach it
was proposed to make to the Saudis and undertook to erect theboundarypillars.C 11 )
The despatch, however, did not issue as the proposed approach to the Saudis
would inevitably raise the question of the administration of the Zone, a matter
which it had been decided to leave dormant for the time being( 112 ) (paragraph 40
above). In February 1951 a Saudi official mentioned informally to His Majesty's
Ambassador at Jedda that the concessionary companies were anxious to have the
northern boundary of the Neutral Zone accurately demarcated but the matter
( ios ) Baghdad to P.O. 1592/3/1953 of June 15, 1953 (EA 1083/37 of 1953).
( 104 ) Bashdad to P.O. 1592/17/1953 of December 1, 1953 (EA 1083/86 of 1953).
( 105 ) Baghdad to PO. Despatch 654 of December 8, 1953 (EA 1083/68 of 1953).
( 106 ) No. 8 II, T.C.
( 107 ) No. 5 VI, T.C
( 108 ) P.O. to P.R. E7664/605/91 of June 10, 1948.
( 109 ) P.R. to P.O. Despatch 173 of December 30, 1948 (E 460/1081/91 of 1949).
( 110 ) P.O. to P.R. E 14270/1271/91 of December 9, 1949.
( m ) P.R. to P.O. 1088/2 of April 14, 1951 (EA 1087/5 of 1951).
( U2 ) P.O. to P.R. EA 1087/2 of April 23, 1951.
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