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'File 53/83 I (D 99) Kuwait-Iraq Smuggling' [‎72r] (158/716)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (355 folios). It was created in 11 Jan 1933-29 May 1934. 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. .

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Enclosure in Foreign Office covering letter
dated 31st July 1933.
MEMORANDUM BY YASIN PASHA An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. HAMED TO SIR FRANCIS HUMPHRYS.
11th July 1933.
Confidential
A Memorandum of the Customs position between Iraq and Koweit.
The situation of Koweit on the Persian G-ulf adjoining
the soutern frontier of Iraq, constitutes a very serious
menace to the Customs revenues of Iraa owing to the smuggling
that takes place therefrom. The problem has been under
consideration for the last two years but no result satisfactory
to Iraq has been reashed in discussions that have occurred;
on the contrary the position is developing from bad to worse.
The smuggling takes place both by land routes and by
water: the former in the extensive area between Basrah and
Nejaf and the latter by means of the tidal inlet, known as
the Khor Abdalla, which gives direct access from Koweit to
the neighbourhood of Zobeir. The area around Fao at the mouth
of the 3hatt-al-Arab frequented by boats that obtain the
fresh water supply of Koweit from that vicinity, is also much
used by traffickers in contraband trade. Since armed patrol
cars have been instituted to protect the Zobeir border, the
illicit trade has been forced northwards as far as Nejaf and
seawards towards Fao.
The incentive to smuggling is afforded by the low
tariff rates imposed at Koweit on goods imported (believed
in most cases to be below 10^) compared with the much higher
duties/

About this item

Content

This file contains correspondence regarding alleged smuggling activities from Kuwait into Iraq. Primarily, the file contains internal correspondence between British officials but it also includes correspondence between British officials (primarily Harold Richard Patrick Dickson, the British 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. in Kuwait) and Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, the ruler of Kuwait as well as correspondence between British officials and the Government of Iraq.

The majority of the correspondence discusses two incidents, in April and October 1933 respectively, in which Iraqi Customs Authorities attacked Kuwaiti sailing vessels, both of the incidents resulted in the death and injury of Kuwaiti subjects.

The file contains the following maps:

  • Rough sketch of Kuwait-Iraq maritime frontier to illustrate the October 1933 incident (f 121)
  • Two rough sketch maps showing Iraq's territorial water boundary (f 148 + f 149)
  • Two rough sketch maps showing the official frontier lines of Kuwait (f 312 + f 320A)
  • Copy of a tracing of Warba Island and its vicinity made by HMS Sphynx in 1903 (f 321).

The file contains a detailed note entitled 'On the contraband problem of Iraq with her neighbours, and in particular how it affects Kuwait' (ff 45-55) and a report on the supply of drinking water in Kuwait (ff 140-148) both of which were written by Dickson, 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. in Kuwait.

Extent and format
1 volume (355 folios)
Arrangement

File is arranged in chronological order, from earliest at beginning of the file to most recent at end.

Serial numbers in red crayon refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Condition: A bound correspondence volume.

Foliation: The file's foliation is written in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. The foliation sequence, which should be used for referencing, begins with the first item of correspondence, on number 1, and ends on the last folio with text, on number 349.

The file contains the following foliation errors: f 147 is followed by f 147A; f 320 is followed by f 320A and the following omissions: ff 252-256. Note: f 148 and f 149 are stored in an envelope which is attached to f 147A; f 320A and f 321 are stored in an envelope which is attached to f 320.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'File 53/83 I (D 99) Kuwait-Iraq Smuggling' [‎72r] (158/716), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/531, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023510122.0x00009f> [accessed 4 April 2025]

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