'File 26/185 V (F 96) Shaikh of Mohammerah' [‎112r] (231/472)

- a -
•hortl> b#for« dwrk, ©Da, It was too late to do an
thing Mr* U»at nl^t, took a; outpoat poaitions cutting
off Falll.yaft from Ui® raat of *norranahahr. 1 aaw iarhan^
Aahfar-o^ilu late that night, tia told me that ft a had
Drought dowti three guna and three horifired aoiaiara froo
Ahea* t Uiipt C'ora oo.uid ja brought down if naceiuvarj, taat
he had ioacn in oofununleation with rahran and received
atrlct inatructiona to settle with Uuaikn Abdullah onee
and for all* tie aeeordln^l^ propoaad to attack early the
next roming. I wished htn succeaa t but took the opportunity
to ranind hlra that titara appearad to havt been no local
rally to UiaJkh AbiuJlah, and unfifad that ha should ramerabar
this after the c onplstion of his mission, since sny
unnecessary harassing of the local Arabs would not be justified
and would only serve to iricraase Arab ill-will.
4. The next nomittg t arhsn;^ Afshar-Oghlu captured
I 1 alii yah after orily very lis^it oprosltion. it arrasred
U»»t Shaikh Abdiliah and tine majority of his followers had
withdrawn to the Iraqi side during the nigtet.
&• i rtrie point of view of ttie Arabs 9 i consider that
t hslkh 4bduViah»s intrusion cat e as s suri rise to all but
s few. mass few em* to roe with harrowing storiea of the
conse^uencer oi' s rally to shaikh Abdullah's aids and urged
me to negotiate *lth Abdullah or at leaat to send out
esalssarl^ft to enquire ^het terrr^s he de^ianded* from shaikh
Abiai 1 ah hlraself I received a latter in the eveninur of
January 10th in ahieh he reiteretea his peaceful intentions
and stated that in ccinsequence of the rerslan Govtmnent's
action sg^ainst him he could not hold himself responsible for
what may happen in Uie town. I re lied Immediately to this
letter stating tnat I could not absolve him fro?? responsibiliV
for an^ loss or dMaags to Brltisn interests tnich may follow
or which may happen as a result of his contlict *1 tu tne
* eraian aov«rf)meht of w^ich ne w^s s subject* I enclose
copies of <ihalKh rvb ^iullah's letter to me and my letter to
shaikh Abdullah.
6. About mid-iiay on January 10th a report wss received
that a ler»re party Abdullah's followers had taken usba
situated in the southern end of Abadan Island. This report
latsr proved to bs untrue t though it is possible that some
of the InhsDitanU of this area may have been aware of, and,
in favour of, Abdullah's Intrusion.
7. the Incident created considerable alarm in the town,
especially ationg the t?sws t though this was only temporary,
and there *fi&s no notlcsabic eifsa* of s rally to Abdullah* It
is however <CTfimlX to ss^ what would have happiMd had the
Governor of £.horr^nshshr dealt with the situstlon less
promptly. Uoxidltionft have now returned to nomsl though
t^iere *ail still be son-e anxiety until Abdvaian's whereabouU
can be defli^tell esVollshed. robably the most serious
conssi.uenc^ of tills abortive rising is vist 1 t '»as establlsne
one. Mid for oil Ui.t th« farltloh ^v.rWB.nt will not
sup; ort tto. ICh.ial fowily In «> ttforX to re-eetnblisn tiielr
old