‘Koweit [Kuwait]. A report compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department’ [‎14] (28/66)

> '"i.
tl
Foreign Relations
f Russia.
14
It 18 al so said that Turkish artillery formed part of Ibn
K ash id s force during recent operations against Kiadh, already
mentioned. I his report, however, requires confirmation.
An incident, disturbing to the peace of Koweit, occurred
as recently as September ico?, in which the full share of res-
ponsibihty of local i urkish officials has yet to be determined It
appears that Yusuf-bin-Ibrahim. of Dura,* already mentioned
as being on bad terms with Mubarak, organised a surprise
with 0 r'fl" T 11 * J'J 0 dh0 n S ' containin g J5o men all armed
with rifles, set out from Dura to act in conjunction, it is
believed, with another party moving by land. H.MS.
Lapwina, on hearing of this project, proceeded at once to
kuu 16 t0wn in arms to re pel the antici-
pated attack, which, however, was not made; probably because
Koweit was known to be prepared. Next dav H M S
Lap wl ng gave chase to two dhows which, in the opinion of
the commander, were undoubtedly those in question: the armed
crews however, after opening fire on the ship's boats, made
doning them. SeaPe 7 rUn " ing thei ' : dh0WS ashore and aba "-
• , 0 ' her P ower ? I,ave evinced, within the last feu years an
interest in Koweit, and its territory.
•- l n Au S ust ^00, Mr. S. N. Siromyatnikoff, a Russian journal-
auentlvThr ^ ' Paid a Visit t0 Koweit of which he s "bse.
quently published an account in the Novoe Vremya He
mo P rrt r h^n 0 i iaVeS f tayed at KO u VV u t SeVeral days andto have had
S I lnterview 1 wlth the S^ikh. During the last days
f December i yoi, a letter from Mubarak addressed to M
Siromyatnikoff in Moscow, is known to have passed through the'
toKoweir^lfeR 901 -' tb r Rus , sian Cruiser ^'^paidavisit
according to M ii T i ian Consul at Bushire was on board who,
(ireat ^rfta?n wpt ^ r a ? c ° un ^ informed him that Russia and
ureat Brita n were entirely in accord as to maintaining the inde
pendence of Koweit, and that if Mubarak, wished fo? help he
had only to apply to the Russian Consul at Bushire A suL s
tion was also made that he should ' ,,
Tzar. Mubarak's attitude durfna this inte* P ersona!l y. ! 0 the
his own account, was ,no=t correlt • he rfl a . cc0 . rd,n S t0
write to the T^r ' he dccllned the invitation to
an« as he alreadv h"^ , F ■' ^ ^ h ? ,_ was in n0 ne ed °f a «ist-
noted that in order ^ fn « ndsh 'P.«' th the British. It may be
^oted jhat in order to °btam th.s interview, the Cons ul, with
from Dora, lo'the^ebTs'umm^ rou.Ttr'y 8 ' Yusuf_bin - | bralii m has withdraw
.he ■" Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. roporW
station at Koweit. Ru3sia wa3 seeking to acquire a coaling
H
U is also said tliat Turkish artillery formod part of Ibn
\asliid s force during recent operations against Kiadh, already
mentioned. 1 his report, however, requires confirmation.
An incident, disturbing to the peace of Koweit, occurred
as recently as September kg?, in which the full share of res
ponsibility of local Jurkish officials has yet to be determined It
appears that Yusuf-bin-Ibrahim, of Dura* already mentioned
as being on bad terms with Mubarak, organised a surprise
attack on Koweit. 1 wo dhows, containing 150 men all armed
with rifles, set out from Dura to act in conjunction, it is
believed, with another party moving by land. H M S
Lapwing on hearing of this project, proceeded'at once to
Koweit, and found the whole town in arms to repel the antici
pated attack, which, however, was net made; probably because
Koweit was known to be prepared. Next day H M S
Lapwing gave chase to two dhows which, in the opinion of
the commander, were undoubtedly those in question - the armed
crews however, after opening fire on the ship's boats, made
good their escape by running their dhows ashore and aban
doning them.
Foreign Relations. Other powers have evinced, within the last few years an
interest in Koweit, and its territory. '
t Russi.. _ In August 1900, Mr. S. N. SiromyatnikofT, a Russian journal
ist of some repute, paid a visit to Koweit of which he subse-
quently published an account in the Novoe Vremya. He
appears to have stayed at Koweit several days and to have had
more than one interview with the Sheikh. During the last davs
of December i ^ oi , a letter from Mubarak addressed to M.
Siromyatnikoff in Moscow, is known to have passed through the
post. 13
In December 1901, the Russian cruiser Variag paid a visit
to Koweit. 1 he Russian Consul at Bushire was on board who
according to Mubarak s account, informed him that Russia and
Great Britain were entirely in accord as to maintaining the inde
pendence of Koweit, and that if Mubarak, wished for helo he
had only to apply to the Russian Consul at Bushire. A suites
tion was also made that he should write, personally, to the
Tzar. Mubarak s attitude during this interview, according to
his own account, was most correct; he declined the invitatio & n to
write to the Tzar, and replied that he was in no need of assist
ance as he already had a friendship with the British. It mav be
noted that in order to obtain this int erview, the Consul /with
• Dura, a village on the right or Turkish bank of the Shatt-el.Ar«K n.
Viilayat of Basrah, about ten miles from the mouth of the river above Fao.
Recent information tends to show that Yusuf-bin -Ibrahim w ..-.i-j
from Dura, to the Jebel Shammar country. D1 n '^ah.m has withdrawn
t Towards the end of 1897, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. 4
the existence of rumours to the effect that Russia was seeking to acnmrl o P r
•tation at Koweit. g t0 aC( l ulre « coaling