'Report on the operations carried out in the southern desert in connection with the Iraq-Najd borders, November 1927-May 1928.' [‎6r] (11/66)

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Consequently no further air action could be taken against the
raiders that day. Air reconnaissances on the following day
found the area deserted.
16. On the 14th December, permission was received from
H.M. Government, to pursue any Akhwan, if caught raiding
in 'Iraq, across the Najd border.
17. On the 16th December, work on the construction of
the fort and defences at Busaiya was completed. On the
15th and 16th a Platoon of the 'Iraq Army, complete with
reserve ammunition and rations, was flown from Nasiriya to
Busaiya. The two car sections were withdrawn from Busaiya
to Basrah on the 18th. On the 20th December, the garrison
of Abu Ghar was withdrawn and the post abandoned. This
post was in a bad state of repair, and in view of the occupation
of Busaiya by a military force, was no longer necessar)^.
18. On the 26th December reports were received and subse
quently confirmed, that another Akwan raid on a large scale
had taken place on 17th December, near Jumaimah. Here
again the raid took place near the frontier, and by the time
the news came through, the raiders had got well across the
frontier.
19. After the attack on Busaiya post the 'Iraq shepherd
tribes were warned to withdraw from the frontier zone behind
the line Magritha-Baraibich-Busaiya. The tribes raided on
December 9th and 17th had disregarded this warning, prefer
ring to take the risk of being raided rather than leave the good
grazing areas near the frontier. The difficulties of protecting
the 'Iraqi tribes under such circumstances are obvious. On
the other hand, these tribes depend on the desert grazing to
maintain their flocks, and it is obviously unfair to deny them
their means of subsistence if this can possibly be avoided.
20. It was now abundantly clear that Ibn Sa'ud was either
unable or unwilling to prevent his tribes raiding, and the "Iraq
Government could no longer permit their subjects to be killed
without doing all that was possible to protect them. With
this end in view it was essential that steps should be taken to
prevent any raiders from approaching the frontier if possible,
and to inflict severe punishment on any raiders should they
evade our precautionary measures. The High Commissioner
proposed a warning to Ibn Sa'ud that if he did not manage
within six weeks to restrain his tribes, the Najd and Hasa
coasts would be blockaded. H.M. Government preferred to
take measures beyond the Najd frontier by aeroplanes, and on
3rd January, 1928, directed that air action should be taken
beyond the frontier against the Najd tribes.