Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎75r] (149/1031)

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August.) ^ ^ ^ ^
Bagdad, ‘Iftth July, 1943. Ui4Arigq C \
the 5th June an acute restiveness became noticeable among the leading members
of the Iraqi Cabinet. The Prime Minister, with good reason, was disappointed
with Saleh Jabr for his failure to fulfil the hopes placed in him when he went ^ ^ /j
to the Ministry of Finance last October; Saleh Jabr was irritated with the
Prime Minister for having obstructed a grant of several thousand acres of O'). 0.
Government land which he wished to make to an old friend, he had quarrelled
with the Minister of Justice and had fallen out with the Minister of Education,
who was becoming increasingly disliked by all his colleagues because of nis
coarseness; and Tahsin-al-Askari had proved a failure at the Ministry of the (
Interior. In addition, the Prime Minister suspected Daud-al-Haidari of
intriguing against him and had reason to believe that in the absence of a proper
Head of the Royal Diwan, minor Court officials were abusing their position to ^ P ^
influence tribal visitors to the Palace against the Government. CT.O.
2. In these confused but typical circumstances, some changes w^ere essential,
and so soon as the current session of Parliament ended, Nun Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. set about ^ /
reorganising his Cabinet. His method was that which is usually employed at
such times in this country; much hard talking behind the scenes wdth colleagues
and with candidates for office, combined with many consultations with the
Regent. His Excellency also came to see the ambassador frequently to exchange
views. As a result, the following changes w^ere made on the 23rd June. Saleh
Jabr was transferred to Interior and was succeeded at Finance by Jalal Baban.
Tahsin Ali was appointed to the Palace as Head of the Royal Diwan and
replaced at Education by Abdul Illah Hafidh, who, in turn, was succeeded at
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by Nasrat-al-Farisi. Daud-al-Haidari was
dropped and consoled with the appointment of Minister, Grade I, in the Foreign
Service en disponibilite (with full pay) and was succeeded by Ahmad Mukhtar
Baban, in wffiose stead Tahsin-al-Askari went to Communications and Works.
3. The make-up of the re-formed Cabinet was. therefore, as follows : —
and were regarded as routine changes, having no considerable influence in the
policy of the Government.
4. The 1942-43 session of Parliament was further extended for ten days
from the 1st June to enable the final readings of the draft legislation Amending
the Organic Law to be taken in both Houses. This having been done, the
session was closed and Parliament dissolved on the 9th June. Under the existing
Organic Law new elections will now have to be held and Parliament summoned
in "special session before the 10th October. The text of the amending law has
not yet been published,, so I cannot offer detailed comments.
5. In his last despatch Sir Kinahan Cornw T allis forecast that, with a view
to authorising more releases, the Prime Minister would, before long, reconstitute
the committee formed last winter to examine the records of interned persons
In the event this was done about the middle of June and the Prime Minister
promised the ambassador an opportunity to scrutinise the committee’s recom
mendations before they were adopted. By the end of the month, though it was
A?. 0,
’•Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Defence, Nuri-al-Said
' r yw.
These adjustments in the Cabinet evoked little general interest or comment
• 1 1 * „ - J ^-v l ', I -• -*—1 4 -i 11 ^ /**/■%
Foreign Affairs : Nasrat-al-Farisi.
Interior : Saleh Jabr.
Finance: Jalal Baban.
Justice : Ahmad Mukhtar Baban.
Communications and Works : Tahsin-al-Askari.
Education : Abdul Illah Hafidh.
Economic : Salman-al-Barrak.
Social Affairs : Abdul Razzak-al-Uzri.
[44—40]
RECj). POL DEPrl’l