File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎28v] (65/834)

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opposition to his orders. Provisions he obtained by bartering
military stores with which he was well supplied. Early in
Au< >ust he tried to open negotiations with the powerful sheikhs
of the Kbaza’il, doubtless in the hope that they could be induced
to give him a safe conduct to Ajeimi’s camp ; but the Khaza’il
sheikhs, who have suffered bitterly for the last twenty years at
the hands of the Ottoman government and are perhaps more
consistently anti-Turkish than any other tribesmen on the
Euphrates, handed the letter to the Civil Commissioner.
It was undesirable to allow r this state of affairs to continue.
On August 27, a couple of aeroplanes were sent to bomb
Mohammed’s detachment, and though no casualties were caused,
the effect was prompt. He and his men, numbering twenty-eight,
forthwith surrendered on August 29, to the official’s of the town!
Sahh Effendi appeared on the scene on the following day, was
ieceived w'ith acclamation as British representative and sent up
the prisoners to Hillah whence they were conveyed to Baghdad.
Mohammed Effendi, a fine upstanding man about forty years
0 age, stated that his prolonged resistance was due to the fact
that he had constantly received news of Turkish successes from
casual Arab informants and was under the impression that he
was certain to be relieved. Moreover he held it to be beneath his
dignity to surrender to towmsmen or tribesmen and was doubt
less confirmed in this view by his fear lest they should exact
retribution from him for the casualties for which he had been
responsible. The British aeroplanes, however, convinced him that
we were determined to put an end to the business and were in a
position to carry out this resolve, and he lost no time in cfiviim
himself up. He put the final touch of comedy to the'whole
episode by offering to serve either ourselves or the Sherif in any
I He f\ ld ’ tl (t ! OU8 ' 1 ' l ' i *" w0 " in s ' vil1 be accepted
by ethnologists) that as a Circassian he was of wood Arab
descent and traced Ins lineage to the Quraish, a circumstance
s erf m t ““ the more willing to carry his sword to the
jn A 1 ,S 1 t e T d th!lt ’. IM a,l y rase > be would be likely to fare
1 1 at Link sh hands, since it was improbable that the relations of
the furkish officers whom he had shot would accept his piel h
military duty in full atonement for his action. His offer was not
accepted and he has been treated like any other prisoner of war
andsenl to India and his remarkable career as a fightino- man has
been brought temporari y to a close It ' , " as
was whh dip Tnvl-L t ‘ " Jt nm y be noted that he
ntl V / k sl \ t ; o y )pS when the 7 attacked Kerbela in 191(5
an Irab Ai whi , C ' nldl ' en f »>•<' married another wife
an Arab girl, while he whs at Samawah. She, with her imn.Prl 5 m ’
leations, was with Mohammed at Diwaniyah -ind li (
anxious to he allowed to take her to India.” ' ’ WaS