File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎137r] (282/834)

Shamiyah district, and riots, similar to those in Nejef, occurred
during the afternoon, led in both places by the police, who were
iSFejef men.
The sheikhs of the Beni Hasan and its constituents, who
are the most influential tribesmen round Kufah, behaved on the
whole well, and helped to quell the disorders.
^ Neither here nor among the Fatlah, lower down the
Euphrates, was there any evidence of a desire on the part of the
tribal chiefs to take part against us, though Ajeimi had un
doubtedly been doing his best to foster unrest. Agricultural
operations occupied the attention of the sheikhs. They were
busy with the sowing of seed, received as an advance from the
Government, as well as with the clearing of canals and the
construction of dams under the supervision of an Irrigation
engineer. The preservation of order was essential to them in
order to complete this work, and to assure the gathering in of
their harvest, and these considerations weighed heavier in the scale
than the incitements of Atiyah or the windy promises of Ajeimi.
Equally gratifying was the attitude adopted by the men of
religion. The Kiliddar gave material assistance to the P.0,
during the riot, and have since been uniformly helpful, while
Mohammed Kadhim Yazdi complied at once with the request of
the P.0, that he should act as mediator. On his advice Haji
Atiyah and Kadhim Subbi asked and obtained pardon.
The advisability of strengthening our hold over the fertile
Euphrates area had already been agreed upon in principle, and
in the first week of December, the C.-in-C, visited the Euphrates
valley. He summoned the town sheikhs of Nejef to interview
him at Kufah, but Atiyah did not comply, and asked to be
granted an interview at Nejef. This was refused. He was told
to come to Baghdad to see the C.-in-C. under assurances of
complete immunity.
Troops were sent down the Euphrates in the course of the
month and posted in small numbers at Hillah, Kill, Kufah and
Abu Sukhair. At the same time posts were established from
Nasiriyah at Samawah and Shinafiyah.
It was considered inadvisable to place a garrison in Nejef,
which is a town of over 40,000 inhabitants, and would require a
garrison of considerable strength. The location of a mixed
detachment at Kufah would, it was anticipated, have the desired
indirect effect on the tranquility of Nejef.
In spite of these measures, the state of affairs in the town
showed no improvement.
Haji Atiyah refused to visit the C.-in-C. at Baghdad, and
both he and Kadhim Subbi maintained a truculent attitude
towards the P.O. The Government agent was as powerless as
before, and the religious and commerical communities suffered
from a lack of security which was inevitable as long as Nejef lay
at the mercy of the town sheikhs. It is certain that Ajeimi was
active in hostile propaganda.