Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎67r] (133/749)

3
Whether this i aid was instigated by Nazir Qashgai or not is not yet known, but
i 6 incons ^ s tent with Qashgai bravado deliberately to raid the road
snortiy alter the passage of British military reconnoitring parties. Two of these
ave recently been up and down the Bushire-Shiraz road. Nasir was recently
reported, to be at Khunj on the extreme southern limit of the Qashgai summer
qrmners, and his brother Khosrow at Kazvin, a little further north. Both these
okf? i a ^ e . r 1 from the win ter quarters of the main sub-tribes. General
fenanbakhte is due to leave Tehran in a few days to take command of the Ears
Division.
t A measures necessary to improve security on the road from Bushire
to Isfahan have recently been investigated in detail by representatives of His
Majesty s Legation and of General Headquarters, Persia and Iraq Force. Unless
British forces are to undertake protection of convoys on this road* steps will have
to be taken to improve the efficiency of the Persian forces.
Azerbaijan.
13. Unconfirmed reports have been received of disturbances by peasants as a
protest against the delivery of grain to the Russians and the transfer of grain
to Iehran. &
14. A small 1 ersian force has been sent to Miandoab. As was reported in
bummary No. 47/42. paragraph 9. the Russians had agreed to the despatch of
1 ei sian troops to Mahabad (Sauj Bulagh) to keep order among the Kurds They
have since been pressing for the despatch of these troops and the move to
Miandoab may be a step in that direction.
British Interests.
15. I he battalion of British infantry which moved to Tehran at the time
of the riot (see Summary No. 51/42, paragraph 15) has now been withdrawn. '
American Interests.
16. The arrival of numbers of American troops in Persia, some of whom
are armed though they may not be classed as combatant troops, and who, since
they do not strictly form part of the British forces, cannot claim the right to be in
Peisia by virtue of the treaty, has prompted che Persian Government again to
that the United States should join the tripartite Alliance to legalise the
position of these troops.
17. German radio anti-Ally propaganda in Persia has been levelled mainly
against American activities in Persia and alleged American intentions to control
Persia’s internal affairs to her own advantage.
Russian Affairs.
18. Russian officials continue to take a very active interest in American
activities in Persia, particularly those of the advisers to Persian forces. There
is some evidence indicating that they do not view with favour the possibility
of American control of the army. There are reports that they are initiatino-
propaganda against it and, according to the Minister of War, they are
encouraging the Chief of the General Staff m his opposition to American
executive control. This last statement, although the truth of it is not improbable
should be accepted with reserve.
19. In Summary No. 52/42, paragraph 17, it was reported that Russian
officials in the Kermanshah district were showing interest in British policy
towards the Kurds. British policy towards the Arabs in Khuzestan and British
and American activities in South-Western Persia have also been investigated
by Soviet consular officials. The Soviet Embassy has now asked for facilities
for a mission of twelve members, headed by Professor Pavlovsky, who is a genuine
expert in malarial research, to make a scientific survey in South-Western
Persia, travelling via Hamadan, Khorramabad, And.imeshk, Abadan, Bushire
Shiraz, Isfahan, with permission to take photographs of scientific interest The
object of the survey is said to be to investigate bacterial diseases that might
affect Russian personnel who may have cause to be in that area. The iournev R
expected to last 45 days.
Tehran, January 12, 1943.