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achieved. But by his appointment as Governor of Firuzabad Khosrow is in effect
recognised as chief of all the Qashgai, and if he has the character to consolidate
his position he may not in the future easily be brought to submit to the Persian
Government. The surrender of their arms by the Qashgai is not part of the
present settlement. On the other hand, he is young, even for his 22 years, and,
j^hough now a popular figure in the tribe, he may not be able to restrain them
robbery for long.
13. Khosrow, while in Tehran, expressed to members of the British Legation
his sincere regret for past misdeeds. He made no secret of his and INasir’s
association with Germans, but denied that until recently there had been more
than one with the tribe. He admitted that Nasir had prepared a landing-ground
for German aircraft, and that the Germans with them had told them that troop
carrying aircraft would shortly arrive with parties to assist the Qashgai to
damage British interests. He reported the arrival of parachutists with explosives
and that the Qashgai had assisted them with transport. All Germans, he claimed,
had now left Qashgai territory.
Bakhtiari.
14. Germans, probably those who have recently landed by parachute, are
known to have joined Abul Qasim and Captain Alavi, the Persian Army deserter
who is with him. Abul Qasim, influenced undoubtedly by the apparent defection
from the German cause of Nasir Qashgai and his brother and by the same cause
that had influenced them—the obvious hopelessness of a German victory—has
himself come into Isfahan and surrendered, on what terms is not yet known, to
the G.O.C., Persian troops. With his elimination from Bakhtiari the danger of
that tribe engaging in anti-British activities is small. Most of the Bakhtiari
khans are now anxious to prove their pro-British sentiments.
Kuh-i-Galu.
15. The third member of the anti-British combination among the tribes
of the south organised by German agents, Abdullah Zarghampur of the Boir
Ahmadi, has now sent in messages to Qavam-ul-Mulk at Shiraz to the effect that
he is prepared to negotiate with him. Abdullah’s younger brother, Khosrow, is
also negotiating with the Persian authorities and offering to take action against
his brother.
Kerman.
16. There has recently been much brigandage on or near the Isfahan-Yezd-
Kerman road. During the week 10th to 15th August lorries were held up and
robbed on five separate occasions. The insecurity is probably nothing more than
the result of the prevailing disorder in South Persia. A few successful minor
actions by the Persian forces against brigands in the vicinity of the Isfahan-
Shiraz road has driven them further afield.
Tehran, 23rd August, 1943.