'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎25r] (49/96)

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Railway labour strike, which lasted from the 15th
April to the 1st May, 1945, and was the biggest
labour movement which has been seen in Iraq since
the formation of the Trade Unions. He appeared
willing to stop the strike after a few days and to
discuss terms with the Minister of Social Affairs,
but the majority was in favour of continuing. W as
arrested during the strike when the Union was closed
and made illegal.
The Union has not yet been allowed to function
again, despite the strenuous efforts of Shukur, who
has been sending petitions to all the Ministers
concerned with great regularity.
33. Alwan bin Hussein, C.B.E.
Sunni, Arab, born Bagdad 1899, of good middle-
class family. Married, 1923, daughter of Namuq
Beg, a relation of Sherif Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . He was educated
at the English Protestant School, Bagdad, and
would have gone to the United Kingdom but for the
outbreak of the First Great W T ar. On the formation
of a Civil Police Force after the occupation of
Bagdad in March 1917 he was amongst the first
Iraqis to be enrolled, having been appointed
Station Clerk Sub-Inspector on 11th May, 1917.
Here, working with experienced police officers he
learned rapidly and when Mosul was occupied in
November 1918 he volunteered and accompanied the
party as inspector. He did outstandingly
^^.,od work, both before, during and after the rising
of 1920. He was one of the first three Iraqis to be
promoted to gazetted rank in 1920 when he became
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mosul Town. He
remained in Mosul until 1924 when he was promoted
Commandant of Police and posted as C.P., Central
Criminal Investigation Department. In 1930 he
went to the United Kingdom. He was attached
to the Birmingham City Police and later attended
the “Senior Officers’ Course’’ at New Scotland
Yard. Returning to Bagdad he gradually took over
the C.I.D. and its allied departments from the
British D.I.G. Police and by the time Iraq was
admitted to the League of Nations had assumed
complete charge. However, he did not find favour
with the late Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. el Hashimi and Rashid Ali
el Gailani, and it was not long before he was removed.
When Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. came in in 1939 he immediately
put Alwan back into the C.I.D. and there he
remained until the “ Golden Square ’ ’ and Rashid
^ gained control when he was pushed out again,
’Vt to Diwaniyah and then to Kirkuk at both of
which places he was under the open constant
surveillance of the Iraq army. After the collapse
of the rebellion he w'as brought again to Bagdad
headquarters and became Assistant Director-
General, Political and Criminal Investigation
Branch. For “ Security ’’ and other reasons he
retained control of the C.I.D. itself as ex officio
Director. He remained as A.D.G.P. until his pro
motion to Director-General on 28th September, 1946.
Created C.B.E. for war services, 1946.
34. A min Zaki Sulaiman
A Moslem (Sunni) of Turkoman origin. Bom 1887
in Bagdad. Received his military training in Istanbul
and appointed second lieutenant in the Turkish army
in 1905.
He joined the Iraq army in 1921 as a captain, and
was promoted major in 1926 and lieutenant-colonel
in 1930, when he was placed in command of the
4th Iraqi Infantry Battalion.
He was promoted colonel in 1934 and appointed
to the command of the Northern Division with head
quarters at Mosul, and a month later he was
appointed quarter-master-general. In October 1935
he was given the command of the Euphrates
Division, Diwaniyah. Promoted brigadier in June
1936.
He was much opposed to the Bekr Sidqi regime
in 1936. He remained with the Euphrates Division
until August 1937, when he was appointed G.O.C.,
the 2nd Division, Kirkuk, which position he was still
holding when he was appointed acting C.G.S. in
March 1940. Promoted major-general in June 1940.
In 1940 he was 53 years old and was the senior
officer serving in the Iraq army. A staunch supporter
of Taha-al-Hashimi, he was considered a capable
officer and a strict disciplinarian, but was generally
unpopular in the army with both officers and men.
Under pressure from Salah-ud-Din Sabbagh, he
threw in his lot with Rashid Ali in April 1941 and »
signed a proclamation charging the Regent w r ith
treason against the State. He fled to Persia when
British troops advanced on Bagdad at the end of
May and fell into our hands when British and
Russian troops occupied Persia in August 1941.
After provisional internment in Ahwaz, he was sent
to Southern Rhodesia. Sent back to Iraq for retrial
in March 1942, and in May was sentenced by a
military court to five years’ imprisonment.
35. Arshad-al-Umari, K.B.E.
Of the well-known Umari family of Mosul. Born
1888. Trained as an engineer in the days of the Turk.
Municipal engineer in Constantinople. Staff officer
during the war. Speaks French and understands
some English. Member of the first Iraqi Parliament
and supporter of Abdul Muhsin Beg. Appointed by
latter first Iraqi Director-General of Posts and
Telegraphs. Made Amin-al-Asimah (Mayor of
Bagdad), November 1931, and during his two-year
tenure of that appointment did much for the
improvement of the amenities of Bagdad. W as
appointed Director of Irrigation in November 1933.
Joined Ali Jaudat’s Cabinet in August 1934 as
Minister for Economics and Communications. Re
signed with the Cabinet in February 1935 and
remained wdthout a post until May 1936, when he
was appointed Director-General of Municipalities.
In November 1936 he again became Mayor of
Bagdad, in which capacity he is well known and
liked by most of the foreign community. He has
proved himself a good friend to Great Britain.
Following the collapse of Rashid Ali’s rebellion in
May 1941, when Rashid Ali and his Cabinet fled to
Persia, Arshad Beg formed a Committee of Internal
Security to conclude an armistice with the British
forces and to maintain order until the return of the
Regent.
In November 1941 he was reappointed Lord Mayor
of Bagdad. Has done much to embellish Bagdad
by opening up new roads and laying out public
gardens.
As president of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society he
has shown himself very willing to co-operate with
the organisers of all kinds of war charity work.
In June 1944 he joined Hamdi-al-Pachachi’s
Cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs and acting
Minister of Supplies. Rushing at supply problems,
he soon met difficulties and had to relinquish his
portfolio in August 1944. He headed the Iraqi
delegation to the Arab Unity Congress in Cairo,
signed the Protocol and returned to Iraq in October
1944. As leader of the Iraqi delegation to San
Francisco, he failed to substitute the ideal of
independence for that of trusteeship (with Palestine
in mind) and refused to sign the Charter. Returning
to Iraq in July 1945, after discussions in Cairo, he
was coolly received and resigned in August 1945.
In June 1946 he formed a Cabinet. It was to be a
caretaker Government for the express purpose of
holding speedy elections. It developed, however, into
a headstrong dictatorship which threatened to bring
into disrepute not only the Cabinet and the British
connexion but also the Regent and the Royal House.
Resigned November 1946 very reluctantly.