'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎26v] (52/96)

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In June 1946 joined Arshad al Umari’s Cabinet as
Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which capacity he
attended the Palestine Conference in London in
September.
He is a self-made man and the first of the type to
reach a prominent position. He is intensely ambi
tious, but has to feel his way carefully and is there
fore something of a “ Yes-man.” No one has ever
been able to accuse him of corruption. He is rabid
on the subject of Zionism.
He has remained Minister for Foreign Affairs in
the Governments of Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 1946-4:7 and Saleh
Jabr March 1947 but has spent much time outside
Iraq, at U.X.O. on the Palestine question and later
in London leading Iraqi delegation for Sterling
Balance talks.
His trips abroad have brought him greater self-
confidence but he does not pay enough attention to
the internal political situation. He is, therefore,
apt to underestimate the difficulties of the policies
he urges.
46. Hamdi Pachachi, K.B.E.
Born about 1890. Sunni of Bagdad. Belongs to
the Pachachi family, who are one of the richest
families of the city. He himself owns valuable
property in the town and also agricultural land
outside in the liwa. In the early days of the creation
of the Iraqi State he had the reputation of being a
young hot-head and a leader of the extreme
nationalists. Became Minister for Auqaf in June
1925 under Abdul Muhsin al Sadun, and resigned
with the Cabinet in November 1926. After this he
remained outside politics for many years but
returned to public life as Minister for Social Affairs
in Taha al Hashimi’s Cabinet in February 1941. He
took no part in Rashid Ali’s adventures in May 1941
and in November 1941 was elected President of the
Chamber. He was re-elected to this position in
November 1942, and again in October 1948. Ceased
to be President of the Chamber when he became
temporarily Minister of Economics in December
1948. Was not reappointed a Minister in Nuri’s
ninth Cabinet formed on the 25th December, 1948.
Succeeded Nuri Said as Prime Minister in June 1944.
Appointed Senator, May 1945.
In order to drop the obstinate Tahsin Ali from
Defence, he put in a formal resignation of the
Cabinet in August 1944 and reformed the Ministry
without Tahsin Ali.
His Ministry resigned in February 1946.
Dignified and firm, he is a typical landowner with
the advantages that he has no ambition to increase
his holdings and gives a personal boost to any
schemes for agricultural development (such as the
Dujeila collective farm project).
Has taken a prominent part in the Arab Unity
Conferences and signed the Protocol. Despite
prophecies, he has held his Cabinet together for a
record period for recent years by steadiness, modera
tion and good sense, which were notable in his
handling of the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. crisis of May 1945.
Speaks a little English and French. A violent
anti-Zionist.
Created K.B.E., for war services, 1946.
47. Hanna Khaiyat
Syrian Catholic of Mosul. Born 1884. Medical
diploma at Beirut and Paris, much medical and
administrative experience and extremely able on
both sides. Head of the Mosul Hospital iinder the
Government of Occupation. Appointed Minister of
Health 1921. When the Ministry was abolished in
1922 he accepted the post of Director of Medical
Services. Speaks excellent French. Appointed
Director-General in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
October 1931. Appointed Inspector-General of
Health in 1933. Became director of the Bagdad
General Hospital and dean of the Royal Medical
College in September 1934. Appointed Inspector-
General of Health September 1937. Inspector-
General of the Ministry of Social Affairs in December
1939.
Placed on pension at the end of 1940. Reappointed
Director-General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and
Director-General of Health in July 1941.
Appointed Director-General of Posts and Tele
graphs in January 1943. •
Headed Iraqi delegation to Arab Medical Congress
1943. Elected a Deputy, October 1943. Became an
invalid in April 1944.
48. Has him Jaw ad
Born Bagdad 1911. Muslim, Shiah.
Educated in Bagdad schools and at Beirut and
London Universities. After graduating he returned
from London in 1936 and shortly afterwards was
posted to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and nomi
nated as Iraq’s representative on the permanent
International Labour Office at Geneva. In that
capacity he took part in several conferences. He
returned to Iraq in 1941 and has been employed on
labour affairs in one capacity or another ever since.
In 1946 he was transferred to the Ministry of Social
Affairs, as Director-General of a newly created
Labour Department, in which capacity he attended
the I.L.O. Congress at Montreal in September.
A very quiet, serious and studious man; wdl
balanced and moderate of speech. He holds str^R^^
views on the rights of “ Labour ” and undoubtedly
tries to act up to his principles. Since the Trades
Union Movement and Labour questions have come
more to the fore in Iraq he has gained much valuable
practical experience in the settling of disputes and
labour conditions generally, and there seems reason
for hoping that in time he might be able to do some
thing tangible to better the working and social con
ditions of the Iraqi working classes. He is not
lacking in personality, but is more of a quiet, solid
plodder than an enthusiast, such as is really wanted
for the task. As might be expected, in politics his
conversation indicates an inclination to the Left, but
he is neither a member nor an associate of the
members of the Political Leftist Parties recently
established in Bagdad.
He was removed from his position as Director-
General of Labour by Arshad-al-Umari in 1946.
After bis removal the Department of Labour has
sunk into a powerless desuetude.
In Geneva at International Labour Organisatyj
Conference July 1947. - 0 ^
49. Hikinat Sidaiman
Sunni. Born 1886. Director of Education in
Bagdad under the Turks. Also Assistant Governor.
Member of C.U.P. Was in Constantinople at the
time of the occupation. Returned in January 1921
and was a candidate for the Ministry of Education.
Made Director of Posts in April 1922 and Director-
General of Posts and Telegraphs in April 1923.
Minister of Interior in the second Sadun Cabinet.
Lost his seat in the Chamber in the general election
of 1930, but became Minister for Interior in March
1933. Resigned from Cabinet with Rashid Ali in
October 1938, and from Chamber in November 1933.
He played an active part in organising intensive
opposition to Ali Jaudat’s Cabinet in the early
months of 1935, but refused office in the Cabinet
formed by Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. aft-cr Ali Jaudat’s fall. Paid
a long visit to Turkey in the summer of 1935 and
returned full of praise for modern Turkish methods.
In the autumn of 1935 he was offered the portfolio
of the Ministry of Justice, but did not accept it. Is
very influential in political circles, where his
intelligence is much respected.
In October 1936 he joined with Bakr Sidqi in the
plot which resulted in the successful military revolt
against Yasin-al-Hashimi’s Government, and upon
Yasin’s resignation he became Prime Minister. He