'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎34v] (68/96)

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who causes her husband and others much trouble
by interfering in politics.
Created K.B.E., for war services, in 1946 .
He formed a Government after the elections of
March 1947 and presented an ambitious programme,
largely concerned with economic development, to the
Majlis on 10th April.
He worked both Parliament and himself extremely
hard during the Extraordinary Session of 1947 and
laid some of the financial foundations of his pro
gramme.
114. Sami Fettah
Has been in command of the Royal Iraqi Air
Force since June 1941. He is a graduate of the
Higher Teachers’ Training College (1922) and served
several years as an instructor in Iraq schools.
Turning to a military career in 1925, he attended the
Military College at Bagdad and later studied at
Sandhurst in England. Shortly after his appoint
ment as a second lieutenant in the Iraqi army in
1928 he became air-minded, joining the Iraqi air
force and later training with R.A.F. units in England.
In 1932 he flew an Iraqi air force plane from England
to Iraq. He joined the Iraq Staff School and
graduated from it in 1937.
He has shown himself determined to clean up the
R.I.A.F. and to prevent its dabbling in politics, and
in this he has had considerable success. During the
summer of 1946 he was in London where he
attended the Victory celebrations and also visited
a number of aircraft factories.
115. Sami Shaukat
Born Bagdad 1893. Sunni. Brother of Naji
Shaukat. Graduated at Military College of Medicine,
Constantinople, 1916. Joined the Arab army in
Syria in 1919. Appointed to Iraqi Health Service
1921 and subsequently served for several years as
Director-General of Education. Became Director-
General of Public Health in 1936. An ardent Arab
Nationalist.
Appointed Director-General of Education in
March 1939. He did much to increase military
education in the secondary schools. Became the
first Minister for Social Affairs in September 1939
and Minister for Education in February 1940.
Resigned in March with whole Cabinet and was
reappointed Director-General of Education in April
1940.
Retained his position throughout the disturbances
of 1941 and survived subsequent changes. Is
believed by many to have had pro-German leanings,
but he himself stoutly denied these allegations.
However this may be, he has done little himself to
eradicate pro-Nazi sentiment from the Iraqi educa
tion system.
Appointed Director-General of Social Affairs and
Health in January 1943.
Resigned and started the newspaper Baath al
Qawmi (“ National Resurrection ”) in the autumn of
1945. It was extremely nationalistic, anti-Com-
munist and anti-British. In tone it somewhat
resembled Dio Stunner. Fortunately it kept falling
foul of the Government and was suspended for a year
in the summer of 1946. Since then little or nothing
has been heard from Shaukat and his followers.
Speaks Arabic and Turkish but no English. A
buffoon, but potentially dangerous through his influ
ence on young fanatics.
116. Selim Terzi, O.B.E.
Born Bagdad 1899. Jew. Educated at the
Alliance School, Bagdad, he entered the Posts and
Telegraphs Department and has remained there until
he became acting Director-General. Presumably his
religion has prevented his permanent promotion, as
twice or thrice completely unfitted incumbents have
held the post, e.g., an eye specialist, London-
trained, and an unwanted official from the Royal
Bilat.
Like most Jews in Iraq he has never been involved
in any form of politics, nor has he expressed any
strong political convictions. Is a quiet, decent and
capable man and co-operated whole-heartedly with
the British forces (for which he was made an O.B.E.
in 1946). It was the Government policy that this
should be, but he added the personal touch which
made the co-operation successful.
He and his wife speak good English.
117. Shakir-al-Fia'ama
Editor and owner of Al Thaghr, a Basra paper. A
quiet intelligent man with no liking for the Iraqi
methods of administering the supply situation and
its attendant corruption. He was, in 1943, involved
in a little trouble with the Mutasarrif of the Basra
Liwa for publishing articles in his paper criticising
the local supply distribution methods. He was told
to cease such publications but he asked for such
instructions in writing—presumably he w’ould have
taken the matter further. The instructions in
writing were not forthcoming, but from that time
he has been the subject of persecution by the
Mutasarrif. A good friend of Britain. Visited
Britain as a member of the Iraqi journalists’ dele
gation, autumn 1945, and wrote several glowing
articles for his newspaper, Al Thaghr, the only
regular daily newspaper in the south, has always
been pro-British. He speaks good English.
118. Shakir-al- Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. , M.V.O.
Sunni of Bagdad, born 1894. Brother of Jamil-al-
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. (q-v.). Served as an officer in the Turkish army
from 1915 to the armistice. Joined the Iraqi army in
1921. Captain 1928. In 1929 he was attached for
training to various units in England, and in 1930 he
was promoted major and made aide-de-camp to King
Feisal. He was on King Feisal’s staff during His
Majesty’s State visit to England in 1933. Promoted
lieutenant-colonel in 1935 and attended the Staff
College course. Returned to Iraq 1936 and was
appointed G.S.0.1 in the Kirkuk Division, of which
Bakr Sidqi’s was the G.O.C. He was right-hand
man to Bakr in the military revolt of October 1936.
He is intelligent, capable and ambitious. After
Bakr Sidqi’s murder in August 1937 he was
appointed military attach^ in London, but a few
weeks later he was dismissed and placed on the
retired list.
Banished from Bagdad in December 1938 f^t
intrigues against Jamil-al-Madfai’s Government,
permitted to return in January 1939 after Nuri-al-
Said had formed a Government. Appointed to the
Iraqi diplomatic service in June 1939 as second
secretary to the Iraqi Legation, Tehran.
At first he seems to have done well and kept in
close touch with His Majesty’s Legation. Later on,
however, he seems to have yielded to the blandish
ments and bribes of the German Legation and, as
charge d’affaires during April and May 1941, he
dutifully carried out instructions sent to him by
Rashid Ali’s Government. Daud Haidari, who was
appointed minister at Tehran in June 1941, was
asked to keep a close watch on Shakir.
Appointed consul at Jerusalem in November 1941.
Transferred to London in October 1944 as first
secretary in order to take charge of the Iraqi Legation
during Daud-al-Haidari’s absence in Iraq.
Return to Bagdad in October 1946 to become
Master of Ceremonies at the Palace.
Minister for Defence in Salih Jabr’s Government
formed in March 1947. He owes this position to
his close personal friendship with the Regent.
119. Dr. Shawkat al Zahawi
A Kurd, born in 1898, son of a Turkish army officer
by the name of Colonel Abdul Hakim al Zahawi.
Educated in Bagdad and Istanbul. In the latter
place joined the Military Medical College, and