Coll 28/120 ‘Persia. Ahwaz – Consular diaries.’ [‎116r] (232/669)

5
&
i reived a warning that Mohd,Hussain Zarghami w the Texbi chieftain,was
going to seek an interview near Behbahan ostensibly to establish friendly
relations, but in reality with the intention of acting,once suspicions
were allayed, as a fifth-column element for a large-scale attack on
Benbahan by Zarghampur* About 5th August Ma’inzadeh received the request
for an interview and proposes* in view of the importance *f keeping
contact with the tribes that might act as buffers against Zarghampur,
to see Zarghami with suitable precautionso
One battalion of Persian infantry arrived during the
firsw week of August and were transported to Behbahan in trucks sunulied
the British Military authorities® The Persian military authorities
claim to have given support in the defence of Aru. #f which details are
not yet available 0 Apart from this, they have shown little signs of
activity® They purport, however, to be collecting pack-transport for
operations in the autumn® :
711
TRIBAL - ARAB,
(31) The Persian authorities have been manifesting a certain
nervousness about the Arab situation which has not been justified by any
information received from other sources® Before leaving for.Tehran, the
Governor-General hinted that he was somewhat nervous about Ohassib and
the A*L*Gohas paseQd on a report from General Humayuni to the effect
that Abdullah, another son of the sheikh of Mohammerah, has arrived in
j the district with 180,000 rounds of ammunition®
(32) The outlawed sheikh Jabbar of Zargan hag been active
during the fortnight® On 1st August he is reported to have taken eight
mules from a caravan near Waisc A week later he looted an irrigati^r.
pump house in the same area, and on 12th Augusc raided the village #f
«almiyeh, twenty miles to the east® Lieut-Col*Noel reports growing
insecurity in the Miana'b where disarmament oi tne Arab ^rv 00 s was
particularly ^successful' 8 ; unfortunately the wilder tribes on the right
bank «f the Karkheh retained a larger proportion of their arms and the
Mianab is now suffering®
(33) General Zarrabi has been replaced by General Irawani®
The latter served for a short while in Khuzistan after one dapartui'e
of General ghahbakhti but not much is known about him® He is of
Causasian descent, and is likely to be more honest than his predecessor
but whether he will be up to tne wiles of the Lurs remains
VIII* TRIBAL - LURISTAN.
4- V,
seen,
(34) The British military authorities are concerned at the
continued attacks on railway garrison troops on the section between
Andimejshk and Dorado Another I®OoR*was killed in the fortnight under review.
(55) Mohd®Hussain .Khan gagwandi reports that he was visited
by two Russians one of whor/a member of the Soviet Consulate staff at
Kerraanshah* They asked numerous questions about the gagwsnd,Papi and
Tarhan tribes, their chiefs,strength,and customs® Mchd.Hussain also
received an invitation to visit the Roviet Consulate in Kermanshah;
an undertaking was given to arrange transport for the visit*
/ professed to be
IX® ELECTIONS® * 36
(36) The future of the Ahwas-Ram Hormuz-Rhushtar ccnscituen*y
remains ebscare* Nothing certain is known of the intentions of ighai
Nasseri, the present deputy, and Aghai lOiajavi, the Ahwas judge, appears
toT have done little canvassing so far® It new appears that Hussain imam
is likely to return, and give his blessing to 'the candidature of a Dr®
Shams Jezairi, a member of the shush tar family, who has spent most of
his life in Tehran and is unknown in Khusistan® According tm the Chief
of Police, the election sub committee which has been set up in shushtar
is likely to be under the control of the Jezairi family* No AlO.h
/candidate