Coll 28/120 ‘Persia. Ahwaz – Consular diaries.’ [‎185r] (370/669)

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particularly the appointment of Government finance agente in
tribal area*, wap called for; a letter from Naeeer Khan
Qaehqai wan received during the meeting recommending that
natipfactory security should he maintained, and no provocation
offered to the Central Government. Immediately after this
meeting, Mohd. Ali Khalili sent hin brother to meet the
authorities in Behhehan. It would seem that he is anxious
to leave the door open for negotiation, hut that he is hav
ing to follow the wind that ip at present 'blowing
of Abdullah Khan Karghampur,
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1. AIaB°
(29 jo In the evening of 22nd April, Lt t Colo ,'d. Noel,
Director of the Khuzistan Agricultural. Project, wap motoring
to Guashtar with two companions, Mlle«Corbiau, a Belgian
miniaturist, and a Persian engineer, ^ome seven miles south
of "hushtar the car had a puncture and while this was being-
mended, the party was attacked by a band of armed jirabs, who
wounded Colonel Noel (fortunately not seriously) and looted
all their possessions. Colonel Noel was able to return to
Ahwaz on 24th April. The ..cting Consul-General and Lt:Ool.
Wood the same day visited ^hushtar, and saw the Chief cf
Police. It appears that in the country south of ^hushtar
there are two bands, together totaling some 150 Arabs, who
are terrorising the countryside, inspired by the obvious fact
that with the Gendarmerie in its present state, banditry pays
handsomely* They are extorting money from the village- and
burning crops’ if money is not forthcoming. A detachment of
the Persian army is being stationed in n hushtar, and another
has be-ui sent up to that area. In the meantime the sheikhs
in the district are being told to recover the stolen property-
it is said that most of the property will be returned ir. a
day or two. In the meanwhile several of the Arab sheikhs
have called at the Consulate to express their regret at the
incident (probably ir. part as insurance against having my
blame attached to them).
(50). The Governor-General and Brigadier Hurna^mni
have used this incident to take up (ihee again the question of
large scale disarmament of the Arab tribes* They are, however,
unwilling to undertake it unless they have assurance or
official British approval. C’he Acting Consul-General las
taken the attitude that as a matter of internal security, not
affecting either the AIOC or the Hailway, it is the respon
sibility of the Persian authorities and no concern of the
British* It is clearly desirable that in the event of things
going wrong* (and in the opinion cf the Acting Consul-General,
one probabilities are they would go wrong), the Persians
should not be able to shift the responsibility on to us, as
they clearly hope to do.
(51) . A raid was made on the village of Haft Tappeh
by marauding Arabs (there is no evidence to show whether
they came from the same band as attacked Colonel Noel cr not)*
The Indian guards at the AIOC pumping station ex changed
shots with the raiders; but there is no reason to supmse
that the latter had evil designs on Oil Company property.
(52) . ^he Loweymi and Anafijeh tribes, in>the
Marawuneh area, having thrown out Hull a Bedayer, .’who had
been imposed on them as r, heikh by the Central Government
without their consent, then proceeded to scrap among them
selves regarding land of the Loweymi occupied by the hnafioeh.
Brigadier Humayuni having despatched one emissary, who failed
/to