Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎24v] (48/978)

MMKMBHMT
to have asked them to “wait until the
decisions of the Arab League are
enforced.”
Saudi Arabia
A spokesman from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has informed the United
States Charge d’Affaires that, so far, the
Saudi Arabian Government have taken
no steps to implement the Arab League’s
recommendation for the movement of
troops to the Palestine frontier.
Iraq
The Palestine issue continues to be the
principal subject for discussion by the
press and the public. Exaggerated reports
that Egyptian and Syrian troops were
massing on the Palestine frontiers evoked
wild enthusiasm, while the American and
Soviet support of the partition plan
aroused mingled feelings of anger and
alarm. The less responsible newspapers
have advocated rupture of diplomatic
relations with the United States, while the
Government’s attitude is reflected in their
refusal to accept officially the visit of a
United States Congress Committee. (The
members of the Committee have, however,
arrived unofficially.) No less than six
papers have proposed violent action against
the Soviet Union, and one maintains that
Soviet support of Zionism is due to the
scope which immigration offers for the
introduction of Communism into Palestine
—a view which has also been frequently
expressed in official circles. On the 13th
September the left-wing National Democrat
Party (Hizb al Watani al Demokrati) held
a meeting at which strong resentment was
expressed at the U.N.S.C.O.P. Majority
and Minority Reports, and a decision taken
to prevent by all possible means “ the
realisation of this Zionist imperialistic
scheme and every other scheme which does
not recognise Palestine as an independent,
democratic Arab State.” A more im
portant meeting, attended by over 3,000
tribal shaikhs, was held at Hillah on the
22nd October. The meeting was addressed
by Saleh Jabr himself and a declaration of
“ Jihad ” made.
The attitude of the Prime Minister in
supporting this meeting and in expressing
such extreme views at the recent Arab
League meeting (where it was made plain
that his decision to sever economic relations
with His Majesty’s Government if the
Udiited Nations accept a solution for
Palestine unfavourable to the Arabs
remained unchanged) is somewhat difficult
to reconcile with his earlier moderation.
20
This new hardening of outlook is probably
due to a realisation that, not only have his
plans for the economic development of the
country so far failed to produce good
enough results for him to meet his critics
with equanimity when Parliament re
assembles on the 1st December, but also tha^,
his Government team is still dangeroiSy
weak—a fact which has been amply
demonstrated during his recent absences
from Iraq—and that he is unable to
strengthen it. In addition, he was much
shaken by the decision of His Majesty’s
Government to suspend the convertibility
of sterling, which came at a time when he
was hoping that in the Anglo-Iraqi sterling-
balance agreement he had a really concrete
achievement with which to confront the
public. Saleh Jabr has thus been
endeavouring to whip up popular support
by encouraging the “ Palestine fever ”
which is beginning to take hold of the
country.
The withdrawal of the remaining British
Army units apart from a few personnel left
behind to settle financial details) was com
pleted on the 26th October. The British
and Iraqi Governments have now reverted
to the position agreed upon by the Anglo-
Iraqi Treaty of 1930, under which Great
Britain maintains in Iraq only the Royal
Air Force bases at Habbaniyah and Shal-
bah. The British Military Mission will,
however, continue to be placed at the dis
posal of the Iraqi Government.
Following police raids on the 24th Sep
tember the Government cancelled the
licences of two political parties, the Hizb
ash Sha’ab (People’s Party) and the Hizb
al-Ittihad-al-Watani (National Union
Party). These two left-wing parties, the
first more extreme than the second, were
officially recognised by the Government on
the 2nd April, 1946. According to the
press the reason for their suppression was
that they had both been engaged in
spreading subversive principles and
urging revolution and disturbances.”
Strong protest against the Government’s
action has been made by the three remain
ing political parties.
Persia
After the Majlis had held a secret session
in the evening of the 21st October, at which
the oil question was discussed, it met again
on the 22nd October and a draft resolution
on the subject was submitted. The full
text of the resolution is as follows :—
“ (i) Whereas the Prime Minister in
good faith and as a result of an in
terpretation of the meaning of the