Papers of the War Cabinet's Eastern Committee [‎227v] (454/544)

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Mesopotamia:
Mosul, Baghdad,
and Basra.
Hejac and Arabia.
various possible solutions of the future of that capital ; they could,
at least, explore the ground even if they could not arrive at any
decisions. In the course of the last three or four meetings, the
Committee had summed up their conclusions in regard to the
Caucasus, Armenia, Syria, and Palestine, in a series of Kesolutions.
In view of the urgency of the occasion he had, since the Meeting of
the Cabinet, drafted some conclusions in respect of Mesopotamia,
that is to say the area from Mosul down to Basra, which he would
now submit to the Committee as a basis of discussion.
2. The Committee discussed the Chairman’s Draft Besolutions
in regard to the future of Mesopotamia, Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra.
Certain amendments were suggested and accepted.
The Kesolutions as finally adopted by the Committee were as
follows :—
Resolutions on Mesopotamia } Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra.
1. There can be no restoration of these territories to Turkish
rule.
2. There should be no annexation of any of these territories by
Great Britain.
3. It is the object of His Majesty s Government to set up an Arab
Government or Governments of the liberated areas, and not to impose
upon the populations any Government which is not acceptable to
them.
4. Whether there should be a single Arab State or a number of
Arab States in these areas is a matter upon which educated native
opinion in the areas aff ected is now being consulted.
5. All 7'eports so far received appear to indicate a universal
repugnance to the incorporation of these territories under a single
Arab ruler, or to the recognition of the temporal sovereignty of the
King of the Hejaz.
fi. If it is found necessary to provide in any form for the
authority over these areas of the King of the Hejaz, this should in all
probability be confined to a recognition of his spiritual position, and
to the use of his name in the prayers in the mosques. But the
Committee recognise that this is a question for Moslem and not for
Christian opinion to decide.
7. Whether a single Arab State or a number of Arab States be
set up in these areas, the support and protection of a Great European
Power will be found indispensable.
8. If the inhabitants of these areas, acting upon the principle of
self-determination, express a desire that Great Britain should fill
this role, the^ interests of the native populations, the part that has been
taken in their recovery from Turkish misrule by the aimies of Great
Britain and India, and the security of the Indian Empire, require
that the responsibility should be accepted by Great Britain.
(A verbatim report of the discussion is given in the Annex to
these Minutes.)
3. The Committee had before them Draft Resolutions as to the
Hejaz and Arabia, prepared by the Foreign Office in consultation
with the Chairman, in accordance with their decision at the Meeting
on the 16th instant (E.C.-43rd Meeting, Minute 3 (a) ).
The Committee decided :—
Resolution 1 .—To substitute the word “ Powers ” for the words
“ French and Italian Governments,” and the words “ Has
already been by the French Government” for “was by
the former.”