Skip to item: of 1,081
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Coll 17/30(1) ‘Iraq. Proposed additional outlet to the sea, in or near Koweit territory. Development of port at Um Qasr.’ [‎24r] (50/1081)

The record is made up of 1 file (531 folios). It was created in 2 May 1938-19 Aug 1942. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

23
The only arguments of any real substance in sux^port
of the latter view seem to us to he two:-
(a) that the Green Line on the map attached to
the 1913 Agreement seems to bend at Urn Qasr;
I ^ bt.~- pi (
(b) that the 1913 definition said that the
frontier passed M just” south of Urn Qasr, and
•/- that Sir Percy Cox told the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at
Koweit in 1923 that the 1923 definition was, so
far as it went, identical with the frontier
indicated by the Green Line of the 1913
1 Agreement.
If it had not been for these two facts, we do not
think that anyone would have challenged the
interpretation agreed upon in 1940, that the
frontier should follow a straight line between the
"tri-junction" of the waterways and the point south
of Safwan.
6. I explained in paragraph 5 of my letter
of the 30th March why we hold that the Green Line
on the 1913 map is only of subsidiary importance.
. u 1
' 1c/
L ^
4 A4^ yj-vU
7. The argument at (b) depends on what one
means by "just" south of Urn Qasr. Wakefield
thinks that this means immediately adjacent to the
walls of the fort of Urn Qasr and Hay suggests that
it means not more than 100 yards from the fort.
This seems to us to be straining the meaning of the
word altogether too far. It has always been
agreed that the point "just"- south of Safwan should
be defined as one mile,south of the most southerly
palm, if definition by reference to the site of the
former notice-board, which is apparently rather
less than a mile south of Safwan, proves impossible.
We do not see how it can seriously be maintained
that "just" south of Safwan means a mile from
Safwan/
Safwan/

About this item

Content

The file contains papers relating to the proposed construction of a port in Kuwait (Koweit) Bay, and the construction of a port in Um Qasr Creek.

The papers mostly concern the following:

  • The attitude of HM Government towards the proposal of the Government of Iraq for the extension of the Iraqi railway system through Kuwait territory to the coast at Koweit Bay, and the construction there of a port under Iraqi control. This proposed port would provide Iraq with an additional commercial outlet to the sea on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , as an alternative to the Shatt-al-Arab.
  • The Iraqi Government’s adoption of the alternative recommendation of Um Qasr Creek in the Khor Abdulla as the location for the port, and the Iraqi Government raising the question of territorial concessions from Kuwait in relation to the port.
  • The decision of British military authorities in 1941 to construct a port at Um Qasr as an urgent military necessity, to remain under British military control during the Second World War, and the proposal to improve port facilities in Koweit itself in order to enable troops and stores to be disembarked there.
  • The location of the selected site for the port in Um Qasr Creek in relation to the disputed frontier between Iraq and Kuwait.

The papers largely consist of India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. minute papers and internal notes, papers of the Committee of Imperial Defence Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East, and correspondence and copy correspondence between the following:

Other correspondents in the file include the Army Council, the Air Council, the Admiralty, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait (Tom Hickinbotham), and the Ruler of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ).

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (531 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 535; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-353; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Coll 17/30(1) ‘Iraq. Proposed additional outlet to the sea, in or near Koweit territory. Development of port at Um Qasr.’ [‎24r] (50/1081), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2892, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100102490496.0x000035> [accessed 4 April 2025]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100102490496.0x000035">Coll 17/30(1) ‘Iraq. Proposed additional outlet to the sea, in or near Koweit territory. Development of port at Um Qasr.’ [&lrm;24r] (50/1081)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100102490496.0x000035">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0001b3/IOR_L_PS_12_2892_00053.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0001b3/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image