File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎263r] (536/586)

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a nd some of the mountain tribes under their influence, Barwari Bala, Tiari
and Tkhuma, were averse from the suggestion, partly out of hostility to the
I runny ah leader, Agha 1 etros, and partly from reluctance to leave the ease
and comfort afforded them by British hospitality.
These elements, numbering some 1,200 families did not take part in the
subsequent attempt at repatriation. Sanction was given in November for
their settlement at Dohuk and ‘Aqrah, at a cost not exceeding 4 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , a sum
winch represents the cost of maintaining them for six weeks if they had been
allowed to live m idleness. The American mission which had worked in the
camp at Ba qubah offered to continue their charitable efforts in the new colo
nies and arrangements for facilitating their co-operation are being made.
'41. The movement of the Assyrians to the advance camp at Mind -u
beyond Mosul, and thence to Jujar, began at the end of April, but was in
terrupted in May by the. disturbances in Mesopotamia. It was resumed in
September but was still liable to.delays, owing to the continued interruption
of railway traffic by tlic Arab. tribes. In tlie middle of September occurred
the attack by the Surchi on Jujar camp, vigorously repulsed by the Assyrians
JAA m s 'P' lte of difficulties the whole Assyrian nation, to the number of
^5,ul)U, was concentrated above Mosul by the end of September. Arms
equipment and provisions were provided and British officers were detailed
in accompany them, to ensure their correct behaviour en route, though once
beyond the boundary of the Occupied Territories, they were to be under the
jurisdiction of their own leaders. Agha Petros was warned that his men
must avoid pillage, and murder on the way, and his suggestion that on reach-
ing their destination the mountain tribes should extend west into Kurdish
lands was discouraged, as it would have been bound to lead to hostilities.
42. The 'Aqrah Dagh was crossed without incident on October 21, but
on the other side of the Zab the refugees met with opposition from the
Zibari, Barzani and Shirwani, led by our old enemies Paris Agha of Zibar
and Shaikh Ahmad of Barzan, who had been responsible for the Bira Kapra
murders in December, 1919. The Assyrians retaliated but no friendly
villages! were harmed and the advance continued in the zone of countrv pre
viously agreed upon. On November 1, the main body was between Barzan
and Balkan, and on November 5, it passed Baikan and Nerva. Beports as
to the attitude of the Kurds towards the refugees were on the whole favoura
ble. A friendly understanding was said To have been arranged with Situ of
Oramar, but it was uncertain whether Agha Petros was secure on his west
flank, towards Oramar, and Kurds from Amadiyah, which is under our poli
tical protection, were said to be collecting with the purpose of giving trouble..
Agha Petros was enjoined to take no action against them and not to diverge
t° the w-est. Complaints were how'eypr received of the burning of villages
in •Baikan and Nerva, administered by Haji 'Abdul Latif of Amadiyah who
has given us no trouble, and it was evident that the advance of the Assyrians
was becoming a subject for lively* apprehension not only" among the Kurds
but in Persia. Prom Tabriz came the rumour that Saiyid Taha was despatch
ing 300 horsemen to help Situ to resist the refugees and that 500 Turkish
soldiers with a plentiful supply of ammunition had arrived in Oramar, where
the presence of Turkish deserters had already been reported from another
source. The Persian Government, which in June had expressed apprehen
sions as to the repatriation of the Assyrians, learnt from the Governor-
General of Tabriz that 10,000 armed Christians were within T5 miles of
Urumiyah and intended to enter Persian territory where, it may be noted,
many of the Assyrians belonged,, and telegraphed an urgent request that
they should be prevented from doing so.
I
Bain and the insubordination of the mountain tribes put an end to the-
project. Swollen rivers interrupted the march, while the Tiari and Tkhuma
contingents, on whose fighting qualities the refugees depended largely for
protection, broke away, in spite of orders, to their old homes north of "Ama
diyah. The refugees turned back on November 18, and a few days later w r ere
rejoined by the mountaineers.
43. An alternative scheme for the disposition of the Assyrians was
put forward in September by the French charge d’affaires in London. He
stated that a certain number of Assyrian Christians had asked the French
Government to facilitate their return to their old homes west of Jazirat-ibn-
‘Umar and suggested that the refugees might be allowed to remain Jn Meso
potamia till the spring, and that the French Government would, if necessary",
provide funds. The Civil Commissioner pointed ' out that none of the
Nestorians came from the area mentioned, while the British Government
was not responsible for any Chaldaean refugees who might have fled to Mosul
from west of Jazirah. It is believed that the French Vice-Consul in Bagh-|
dad has been in communication with the Assyrians, with the intention of
persuading them to emigrate to Mardin, and the Political Officer at Mosul
reports the arrival of a letter from Dair to Agha Petros which indicates that
General Gouraud has taken part in the suggestion. It may be connected
with similar negotiations between the French and the heads of the Chaldaean
church. The moment would, however, appear singularly unpropitious, for