File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [‎52v] (113/995)

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malice, but has played his part manfully. The insurgents made one half
hearted attempt to damage our line of river communications by putting a dam
across the mouth of the New Cut. But on being bombed they desisted and
have since done little but chatter, and many of them have now made submission.
The Ham mar region has been enlivened by the efforts of Salim al Kbaiyun,
Shaikh of the Bani Asad, who for once in his astute life lias cut a sorry figure
of late. It is this person J s policy to be very forward in protestations of service
| to all officers of Government, and at the same time to render real assistance only
! to his own local authority. Meanwhile outside his own Division he makes him
self an unmitigated nuisance. As a result of some of his encroachments beyond
Al Abid, the P.O., Amarah, recently gave Sikar al Na‘amah, Shaikh of Al Isa,
one of his shaikhs, permission to turn some of Salim’s following neck and crop off
his land. Salim made great outcry protesting that his Bani Asad would rise as
one man to avenge the insult and only he, Salim, could with difficulty hold them
back from cutting the Basrah-Nasiriyah line. He tried to entice the A.P.O.,
Qurnah, down into the marshes to show him how notably he was repressing the
forces of disorder. But the bait was refused. No notice of his cries was taken
and he is now left crying.
A certain amount of trouble has been given on the Basrah-Nasiriyah line
by Bani Malik elements from the Hammar region, but it has not been serious.
Major Ditchburn and Captain Thomas deserve particular mention for the
manner in which they have handled the tribal situation.
Basrah, Qurnah and Amarah.
In Basrah there has been no tribal difficulty, because there are no tribes.
In Qurnah and Amarah the tribes have not forgotten the events of 1915-17 and
though restless never rose. The danger in Amarah was acute in early Septem
ber and Juwi of the Bani Lam had his plans all laid for joint action with the
Wali of Pusht-i-Kuh. But reinforcements began to come upriver before he was
quite ready. His nerve failed him and the danger passed. All the Amarah
Shaikhs, with the possible exception of Muhammad al Araibi and Majid al Kha-
ilifah, were in agreement to join in against us, if they got a lead. This should
be remembered, when hereafter they claim our gratitude for services rendered
in 1920.
Kui Division.
Badrah shared in the common trouble. But a detachment of Levies sent
to the town effected the arrest of Amin Beg and the other leading malcontents
and put an end to the trouble.
In Kut itself there was no more than unrest. In the Suwairah district,
Ajil Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , having finally decided which side to take, kept the Zubaid tribes of
the right bank in order. On the left bank there was some lawlessness among
the Shammar Toqah and other elements and after the lamentable fall of
Ba‘qubah the Mamur was murdered. But before further developments could
occur, the sight of reinforcements arriving had its usual effect.
On the Hai matters were more serious. Letters from Saiyid Nur of Najaf
had inflamed the mind of- Abdullah ibn Muhammad al Yasin, Shaikh of the
Maiyah, whom we had recognised as head of the tribe. This man’s every action
was influenced by his hatred for Abdul Muhsin, his brother, who to some extent
rivalled him in the eyes of the tribe. On the 14th September the brothers
quarrelled in Hai town—it is said because Abdul Muhsin refused to join Abdul
lah against Government—and Abdullah killed Abdul Muhsin. For a while fie
and his forces dominated the town, but the staunchness of the towns
people and some policemen prevented him from making good his position.
Balasim, another brother, took up arms to avenge Abdul Mohsin. With sup
port in the shape of arms and ammunition' given by the P.O. he gained the
upper hand and drove Abdullah from the town. Abdullah appealed to Mohan
(see report on Nasiriyah Division) for help and for a few days' it deemed as
if the Gharraf pot must boil over. But the Amir al Rabia remained staunch
and his staunchness gave the hostile tribes pause. Then once again air action
saved the situation, and one more debt was added to the long list of obligations
which the Civil Administration owes to the R.A.F. On the 22nd September
Abdullah’s fort was very successfully bombed, the flight of the planes being
directed by Major Jeffreys, P.O. of the Division. This completely broke
his power. Balasim, who had already been proclaimed Shaikh in his stead,
was able to consolidate his position and Abdullah is now a fugitive from the
lands of his tribe.
This concludes a brief summary of the salient events of this most
crowded and eventful period. No doubt the allotted space has already been
far exceed, and if that is so, having adorred the tale perhaps we may be per
mitted also to point the moral.
Certain conclusions seem to stand out from the recital : —
(l)As the Naqib of Baghdad is never tired of repeating—- Bidun
guwah hukumah mctku ”—“ Without force there can be no
Government. ’ ’