مجموعة ١٧ / ١٠ (٤) "شؤون داخلية: الوضع السياسي؛ العلاقات مع الحكومة البريطانية" [ظ‎‎٢‎٩‎٢] (١٠٣١/٥٨٤)

support. This I promised to give, and he assumed office when the rioting was at
its height. As every minute almost was of importance, the Regent gave him a
free hand, and on the 3rd June the following appointments were announced :—
Prime Minister : Jamil Madfai.
Foreign Affairs : Ali Jaudat-al-Aiyubi.
Interior : Mustafa-al-Umari.
Communications and Works : Jalal Bahan.
Finance and Justice : Ibrahim Kamal.
Economics : Nasrat-al-Farisi.
Education : Ridha-al-Shabibi.
Social Affairs : Ja’far Hamudi (appointed a few days later).
4. The new Government had much to do. Their immediate tasks were to
re-establish relations with His Majesty’s Government on the basis of the Treaty
of Alliance of 1930, to punish rebels and rioters, to discipline the army, the police
and the public services, to stamp out Axis propaganda and to change the heart
of a great mass of the people.
5. For two or three days I had prolonged talks with the Prime Minister
and the Minister for Foreign Affairs about the essential conditions of a good
understanding with His Majesty’s Government, and then, after I had formally
given notice that in the opinion of His Majesty’s Government a state of imminent
danger of war had been reached, the Cabinet on the 5th June authorised the
Minister for Foreign Affairs to communicate to me the following decisions :—
(a) The Iraqi Government agree that for the duration of the war, and for
war purposes alone, His Majesty’s Government may station their
ground and air forces at such places as may be necessary for the
defence of Iraq, subject to—
( 1 ) the Iraqi Government being notified as far as possible in advance;
(2) due consideration being given to such observations as the Iraqi
Government may make on account of local administrative
necessities;
(b) The Iraqi Government agree to establish a postal and telegraphic censor
ship and to safeguard the interests of His Majesty’s Government in
these matters by employing in the department concerned a British
official from among those in the service of the Iraqi Government. (A
later letter informed me that British interests in the control of aliens
in Iraq would be safeguarded in a similar manner);
{c) The Iraqi Government agree to the British military authorities exercising
the necessary measure of control in co-operation with the Iraq?
authorities over the base area at Basra and will issue orders to the
Basra port authorities to co-operate fully regarding all measures
necessary to facilitate and ensure the safe arrival of British forces
at Basra.
I also received an oral assurance that relations with Italy would be broken off.
6 . The decision about our troops has, up to the present, given good results
Our forces- have moved everywhere without opposition and, with few exceptions,
friendly co-operation has been given by the Iraqi police, military and civil officials.
News of all movements is passed to the Ministry of Defence through the remaining
officers of the Advisory Military Mission who now act as connecting link between
Force Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence.
7. The press and postal censorship is beginning to get into its stride and
with the tactful use of the trained staff which the Middle East Command is
providing, it should become more effective before long.
8 . Details of the British co-operation which it is desirable to establish at
Basra, both in the port and the base areas, are being studied, and in the mean
while the provisional arrangements in operation are working reasonably well
9 - Relations with Italy were formally broken off on the 8 th June and the
Italian Minister and his staff left for Turkey via Syria on the following dav
The Japanese Military Attache installed during May has been obliged to leave
and the Japanese Government have been informed that their present minister is
persona non grata to the Regent.
• 10 w T f dea ] ^ith the worst rebels and rioters, military courts have been set
up in Mosul and Bagdad, and a large number of persons, including manv of
Rashid Ah s outstanding supporters, have been summarily arrested A new