"ملف ٦/٤ II الحدود الكويتية-العراقية" [و‎‎١‎٩‎٤] (٤٤٠/٣٨٧)

(75V 5/A8)
RESTRICTED .
1
J
BRITISH EMBASSY,
BAGDAD.
17th November, 1948.
Dear Residency,
We regret that we should hardly feel justified in
making representations to the Iraqi Government about the
Iraq - Kuwait frontier incident referred to in your letter
154/5/48 of the 23rd October on the strength of the rather
meagre information available and after so long an interval
of time. _
> '
You will observe that while the report enclosed in
letter No. R/82(17/10 & 4/6) of the 6th October from the
Political Agency Kuwait is dated the 30th September, the
date on which the alleged incident occurred is not given.
Moreover, while Metla*, the place where the incident is
said to have occurred, may mean something to those who know
the district, this name does not appear in our maps with
the result that we should not be in a position to identify
the place were the Iraqi authorities to ask us to do so.
We are, however, asking the Consul-General at Basra
to obtain from the Political Agent more information about
the date and locality of the alleged incident, and then to
bring the matter to the attention of the local Commandant
of Police.
Would it not be better if in future these frontier
incidents were in the first instance taken up by our
authorities on the spot, namely the Political Agent at
Kuwait and the Consul-General at Basra, on the understanding
of course%that the Political Agent and the Consul-General
should keep us informed of what they .were doing?
Jli vfft©
In this connexion our attention has been drawn to
a letter of the 5th June, 1945, from Colonel Sargon, then
Inspector of Iraq Constabulary at Basra, to the Consulate-
General. Colonel Sargon stated that after a visit to
Kuwait, when he had discussed these matters with Sheikh
Abdullah Mubarak, he made the following suggestlons:-
1. If an Iraq Police Armed Car or Lorry was seen in
Kuwait territory the number should be taken and a note made
of the description, whether Lorry or Armed Truck.
2. It should be possible to take the number of the
Policemen, as all wear metal numbers, and have shoulder
badges as well.as Iraq Police Badges on their Agals.
3* A report should immediately be sent to the Political
Agent, who would In turn telegraph to him, in order that
he could institute an enquiry without any delay.
4. Regarding any stranger who might be suspected of
being an Iraqi Policeman in plain clothes, the Security
Police of the State had the powers and would be within
their legal rights to detain the person and to check up on
his identity.
5• When/
Political Residency,
Persian Gulf,
BAmm*