مجموعة ١٧/ ١٧ "تقارير سنوية لوزارة الخارجية، ١٩٣٢-١٩٣٨، ١٩٤٧. استعراض سنوي للأحداث ١٩٣٩-١٩٤٢. استعراض سياسي ١٩٤٣-١٩٤٤" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٣] (٤٨٣/٣٦٥)

[10072] B 8
71. In the spring the alleged presence of Russians in survey parties on the
Persian side of the Suleimaniya frontier and rumours regarding visits by
Communists for political propaganda to Kirkuk, Rowanduz and Suleimaniya, did
not escape the attention both of the Iraqi Government and of His Majesty’s
Embassy. No further information was subsequently forthcoming.
72. The strengthening by the Persians of their military posts near the
Kurdistan frontier in June caused some concern to the Iraqi Government. The
reason for this was understood to be the suppression of smuggling.
73. Between the 24th and 28th August three minor affrays took place in the
Diala and Suleimaniya areas in Iraqi territory between Persian brigands and
Iraqi police, with the result that two of the latter and some animals were killed.
The Iraqi Government addressed, on the 4th September, a strong protest to the
Persian Legation.
Incidents Affecting British Interests.
74. On the 23rd June Captain Macleod, a British subject and Assistant
Harbourmaster at Abadan, on boarding a Persian warship in Iraqi waters under
a misunderstanding that his services were required, was placed under arrest and
imprisoned at Mohammerah for one week. After representations by His
Majesty’s Legation and the Iraqi Legation at Tehran, he was released, but neither
expression of regret nor offer of compensation was forthcoming from the Persian
Government.
75. The British-owned newspaper, Bagdad Times, was, on the
13th January, suspended by the Iraqi Government on the demand of the Persian
Government for reproducing extracts from articles in the London press containing
offensive references to the Shah. The editor of the Bagdad Times, both personally
and publicly, made an apology to the Persian Minister. As a result of informa
representations by His Majesty’s Ambassador, the period of suspension was
reduced from four weeks to fourteen days.
76. During this time the Basra edition, known as the Times of Mesopotamia,
was circulated in Bagdad. When the suspension was over, the Bagdad Times
reappeared as the Iraq Times.
Proposals for Frontier Rectification.
77 In the month of March the Persian Minister in Bagdad approached
Nuri Pasha, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, with a request to enter into
negotiations for a rectification of the whole Iraqi— Persian frontier. He stated
that the Shah would claim sovereignty over half of the Shatt-al-Arab. ^uri
Pasha replied that the Iraqi Government declined to reopen the frontier question
and would not surrender sovereign rights inherited from the Ottoman Empire.
They would, nevertheless, be willing to discuss in a friendly spirit any question
regarding the navigation of the Shatt or the working of the Khanakin oil-field
on^both sides of the frontier as a single unit.
78. In May the Persian Minister repeated this request to King Faisal and
received a similar reply.
79. This uncompromising attitude of the Iraqi Government contributed no
doubt to the oral representations which the Persian Charge d’Affaires was
instructed to make to the Head of the Eastern Department of the Foreign Office
on the 4th August, in which an attempt was made to hold His Majesty s Govern
ment responsible for the present unsatisfactory situation.
Saudi Arabia.
80. In a personal letter to His Majesty s Ambassador in Decembei
Kine; Ibn Saud referred gratefully to the friendly relations which had existed
between Iraq and Saudi Arabia throughout 1933, which he rightly described as
leaving little to be desired.
81. There was some inter-tribal raiding in the spring, and in Febiuaiy
Ibn Baud’s tax collectors crossed the frontier near Busaiyah and attempted to