"ملف ١١/ ٤٤ الشخصيات الرائدة في العراق وإيران والمملكة العربية السعودية" [ظ‎‎٣‎٥] (٩٦/٧٠)

30
Rashid Ali’s rebel regime. When the Regent had
been restored Taha Pasha wished to return to Iraq,
but Nuri Said (the Prime Minister) did not want him
back and it was arranged that a transit visa through
Syria should be refused.
He was still in Turkey in May 1944.
There were rumours during 1946-47 of his being
appointed Chief of General Staff of the Swrian
army. These have so far, August 1947, not
materialised.
123. Tahsin Ali
A Sunni Moslem born in Bagdad in 1890.
Educated in Bagdad and Istanbul. Participated in
the Balkan War, fought against the British at Basra,
and after the fall of Bagdad joined King Hussain of
the Hejaz. Fought under Faisal and was a brigade
commander in the Arab army at Aleppo. Was
awarded the M.C. Returned to Bagdad with Faisal
and became Secretary to the Defence Ministry.
Commandant of Police in Mosul in 1922, he was
removed because of his connexions with the Sabunchi
faction and transferred to the Dulaim area in 1925.
Between 1927 and 1938 held a number of administra
tive posts, including those of Mutessarif of Mosul
and Basra. Director-General of the P.W.D. in 1938.
Was largely connected with the activities of the local
Palestine Defence Committee while in Basra.
Became Mutessarif of Mosul again in April 1939, but
was removed by Rashid Ali after his cou'p d’Etat in
May. Was restored when the Madfai Cabinet was
formed in June.
Not particularly clever, and apt to be pig-headed.
In Mosul he was too much under local influence and
showed a strong prejudice against the Yazidis. He
was slow to take action against Nazi sympathisers
and favoured a policy of “ appeasement.” Appointed
Minister of Education in the Cabinet formed by
Nuri Said in October 1941.
Transferred to the Palace as Rais of the Royal
Diwan in June 1943. Became Minister of Defence
in the Cabinet of Hamdi-al-Pachachi in June 1944,
where he proved obstructive to the reorganisation of
the army. Transferred to Works and Communica
tions in August 1944 and finally dropped from the
Cabinet altogether at the end of that month.
Now, 1947, Director-General Awqaf.
124. Tahsin Qadri, K.C.V.O.
Sunni of Damascus. Born 1893. Was with Feisal
in Damascus and accompanied him to Europe in
July 1920. Came with him to Bagdad in June 1921,
and was appointed an A.D.C. to the King in August.
Married the daughter and heiress of Abdul W T ahhab
Pasha Qartas of Basra. Appointed Master of
Ceremonies in the Palace March 1932. Accompanied
King Feisal on his State visit to England in 1933
and received the K.C.V.O.
In June 1936 he was compelled to resign from the
Palace on account of the scandal of the marriage of
Princess Azzah. He was later appointed counsellor
to the Iraqi Legation in Tehran and took up his post
in November 1936. Appointed consul-general at
Bombay in December 1937. Speaks English and
French. Pleasant and clever.
Appointed Director of Ceremonies in the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs in February 1939. Became
consul-general in Beirut in July 1939.
In May 1941, like all Iraqi consuls, he seems to
have carried out his orders from Rashid Ali without
protest and his behaviour was strongly criticised by
the British authorities.
In September 1943 he was appointed charge
d’affaires at Damascus, when the Iraqi Government
recognised the new Syrian Government. On the
27th January, 1944, he was accredited as first Iraqi
Minister to Syria and the Lebanon to reside at
Beirut, where he has been active in Arab Unity
affairs, at the same time maintaining close touch
with His Majesty’s Minister. Recalled early in 1945
and appointed Acting Director-General for Foreign
Affairs in the absence of Fadhil-el-Jamali at San
Francisco. Appointed minister in Tehran, June
1945, but in September was still in the Lebanon.
In 1946 appointed Iraqi Minister to Paris.
July 1947 he was appointed Master of Ceremonies
in the Royal Diwan.
125. Talib Mushtaq
Sunni of Bagdad, born 1900. Father w T as minor
official. Took part in the anti-mandate agitation of
1922 and in the spring of 1923 was one of those
responsible for anti-British posters issued over the
signature of the Supreme Committee of Iraq Secret
Societies. Appointed Inspector of Schools in 1924
and held a variety of appointments under the
Ministry of Education until November 1931, w 7 hen
he was appointed first secretary to the Iraqi Legation
at Angora. Appointed Director of the Consular
Department in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in
November 1935. Appointed consul-general at Beirut
in August 1937.
Withdrawn and dismissed from the service in
February 1938. He remained for a time in Syria,
but returned to Bagdad when Nuri-al-Said formed a
Cabinet in December 1938. Appointed Accountant-
General in January 1939 and Director-General of
Propaganda, Publicity and Broadcasting in May
1939. Became consul-general in Jerusalem May
1940.
During May 1941 he carried on an anti-Bri
propaganda campaign and zealously supported
Rashid Ali’s rebel Government. He was recalled in
June and subsequently interned.
He was appointed manager of the Bagdad branch
of the Arab Bank in 1945, in which capacity he
sought, vainly, for embassy co-operation.
126. Taufiq-al-Suwaidi
Born 1889. Studied law in Bagdad and Constan
tinople and international law in Paris. In 1913
became first interpreter to the Ministry of Educa
tion, Constantinople. Represented Iraq at the Arab
Conference held in Paris in July 1913. After the
armistice went to Syria and was appointed judge in
Damascus. Returned to Bagdad in October 1921 and
in November was appointed Assistant Government
Counsellor and Director of the Law School. Minister
for Education January 1928. Prime Minister 1929.
President of the Chamber 1929. Iraqi Minister at
Tehran March 1931. Joined Jamil-al-Madf.^^
Cabinet in July 1934 as Minister for Foreign Affaub^i
but resigned with the whole Cabinet in August.'
Held Cabinet office for twelve days as Minister for
Justice in Jamil-al-Madfai’s short-lived Cabinet in
March 1935 and in October was appointed
Comptroller-General of Accounts. He became
Minister for Foreign Affairs in Jamil-al-Madfai’s
Cabinet in August 1937, and headed the Iraqi
delegation to the League of Nations in September.
There he handled the Assyrian and Palestinian
questions with tact and moderation.
Again represented Iraq at the League of Nations
in the autumn of 1938, and afterwards visited
London as the guest of His Majesty’s Government.
There he had conversations with the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs and with the Secretary of
State for the Colonies about Palestine.
Resigned w r ith the whole of Jamil-al-Madfai’s
Cabinet on the 25th December, 1938, as the result of
a military demonstration made against them.
Represented Iraq at the London conversations on
Palestine in 1939 after Nuri-al-Said had returned to
Iraq.
Joined Taha-al-Hashimi’s Cabinet in February
1941 as Minister for Foreign Affairs and did what he
could to break up the military clique which during
1940 had established a stranglehold over the Govern
ment. Was forced out of office by Rashid Ali’s
coup d’Etat of April 1941. Tried to join the Regent
at Basra, but failed. He took no part in the events