ملف ٩٧٨/١٩١٧ الجزء ١ "بلاد الرافدين: الإدارة؛ احتلال بغداد؛ الإعلان؛ موقف السير ب. كوكس" [ظ‎‎١‎٨] (٤٠٢/٤١)

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however, is without doubt unquestioned up to the walls of the fort at Safwan
and this 5 fact should receive recognition when the boundary is fixed. Mr. J. C.
Gaskin in his report of the 6th September 1897, gives Safwan as the northern
boundary of the principality and it has always been a camping ground of his
tribes. His Majesty’s Consul, Basrah, reported in 1902 that in his opinion
the Turkish Government never thought of exercising authority over either ^
Safwan or IJmm Kasr until recent events. The Shaikh’s claim to Safwan
is recorded in a letter to the resident dated the 7th February 1902, and he
further said to the senior naval officer who interogated him on the subject,
that there were eight or ten families of sedentary Bin Hanedi and Bin Tarki
there, who had lived there permanently for 40 years. They paid him no
regular tribute, he said, but supplied him from time to time with grass and
onions as a recognition of their subordination to him.
11. When discussing a month ago, various newspapers reports suggesting
that the Baghdad railway was likely to find its terminus at IJmm Kasr, under
the segis of Turkey, Sheikh Mobarak made it evident that he felt strongly on
the subject of that point and emphatically claimed it as his own possession.
Probably in reality his claim has as much validity as those of the Turks who
previous to 1901 had never shown any interests in the place. But His
Majesty’s Government have decided 10 years ago that they would not support his
claim to this outpost and I presume they will not alter that decision now in
any case; fortunately the place loses much of its strategical value if Warba
and Bubyan are retained by the Shaikh. In regard to these islands we have
every reason to insist on the Shaikh’s rights, both on their intrinsic merits and
as a matter of political expediency.
Major Knox’s reports on the rights of the Sheikh and his tribesmen in
regard to them were submitted to Government in 1908, vide enclosure to
Government of India, despatch No. 168-Secret-External, dated the 10th
September 1908.
“ Regarding Safwan, the crops of grain produced there are under my
authority and protection. The locality of my tribes is west of it and they go
there in summer where there is water. Before now the Turks or others had
not laid their hands on Safwan.”