ملف ٤٧٢٢\١٩١٨ الجزء ١ "بلاد الرافدين: إدارة السياسة والوضع" [ظ‎‎٦‎٠] (٦٨٧/١٢٩)

The following are summaries of opinions expressed by leading
citizens of Basrah :—
AHMAD CHELEBI ‘ABD AL WAHID.
Mosul with Kirkuk and Aleppo, to which it ought to be joined, forms ones
vast country which to my mind has little in common with Baghdad and Basrah,
although its population is Arab. I therefore think it ought to form a separate
state distinct from ‘Iraq. If it should be under British rule so much the
better, but I must limit myself to Baghdad and Basrah for I do not know
much about Mosul.
Arabs cannot at present govern themselves. That is as evident to me as
it is to you. They must have a Government from outside. The Turkish Gov
ernment has gone and you have replaced ft. You are much richer and more
powerful than they are. You are also more diplomatic and have more
Siyasah (i.e., are more politic). You have brought peace amongst our unruly
tribes which they failed to do, and therefore, whether I personally like you
or not, I must admit you are best suited to govern ‘Iraq.
Therefore, you have a duty to perform by us. You cannot leave us to go
to the dogs, and in order to do that you must have a British Government
throughout. Have a certain number of Arab officials, but keep an eve on
them, because fair play and fair dealing are strange to us. As education
spreads conditions will change, and you will then be able to call upon us to
take a more important part in the administration of our country. British
supervision, however, will have to be a fixture.
It would be leading us to suicide to appoint an Amir even under veiled
“ T s srr§aZ:, h er had a taste ° f the raie of Arab « a,
Khaz al is my brother-in-law, but he is quite unsuitable. If you insist
be m accIpteble. 1Ct SUPer ™ i011 “ ^ Part WiU be ^
SHAIKH SA‘UD AL SABBAH.
Mosul should certainly be included in ‘Iraq. I make no bones about m-tr
opinion as to the form of Government you should set up in this country Y
The British must govern the country themselves: there is no shadow of
doubt m my mind about that. Appoint, if you like
but keep an eye on them. 5 3 5 11111101 Arab “Scials,
The Arabs, ourselves, are hopelessly below the „ • •,
i "and tofcare^bK’ pufli^aUarg^ He^wBl
Z n t that they^ay'be^qiiiteTncompetent! 1 Wative P ° sts Respective of the
.nrutySrbe^ and the
rate L^OOokeakYh^ieZfmay bkopeSaga^ “ 1 ’ 00 ° yearS ’ At
I spring from^a greatTndYoMe^familWand’you kiT re “ ember tIlat
tmder which I am living at Zain) and T Jrmld f / t > W tlle r-'r'-umstances
post of Amir of ‘Iraq. 8 But to have an Amir 88 8 c8ndidate ^ the
would be fatal. an Amir > eltller “yrelf or any other,
every Political OfflcerYtmairMajHs*’comp™ ed of C y ntry let , there be with
chosen by Government, to meet say 0 n oe P monk “1, “t? rC A h f. U . ei ff ht “» d
and discuss matters or offer any si,r ! ‘'’i * 16 P “ htloal Officer
that would be tying a mill-stoneho yTur “S: " 0t have a lar S e Majlia:
belongings within^f houki kmU the^nHemam 1 Cle8r 0llt witb a11 my
wanted either bt faik^rok bykribing thefr officiall^b Tk *“ what we
failed was m allowing people like Saivid Talih }? S ’q ) u A wbere tbe Turks
Khaz al to get the whiphand of them Then was’ 16 S& duns . aild Shaikh
was in his heat, and I tell you before you came I emTlT 11 ! U11 ^ rid & ed - Zain
(freehold property) my own, nor evek wT 1 C0Uld not cal1 ^
forcing rny own fauiL'if kf htlf therfkhil h 80 ), 8 '''? ■l bul Khasit i Nahyah
hardly master in my own estfte the “ sel ™s his tribesmen, so that /am
to Shaikh Khaz'afand define hfslurisdlhfon Md 1 ); GoV , e f nm ™ t here, get on
outside his own territory. ' 1 d keep him from interfering •