"الملف 26/185 V (F 96) شيخ المحمرة" [و‎‎٤‎٩] (٤٧٢/١٠٣)

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Coaf Identlal,
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Britisk Consulete,
Kkorraisshalir,
14ttt April lb42«
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Sir, X ^
Vifitii reference to my tele^ra* flo»40 dated the 13tii
April 1942, I kave the honour to say tket for some weeks
past talk among the Arab community of this district kas
centred otuch upon tlneir dissatisfaction with the Persian
officials and their disappointment that the iiritisk occu-^
-pation kad not lead to an end of this "tyranny'* and an
establishiaent of Arab rule under British protection.
Tke main cause for discontent apart from the general
lack of love of Arab for Persian is the endless petty annoy-
-ances and harassments Arabs say they receive at the hands
of the Amnieh, These annoyances are for the main part
such as might normally be inflicted upon the public by an
ill-disciplined police force anywhere, but they certainly
do not appear to worry the Persian public to the same ex-
-tent. Tkey are^ magnification of every petty occur-
-ance, extortion of money, tea, xaeals, entry of houses,
rough treatment, false complaints et cetera, Tke present
Chief of Amnieh seeras personally responsible for much of
this dissatisfaction and it is no secret that even the
Governor of Kkorramskahr finds kia MOct trying. He is
endeavouring to sec are kis removal arid hopes shortly to
succeed. The Governor himself seems to be very muck
more popular and kis genuine efforts to get at the trutk
of the matters brought to his notice and administer his dis
trict quietly and happily isthink^ appreciated on all
sides.
About ten days ago the Governor of Khorranskahr com-
-plained to me that Shaikh Ghassib, son of the late Shaikk
Kkazal, kad ^one from Basra to ^'ao on about 1st April 1942
and met certain agents of his from the Persian side and
instructed them to give as much trouble as possible to the
Persian officials, especially in ^asbat an llassar (Gusbeh)
and Shadgan. This I reported to His Majesty's Jinister,
the Hobble the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and
infonased His Majesty's Consul-General in Basra and suggested
that kkaikh Chassib mi^ht be given another warning to desist
from these activities and tiiat he might be kept under obser-
-vation.
Since then rumours of some fora of concerted action
by all Arabs in iMauzistan and those in the vicinity along
tke Iraq border kave been steadily gaining ground in the
bazaars of Abadan and Khorran.shahr. I'ke main theme being
that upon a chosen day Shaikh Chassib would come and all
Arabs would run in from their villages concentrating upon
the nearest centre Ahwaz, Khorramshahr or Abadan in order
to loot and revenge themselves upon the Persian officials.
It was said that the British authorities would not inters
-vene but would even support them. It is well nigk im-
-possible to trace the source of these rimiours, but it seems
Sir Reader W.Bullard, K.C.M.G.,C.I .E., that/
Hie Majesty's Ministerj
Tehran.