مجموعة ١٠/١٧(٣) "شؤون داخلية: الوضع السياسي؛ العلاقات مع الحكومة البريطانية" [و‎‎١‎١] (٥١٣/٢١)

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Sir K. Cornwallis
No. 288
/til aipri 1, 1941.
FROM BAGDAD TO FOREIGN OFFICE . ‘
4 .
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R. 5.55 p.m. 7th April, 1941.
Repeated to Cairo No, 123.
Angora, No. 95,
Jedda, No. 36.
Government of India.
Jerusalem.
Air Officer Commanding Iraq.
IMMEDIATE.
""" *
My telegram No. 281.
Following is appreciation of Basra situation
[group undec.J Counsellor.
2. Failure of the Regent to secure army support
at starting stages made his position almost hopeless for the
moment. ixlthough he is attempting to contact support the
process must necessarily he slow. Counsellor has brought
back the Regent s letters which are being delivered to various
supporters m Bagdad.
. ^ . .3. Regent fails to appreciate the difficulties
of getting his suppprters to come into the open now and join
him. His present idea appears to be to obtain the resignation
of.Taha by letter and then to form new Cabinet. I do not
think he has any chance of success. I fear that the Regent
expects too much from his broadcast, reception of which appears
to have been extremely limited. Distribution of 4,000 copies
of summarized text through the Embassy has been effected. For
tactical reasons I am holding up further publicity pending
£gpl^ to my telegram No. 2£L L__ 'Failure on our part to support
the Regent by force immediately would evidently come as a rude
shock to him but the blow might be softened if we explain that
the lack of support owing to present uncertainty elsewhere does
not mean the abandonment of his cause.
n „ 4. The fact that the Regent is on board the
Falmouth and has headquarters in the Royal Air Force station
Basra, is known to.Iraqi Government and might lead at any time
to demand that he^ and his supporters should be handed over.
The demand may take the form of a request for search of ship
and Royal Air Force station and in the case of refusal force
may be used or threatened. ^ I assume; (a) that any demand to hand
ovqr person should be ;a : :egcfrical3y refused on the grounds of asylum;
(b) demand fpr search of station should also be refused for as
long^ as possible and should only be granted under protest on
the best conditions obtainable uy the Station Commander, provided
the Regent is safe on the ship; (c) that any sudden attacfc by
the army on the station should be resisted by force with our
small [group undec.] available and (d) that any request to
search