'Military Report on Iraq (Area 6 Lower Euphrates)' [‎25r] (54/452)

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y horse or
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ip roach
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In high
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ided about
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i men, with
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espectively
emnants of
is Shatrah
such from
if Shatrah
of how the
;he British
ere evicted
1915 the
On the re-
irks under
lent an ear
to their preachings of a holy war and backed them up, aided thereto
by the hope of plunder. * After Kut finally fell into our hands and
Baghdad was in British occupation they again turned to us. An
Assistant Political Officer was installed in June 1918, since when the
tribal situation (to May 1920) was surprisingly quiet.
(2) Situation during the insurrection and at the present time.
Sbatrah may be considered to have held the key to the situation in
the Muntafiq. In the early days of the insurrection Shatrah was the
first place in this area where uneasiness in regard to the British
Administration was felt. This was in May 1920 and the outcome
of it ■was the order for the arrest of Khaiyun al ’Ubaid by the
authorities at Baghdad. This was fortunately averted by the
Political Officer, Nasiriyah, for Captain Thomas, who was sent to
arrest him, wisely made an ally of this, the strongest man in the
area, thus laying the foundation of an alliance, which was to carry
the Muntafiq over the most critical stage of the insurrection. The
fact that Captain Thomas managed to keep Khaiyun on the side of
the British and that between them they held Shatrah for twelve
days after Qal’at Sikar fell in all probability saved the Muntatiq and
the Lower Kuphrates. Three days before the evacuation of Shatrah
the Shaikhs of.Qal’at Sikar and their following of approximately 200
entered Shatrah under the pretext of making allegiance to Captain
Thomas. It was later discovered that their arrival was part of a
plot to raise the Gharraf as a whole and march on Nasiriyah. Tho
plot, however, fell through because Khaiyun, to whom the tribes
were looking to be their leader, expressed the intention of only join
ing in when Nasiriyah had fallen, Shatrah was evacuated by
Captain Thomas on August 23rd.
This year’s situation is entirely different to that of last year, when
the tribes were united by a Jihad, i.e. a religious call to offensive
action against Government. At the present time there is no unity
amongst the tribes but they are all of one mind in their passive^ resist
ance to Government’s demands for revenue. Their objection is not
ag'&'inst paying revenue to either a British or Arab Government hnt
to any Government, unless that Government is able to enfoice
payment. Though murders and other disorders have ceased to a
certain extent at the present the tribes of Shatrah and Qal’at Sikar
are by far the most unruly in the Muntafiq and it is doubtful if they
can be trusted for very many years.
Present Muntafiq situation caused by change to Arab Government
and evacuation of bulk of British troops with nothing to replace
them.
The Mnntafiq tribes and particularly those of Shatrah and Qal’at
Sikar care little or nought what Government is ru..ng them^but on
the formation of a new Government they first turn to see whau foice
there is behind it. The tribes have watched with interest the evpcoa-
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