File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎76v] (163/586)

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Deputations from the tribes followed on the heels of the urban deputations.
The episodes connected with the coming of the Hillah and Shamiyah shaikhs
were of interest. jThe suggestion that they should visit the Amir Faisal was
first conveyed in private letters from 'Abdul Wahid ibn Haji Sikar of the
Shamiyah Fatlah, one of the prime movers in last year’s disturbances. He
addressed himself to his official friends and adherents without regard for the
securing of representative deputations, but even among those who acted on his
letters there were several who complained to the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and to the Amir
that they had been reluctant to come at the bidding of 'Abdul Wahid. On the
other hand an official intimation that they might suitably pay their respects to
the Amir was responded to with alacrity.
14. The almost miiversal mistrust felt towards the leaders of the revolt,
and the fact that Faisal has felt himself strong enough to hold them somewhat
at arm’s length, are not subjects for regret and if they result in the formation,
though the influence of the High Commissioner and the tact of the Amir, of a
new Sharifian party, consisting of the stabler elements of the. population, the
advantage to the country as a whole will be incalculable. The extremists are by
no means united. A bitter jealousy exists between Muhammad Sadr and
Shaikh Mahdi al Khalisi, both of whom preached revolt last year but for
divergent motives. Mmhammad Sadr is a genuine pro-Arab, Shaikh Mahdi a
pro-Turk. Faisal has visited both on separate occasions and is hopeful that he
has talked over Shaikh Mahdi.
15. At Nasiriyah there were symptoms that the shaikhs were either
inclined to follow the example of Basrah and ask for a separate administrative
organization, or demand a republic. Given the political situation in the
Muntafiq, it is difficult to determine which scheme would have been the more
complete reduction to the absurd. The Mutasarrif, however, came up to
Baghdad and, having seen what he saw, returned to bring up the tribesmen of
ms Liwah.
16. Similarly the Mutasarrif of ‘ Amarah has paid a visit to Baghdad and
gone back to collect the shaikhs of the Albu Muhammad and the Bani Lam.
17. The position at Kirkuk is not satisfactory. The Qadhi is renorted to
hand arainst ‘th^Kh'rf 83 tI* Sllar ; flan 88 “Adels who raised their
n i 5 the vh r' ! '., The ““popularity of the Mutasarrif (see No. 16.
prooabte thar^w’p h ‘o tte discrediting of Arab government, but it is
an improved temper ’ ^ in Kirkuk ca “ bri “g about
Turkish Propaganda.
brought Wv 6^. 81 ^ 2)
thrown into his house
that the° Government ^ aw^rf^ttis* 1 motemlnfalTthaC 1 IleWspa P? r
notabl^’increase' ofTuSVpao c0 “ me “ ts th at thTreXs been”
was first mooted ft akes t£e P ?orm V™* the arrival of the A “ ir ^isal
frontiers and of intentio^ on inr ^S i° n™ 1 5 0UrS of Turk ! sh mov es on the
and it has some effect on public oniidnn ,!! aIK °,] el Hbosul Liwah to the ,'rurks
the tribes. The success of the Amir f ”* e ’P er baps, m the towns than among
ations and Turkish Nationalists are hC" 1 1° a serere blow to Turkish aspir-
19. Some eivb . « T ' ,kely t0 be “tmorapulous in their methods.
down to Baghdad, butTnstead o? dStribut ' 61 , 7 “ th i e Sanusi were brought
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. to deliver them over to the Amt p f th c, e “ .«*« <W*nt asked Ja'far
Samarra, whohas been with the Tutks siteWlS andt MnbamI “ad ) Nauib of
mg valuable information states that Itp w it ail( \^ as now come m, bring-
him declarations in favour “ elecLTof thf ^ ^ la to take with
to obtam signatures from the population w , p Sa ^ usl as Kl ng of 'Iraq and
Abdul Razzaq Munir (see para 2 ) oomnU i to ^o so - He adds that
probability he intends to see 1 how the l^S if 1 the request ’ bu t that in all
Baghdad is concerned the increase in Tnrlfl bef + ° re - ta ^ ng aetion - As far as
the lack of interest that Turnish affairs now ? actmty 18 counter-balanced by
news has almost ceased to be discussed am ? ng the public - Turkish
speech or the speeding up of elections are the mahTtoffi 138 T here Faisal ’ s last
20. The flockine* in nf „ nain to P lcs conversation.
a satisfactory feature. Besides ‘Abd(d Raman'Il ^ Tl }, rkish fr0 “tier is also
be all that could be wished, and the Naoib of Vi Mimir * whose motives may not
credit the vicarious murder of a British desnafp^^’ milue kily has to his
^ Kosul Personalities) has come In to Mnf i rid f a m . 1918 ’ Amin al ‘Umari
asking to return, through the Naqib of SU A J a inii has sent messages,
.Shammar Jarba‘, throng 8 ,, ^ ^ "iV
man al Hajjan who was head