'File 61/14 VIII (D 55) Relations Between Nejd And Iraq' [‎5v] (16/782)

2. Our regret is very great, as this reply from the British Government not only
destroys all our hopes for a settlement of the matter, but is an arrow directed towards
our confidence in the conversations we had with the British representative at I qair
and has affected our confidence in all the covenants and engagements we have
concluded, and shall conclude, with Britain. This result made the worst impression
in the whole of Nejd.
3. We have gathered the people of Nejd and presented to them, from all
aspects, the result of the situation arrived at, but the explanation increased their
insistence that they were right and their determination to resist the injustice to
their country.
4. The only plea put forward by the British Government on their own behalx
and on behalf of Iraq with regard to our objection to the building on the borders of
the frontiers is that our request for the prohibition of building restricts the principle
of the liberty of the right of every Government to take administrative measures within
its territory. The British Government will realise, as they acknowledged in their
letter, that such right was limited by written agreements.
5. The lands against the building on which we protested do not belong to Iraq
but are the property of Nejd and the tribes of Nejd formerly and latterly^ It was
the Amirs of Nejd who governed those deserts, as all who know Iraq and Nejd from
the earliest times until to-day bear witness.
6. We maintained our right to those lands at the time of the meeting ot Lqair
and insisted on this because they belong to us, our people and our subjects, and we
refused the Treaty of Mohammerah for this reason. But the British repi'e!-entciti"vc
insisted most strongly and compelled us to yield them to Iraq, and we were obliged
to accept so that the dispute might not be the cause of the outbreak of war between
us and the British Government.
7. The British representative offered us, as a price for that concession, a
promise that no fortification or stronghold menacing to Nejd or its people would be
built in the lands taken from us. This is in the statement which includes the borders
of the frontiers and does not limit them by mile or metre. The verbal declarations of
the British representative convinced us that Britain would preserve that.
Unfortunately, we have had no result from those declarations. ...
8. The British Government will thus see that our object and claim in these lands
at that time was for the following reasons :—
{a.) To conserve the right of Nejd to its territories as they formerly were and as
they have continued from the earliest time. • t
(&.) That these territories are dwelling places for the people of Nejd and pasture
lands for them. . c
(c.) That these places are the door of Nejd, and Nejd can only be assured oi her
independence and life if these territories are under her constraint and
suzerainty, as she was unable in former times to protect herself m her
countrv except when the deserts of those regions were under her constraint
and suzerainty.
The claim of Neid for those territories was the claim of one to preserve his life
and soul. When we were thus compelled at Uqair, we asked for the preservation ot
the rights of our subjects and for the preservation of the rights of Nejd and hei
independence and an assurance to preclude what might be taken at some hour as a
base for aggression against her. When we were granted our request in this respect
the great calamity in abandoning that part of the territories which is, in fact,
true castle of defence to Nejd was slightlv lessened. e
9. In addition to the above. Sir Gilbert Clayton enquired of us the reason of
our insistence on our principle set out m the third clause of the Protocol of T qair.
We answered him that what we saw of the Iraq Government and their movements
did not reassure us about the future but increased our fears, for we see her aggression
against us daily increasing. Our lands were taken at Uqair and yesterday our
agreement was broken in the erection of buildings which she called guard posts and.
to reassure us, affirmed that thev are only police stations. But she did not wait fiom
eve till morn before changing those guard posts into strong fortifications containing
all the requirements of militarv citadels and fortresses She is able every dav to
invent a reason and make stations in lands which are without doubt Neidi. to expose
Neid to all sorts of harm, such as the aeroplanes and cars drawn from those stations
which uniustifiablv penetrated our territories even m the days of the negotiations.
There are the interferences of Iraq officials with our subjects which continue until