'Military report on Iraq. Area 9 (Central Kurdistan)' [‎10r] (24/394)

During the first week in April, Captain Pearson, Assistant Political
Officer, Zakho, proceeded on a visit to this tribe to restore order
and to make arrangements for the safety of the Christians in the
future. While actually in the company of certain of the Goyan
chiefs he was treacherously ambushed and murdered on the
march under circumstances which left little doubt as to the
complicity of his companions.
Although the necessity for drastic and immediate actiop was
apparent, military operations were precluded by the difficulties
of the country, the lack of supplies, and the fact that the Goyan
habitat was beyond our administrative frontier. The incident
was interpreted as a test of the vigour of the British Government,
and our failure to mete out condign punishment on the tribe
involved soon resulted in the spread of unrest, the attack on a
gendarmerie post, and the ambushing of a military convoy. The
Goyan and other tribes of the neighbourhood began to assume
a defiant attitude. That the tribes recognised our military dis
abilities was demonstrated by the Amadia and Aqra risings in
July and November.
It was the desire of the British authorities to provide for the
repatriation of the Assyrian refugees to their homes in the
mountains. The nearest and most convenient approach lay
through Amadia, and with this end in view, British administration
had been extended in that direction. In January, 1919, a
detachment of troops was placed near Amadia, and an Assistant
Political Officer was appointed in the following March. The
Kurds were treated with great liberality as regards agricultural
advances, and no distinction was drawn between them and the
Christians. The establishment of order and the basis of
administration brought the A.P.O. into collision with Kurdish
chiefs, who saw their independence threatened. British adminis
tration was not distasteful so long as it was confined to the
distribution of advances and grants, but when it took the direction
of collecting taxes and curbing the lawless tyranny of the Aghas
it appeared in a different light. It was also common knowledge
that we contemplated repatriating the Assyrians, and the
Christians of Amadia did not fail to draw the attention of the
Moslems to their belief that their day had dawned at last. There
were outside influences ready to exaggerate talk of this nature.
Owing to the postponement of the repatriation scheme the
troops were withdrawn in June to the Suwara Toka Pass, 18 miles
west of Amadia. This left the A.P.O., Captain Willey, alone m
the town with Lieutenant MacDonald and Sergeant Troop m
charge of the Kurdish levies. The malcontents saw their
opportunity, and during the night of the 15th July the leaders
of the town factions, with the tacit connivance of the tribes,
enlisted the services of the local gendarmerie, and murdered the
whole party. The outbreak was a demonstration against British
authority and definitely anti-Christian in character. The