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Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [257v] (514/1031)
The record is made up of 1 file (515 folios). It was created in 10 Apr 1941-19 Mar 1947. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
m-
6. On the 20th January the Iraqi Government made a formal written
application for the surrender of all of the above-mentioned persons who are now
in the hands of His Majesty’s Government (except Abdul Qadir Gilani, who is
charged with a minor offence). The Prime Minister informed me orally that the
Cabinet resolution to take this step had been passed unanimously and that it had
at the same time been resolved that if any of these men were acquitted after their
return to Iraq they should be interned at Fao.
7. 1 he Prime Minister confessed to me privately, however, that he was
doubtful of the wisdom of giving full effect at once to the Cabinet’s resolution,
and I agreed with his view that it would be better to have back first those who
had been sentenced and to let the others come later on if the situation continued
to be favourable. I have, therefore, as you are already aware from my tolopo-am
—AH proposed that Ali Mahmud al Sheikh Ali, Yunis Sabawi, Amin Zaki
Sulaiman, Fahmi Said, Mahmud Salman and Siddiq Shanshal shall be surrendered
as soon as possible, while the others are detained for a while in South Africa.
8. Since the announcement of the sentences I have made careful enquiries
throughout the country into the state of public feeling regarding the handing
over of the convicted men and the execution of their sentences. Reports show
that there has been a considerable hardening of opinion against these men during
the last month and that no serious trouble is expected as the result of such action’
9. In para graph 10 of my despatch No. 349 of the 14th December, 1
mentioned the Prime Minister's declared wish to strengthen the authority of
Parliament. During the recent parliamentary recess he has been examining possi
bilities of doing this within the framework of the Organic Law. The High
Court (consisting of four senators and 4 judges) provided for in article 3 of the
Organic Law has been called upon to reply to the following questions touching
the interpretation of articles 20 and 22 of the Constitution :—
(1) Would the addition of certain rights to the established rights of the King
during the period of regency be an infringement of the King’s
prerogatives ?
(2) If the male descendants in direct line to his late Majesty King Faisal
should cease, can a female descendant in the direct line become heir
to the Throne ? and. if not, would it be within the rights of the nation
to settle this matter ?
(3) Would the creation of the post of Deputy or Assistant Minister, to be
held by a Member of Parliament, be contrary to the Constitution ?
10. The following decisions were given by the High Court:—
(1) The grant of new rights to the King would not contravene article 22
of the Organic Law. This article forbids the modification of the
King’s prerogatives during a regency. The assignment of additional
rights to the King would not be a modification within the meaning
of this article.
(2) A female cannot succeed to the Throne, and if. which God forbid, there
should be no male heir to the Throne, the decision to be taken would
rest with the nation under article 19.
(3) The creation of the post of Deputy or Assistant Minister from amoim
Members of Parliament is not lawful, for it would weaken the
legislative power.
(The underlying idea of this somewhat ambiguous decision seems
to be that if each Minister could appoint a deputy or assistant the
influence of the Cabinet over the Senate and the Chamber would he
much increased because of the powerful patronage which the Cabinet
would thereby control within the two Houses.)
11. Questions concerning articles 55, 31 and 119 of the Organic Law have
also been referred to the High Court for interpretation.
12. The Organic Law itself is meanwhile being studied by a special
committee with a view to the elimination, by amendment, of the defects which
have been revealed by experience. The committee consists of twelve members
ex-ministers and judges, under the
presidency
The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent.
of Jamil Madfai.
13. Reports which have reached me from political advisers and other
sources show that there are still too many pro-Nazis and anti-British Iraqi civil
officials and army officers at large in the northern liwas. Most of them appear
About this item
- Content
This file is a continuation of IOR/L/PS/12/2862. It contains correspondence and memoranda regarding relations between HM Government ( HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. ) and the Government of Iraq, and documents the reaction of the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. and Foreign Office to political developments within Iraq. The file opens with descriptions of the situation following the coup d'état of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, and documents the build-up to the Anglo-Iraqi War (2-31 May 1941), including the arrival of British and Indian troops in Basra (under rights granted in the Anglo-Iraq Treaty of 1930), arrangements to evacuate the Regent 'Abd al-Illah, British attempts to shore up support from the Turkish and Egyptian authorities, and Axis propaganda in Iraq. The papers then contain communications regarding the progress of the war, including reports on troop movements, the dispatch of war materials, the actions of Germany, Italy, France and Turkey, and Indian public opinion regarding the conflict. These papers consist of dispatches sent by the British Ambassador to Iraq (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis) to the Foreign Office, as well as numerous copy communications between the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the Commander in Chief of the East Indies Section, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. Kuwait, the Viceroy of India, and HM Ambassador to the United States.
From the end of the war the file consists primarily of dispatches from Cornwallis to the Foreign Office, reporting on the return of the Regent, the pogrom against the Jewish community, the breaking of diplomatic relations with Vichy France and Japan, the trial of the coup supporters, the Iraqi declaration of war against Germany, Italy and Japan, the possibility of Iraqi membership of the United Nations, and the release of political prisoners from the Ammara [̔Amāra] concentration camp. The regular dispatches also contain details of various cabinet crises, and details of the domestic economic and military situation. The file contains a small amount of material for the years 1944-1946, including annual reports submitted by Cornwallis and his successor, Sir Hugh Stonehewer-Bird.
The file includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references found in the file by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 2-4).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (515 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 515; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-514; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2863
- Title
- Coll 17/10(4) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:15v, 17r:86v, 90v:105v, 107r:119v, 121r:298v, 300r:304v, 307r:373r, 379r:401v, 405r:515v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence