'File 2/15 Iraq coup d'etat and political situation in Iraq' [‎114r] (225/414)

V42)
Britleh hcabws y»
Bagdad.
15th fcay 1942-
Sir,
Vh^ outstanding political event of th<e f ur months that
have elapssd since 1 wrote my lest despatch on th general situation
In this country was the trial of alx of Hashld All s principal
associates in the coup d’etat of > ri i 1941* Vh^ wsysAll yshmud
hai>ch Mi, Tunis fiSbewi. min Keki -ulaiartn, Pshml aid, Bahmud
SsOimui sn^ SSdit Ihesa smn, having heen sent back IToei
,>ooth Africa under escort, arrlmd at Basra on * erch iith ah 6 t^eir
trinl heEan a few riays later hefor n mllitarjr court set up in the
Wasfeshftin Barracks in MittSd S^at.^'dudgMeftt was * xiv. red unanimously
on lay 4th. Tunis ^ahawi, >:shmuc l elman and Jahmi oaid were
sent need t© death: Amin Sakl to fire yuersVanu Mhmud Sheikh
Ali to sewen years* Imprisonment; Sadist banish al wus ecquitwo but
at once interned. Xh^ death sentences were earned out hy hedging
in the early hour?? of ¥sy 5 th.
2 . At the beginning the public wer- n rrliy indifferent,
but, towarr •- the enr of th- trial, p#|fe reports m th' proo^dings
stimuaBted Interest and cor,: ent. Ai.rnj: th ordinary p op It the
accused had few supporters and many were hearr to declare openly
that they richly deferred hanging. ' /rmy, which conderan'd the
failure rather than the politics of their erstwhile cc ' anders,
allowed them to go to the scaffold without an audible inumur of
sympathy or protest, bithln the Cabinet, ‘two ministers stoowe4
a desire to escape responsibility* t Atoduulah 4 >i©nlu ji, |»ho became
minister for Foreign affairs early In February, Und r^d his v
r< signet ion sochi after th^ trial began end, when the Begant dtsluyed
acceptancet remained ill in hl& house, liis place at the Ministry
was taken temporarily by -au<i Haidafi, the Minin^.ei of Justice.
1 ah a in Mi, r/miaier of uucution, was also fearful oi th. work which
lay aheac. but managed to screw up enough courage to hold cm to his
scat 1 a th# Cabinet. 2 he effect .2 the trial aai vxecuticms has been
salutary, vff^eial authority has be«m vindicated, factious
pi lit!clans have been rebuked and lew—abiding cittzcnm hage to» en
encouraged hav greater faith in the stability of the national
institutions of the country*
m * % u
. -ill
H
at
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3./ oamc cabinet changes were made in Ftbrusry. *mln laki,
* ini alar of COKununicatioas, finslly gavw way to ill-health, af tar
fiv^ months 1 con fin men t to his bed and &*di * Bassem, Minister of
Justice, left in a pet after a persoriul .uorrel with a eollwwgue*
aiyld Abdul kahdl was thereupon mad* Minister of Cofscunicatiene
( retaining also hie portfolio as minister of conoiriicsj, DeuA si
haidsri was recalled from the. Iraqi legation in lahran o be Minister
of Justice and Abdullah Damluji was given the portiolio of Foreign
Affairs, which her. temporarily been heiu by >alih Jabr* ihaa# ohunges
mad^ little pr n© differ*x\ce to the policy ol the Gsbinftt wnicn
remained under the influ nee of th three moat forceful m rnbera,
gurl bald, fcsUh Jabr an. aXv i umta**
oo-ios IX
.he Government hav continued to take measure* to aupgr
pr©-< xla intrigues and propaganda. On February 3rd stk Palestinians
and four Iraqis were arrested. Xhey wer members of an organisation
which had as its chief films political murder an the detraction
of important linkir in nationel communication. Bcrnbs, firearms and
treasonable literature were found In th.ir houses. On Jebruary 25 tn
twenty-five serving snr pensioned officers of th» Iraqi Army were
tr/i
rhe night Honourable
Anthony Kden M.C., M*F*,
etc., etc., etc*
arrested