File 756/1917 Pt 1 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 1 to 65’ [‎602r] (1208/1240)

Lhe Zeidis are said to be still in possession of Juban Kawa
and Knbiatein (see p. 805). ’ Wfl
An attempt by Sheikh Mohammed Nasii- Muqbil to canvass
reenuts toi' the Turks in the Radfan district throu<.|, Sheikh
Muqbil Abdullah who had with him $1,000, only resulted in
the collection of thirty men.
Out of seventy Turks and eighty Somalis who were
despatched recently from Lahej to Yemen, twenty-two and
twenty-six ot them respectively were killed, the Zeidis carrvino
away one gun and two machine guns '
/ JIT'i“ le b yR ort from tlle Wrisi area. Nasir Mabkhut
(p. 2bo) and Masud el-Barak, chief of the Dim Udhrah section of
the Hash id, are now at Jeizan. The Rijal el-Ma, one of the
most warlike tribes of Asir, are reported to have begun operations
against it bhah under the auspices of the Idrisi.
Central Arabia.
Our Agent at Koweit, writing on June 28, reported that not
more than a third of the Shammar were at that time supporting
fbn Rashid, the remainder including the Aslam and some of the
Abdah—having come over to our side.
Qasim seems to be the main source of supply both to Hail
and Medina, although Ibn baud is knowm to have issued the
strictest orders against trading with enemy countries across the
border. ^ His authority in Qasim is not by any means absolute;
it is subject to many limitations and may be less at the present
moment than for some time past. the people who count in
Qasim are the traders. Any restrictions on their business imposed
by Ibn baud would be likely to drive them into the arms of Ibn
Rashid. though tbn Rashid is weak now, there is always the
chance, they think, of the Turks returning and Ibn Kashid
becoming top dog again. Ibn Sand, too, is not everywhere
popular; the town of Buraidah is said to be against him. The
men of Qasim would doubtless fight for Ibn Sand if attacked,
but their loyalty, if taken outside their borders to attack Hail, is
more than doubtful.
In the abortive campaign against Hail, on which Ibn baud
set forth so impressively, all the tribes owning allegiance to
Riyadh were beaten up and marched to Qasim. There, whether
on account of the frigid attitude of the Qasimis, their own lack
of confidence in themselves and their leader, or the temptation
of finding an exceptionally good spring pasturage, tbn baud
could accomplish nothing. Some manoeuvring took place and
time was wasted in futile peace negotiations. Our Agent suspects
that it was the insecurity of his position in Qasim which really
paralysed Ibn baud’s action.