Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎109v] (218/749)

9
a.
Fats
previous year. The principal sources of revenue from indirect taxation are the
3 per cent, tax levied on all commodities brought to markets for sale and the
tax on oils and petrol. These account for over 250 million rials.
7. In addition to the places mentioned in Summary No. 23/43, paragraph 19,
locust swarms have been reported at Zabul, Birjand, Turbat i Haidari, Quchan,
Bujnurd, Kashan and in the vicinity of Tehran. The Government has issued a
decree ordering the Ministries of the Interior and for War to instruct all their
officials in the provinces to undertake a vigorous campaign against locusts
wherever found and to call on village headmen, tribal chiefs and peasants to give
all necessary assistance.
A appointments — Civil.
8 . Muhsin Qarib, to be Director General in the Ministry of Food.
Persian Army.
9. A beginning has been made in Tehran with the organisation of a Central
Recruit Training Depot and of a Central Depot of Administrative Services as
proposed by General Ridley, see Summary No. 2/43, paragraph 9 . All recruits
on conscription now go to the Central Training Depot, where they will be trained
for six months before being drafted to their units. The organisation of the
Central Depot for Administration is meeting with much obstruction and it is
not yet in effective operation. Three more American officers have now joined
General Ridley's staff, which now consists of three field and three junior officers.
A ppointments — Military.
10 . Sarhang Shahandeh, to be Commander of the Behbehan Brigade.
Pars. Internal Security.
11 . Ihe Persian forces occupied Firuzabad on the 11 th June, having met
with little serious opposition since their severe fight on the 25th May. On the
10th June an attack was made on the column that advanced from Lar to Khunj,
which, according to the Persian General Staff, was beaten off with loss to the
tribesmen. ISasir and those of his followers who have not dispersed have now r
taken refuge in the hills lying between Firuzabad and Farrashband. The Persian
forces at the latter place have reported that they have found a w 7 ell-prepared
landing ground, which is now being used by the Persian Air Force.
12. Ihe Persian General Staff has announced that the occupation of
Firuzabad, Farrashband, Qir o Qavzin, Khunj and Ahram—the important places
in the area previously controlled by Nasir Qashgai—completes the first phase of
the operations; the second phase is to pursue and disarm the rebels. It is probable
that organised resistance by Nasir Qashgai is now at an end. It is certain
that he called on the maximum support he could get for the defence of the centres
where he had exercised an unchallenged rule for over eighteen months, where
his stores of grain and any munitions he had were collected, and where he had
prepared landing grounds for the arrival of German aircraft. The loss of these
places will be not only damaging to his prestige among the tribes, but also a
great blow to the Germans and the pro-German party in Persia, who were still
working to keep alive the belief that German forces might still reach Persia
and reward those who had prepared for their arrival. Nasir is now a fugitive
but he may still be in a position to send out raiding bands to be a nuisance.
General Shahbakhti is now offering safe-conduct to those tribal families who
have remained in winter quarters to persuade them to move to their summer
quarters.
13. It has been reported in previous Summaries that the Mamassanni Khans
had refused all Nasir’s invitations to support him in resistance to the Government.
These Khans have been asking that their possession of certain lands should oe
legally confirmed and they had been promised that a Commission would be sent
to Pars to investigate their claims. It is unfortunate that Dr. Millspaugh in
his capacity of Director-General of Finance should have chosen this moment
when the situation in Fars is still delicate, to send them telegrams informing them
that their claims could not be considered as they had no legal basis.
Western A zerbaijan.
14. His Majesty’s Vice-Consul in Azerbaijan recently visited Rezaieh. He
reports that the Kurdish situation is quiet and attributes this to the warning given
to the Kurds by the Soviet Consul at Rezaieh that disorder mie-ht comnpl th*
intervention of Soviet troops.
Tehran, \Mh June, 1943.