Coll 28/97(2) ‘Persia; Diaries. Tehran Intelligence summaries. No 1 to 50 of 1946.’ [‎23v] (46/292)

of such troops constituted a direct violation of the Tripartite Pact and that the
Prime Minister had gone to Moscow to discuss other problems, not the evacuation
of Persia, for which clear provision had been made in the Tripartite Pact. He
expressed surprise that no official news had been sent from Moscow by Qawam,
even though he had been informed of the Soviet Government’s decision on the
26th February, especially in view of the few remaining days of the life of the
present Majlis. A significant point in Musaddiq’s speech was that he said that
because the Prime Minister s journey to Moscow had lasted longer than was
first envisaged and because no news had been received from him the Persian
nation and people were anxious. Their anxiety was based on the memories they
had of the journeys made by the leaders of small nations to the capitals of large
and powerful nations during the war which had just ended. He sincerely hoped
that such anxiety was groundless.
3. There have been several rowdy demonstrations outside the Majlis and in
other parts of the town staged by the Tudeh against any move by the Deputies
to prolong the life of the present Majlis beyond the 12th March. The police and
gendarmerie, though present at the scene of these demonstrations, took no action
to maintain order and several casualties occurred, mostly in the ranks of the
anti-Tudeh.
Internal Security.
A zerbaijan.
4. A consular report states that the country round Rezaieh seems to be
completely under Kurdish control. The Kurds have formed a Government in
which Ghazi Muhammad of Mehabad holds the post of Prime Minister, with
Omar Khan Shakkak as Minister for War, Rashid Beg Herki as commander-in
chief and Zero Agha as Commandant of Gendarmerie. Kurdish patrols in
Rezaieh wear arm-bands inscribed “ Jumhuriet-i-Kurdistan ” (Kurdistan
Republic).
5. Conscription for the Azerbaijan People’s Army is arousing bitter
discontent in Tabriz. Few of those called up are responding voluntarily and
“ Fidais ” (literally “ devotees,” but here signifying volunteers in the national
cause) are arresting young men on the streets. A notice has been published that
all those called up who do not report before the 26th February will be tried and
punished as deserters.
6. His Majesty’s Acting Consul-General reports that the place of the
mounted units which recently left Tabriz for Russia (see paragraph 10 of last
Intelligence Summary) has been taken by mechanised units of at least equal
strength. A number of tanks (sheeted) were seen at Tabriz railway station
being unloaded from a train which had come from Julfa, and subsequently a
column of 40 lorry loads of Russian troops, 20 tanks and 21 armoured cars
was seen moving down the road to Zen]an, presumably to reinforce the Democrat
troops in action against the Zulfiqari partisans in that area. The Deputy
Minister for War in the Azerbaijan National Government is reported as having
said that he could not continue to hold Zenjan without further support by the
Russians. The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan also alluded in a speech on the
3rd March to the impending arrival of Russian military equipment for the
People’s Army. His Majesty’s Acting Consul-General reports two other Russian
columns as on the move, viz., one on the 3rd March towards Miandoab (rumoured
as being bound for Khaneh, on the Iraq frontier) and the other towards
Maragheh. A number of Caucasian and Russian officers in civilian clothes are
now believed to be attached to the People’s Army. An American consular source
at Tabriz also reports the move of a column towards Khoi, to the west of Lake
Urumiyeh. The total Russian evacuations up to date, according to His Majesty’s
Acting Consul-General, are the cavalry unit of 800 men (alluded to above and
in paragraph 10 of last Intelligence Summary) with A.T. guns and A.A. guns
and, on the 8th March, a further force of 2,000 Russian cavalry, twelve light
field guns and five tractor-drawn heavy guns. There are unconfirmed reports of
more arrivals of infantry and tanks by rail from Russia on the 7th March.
7. An unruly mob of Democrats attacked and damaged the P.R.B. premises
in Tabriz, where a loud-speaker was installed. The popularity of British radio
programmes and news had long been a cause of anxiety to the Azerbaijan
National Government, who would prefer its subjects to listen only to the Moscow
brand of truth
8. The Azerbaijan National Government recently announced that part of
the Province of Gilan as far as Shiffarud (also spelt Shafarud—about 65 miles
south of Astara and 20 miles north-west of Pahlevi) had been amalgamated to