Coll 6/8(1) 'Printed Series: 1929 to 1938.' [‎319r] (642/1062)

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6 . His Majesty’s Government insisted that the surrender of the rebel
leaders should be in accordance with Arab sentiment. I therefore asked the
Commander of H. M. S. “ Lupin ” to bring them down to Kuwait and flew up
to Kuwait myself with Colonel Dickson to interview them. Dawish, after
hearing that Bin Sand was ready to give a formal letter to His Majesty’s Gov
ernment promising to spare his life, at once thanked me profusely and said he
was quite willing to go back. Ibn Hithlain is an impossible 'person to deal with.
He is entirely unstable, very talkative and ready to refuse or
deny in the morning any arrangement arrived at the previous even
ing* However, after a discussion with Colonel Dickson and myself he also
agreed to surrender to Bin Saud. I therefore returned to Bin Sand’s camp
quite satisfied. The following morning I got a telegram from the Commander
of the “ Lupin ” to the effect that Ibn Hithalain was not willing to return unless
the King sent his son to take him over in accordance with a custom that is some
times adopted among Arabs to give confidence to tribesmen who wish to sur
render. The King, not unnaturally I think, said that the proposal was quite in
compatible with his dignity and, secondly, that this was only done when it was
the intention that the person surrendering should be completely forgiven : in the
present case this was not his intention nor the desire of His Majesty’s Govern
ment : on the contrary his intention was to punish these persons. Colonel
Dickson therefore again went up to Kuwait to interview the rebel leaders and Ibn
Hithlain again said that he was ready to surrender. I therefore proceeded with
the settlement and arranged that they should be flown down to Bin Saud’s camp
and handed over by Colonel Dickson. After the whole settlement had been con
cluded and our party had left for Kuwait,. Air Commodore Burnett, Colonel
Dickson and I proceeded on board the “ Lupin ” to inform the rebel leaders that
they would be handed over the following morning, and Hithlain then said that
he would not go. I told him it was too late to change his mmd and that he would
have to go, the next morning and to my surprise he came ashore the following
morning quite cheerful and smiling and stepped into the aeroplane without the
smallest demur. Dawisb on the other hand was perfectly consistent throughout
and reiterated his readiness to return to Bm Sand and 1 m gratitude to His
Maiestv’s Government for having saved his life. He lumself remarked to
CoL-l Dickson that Ibn Hithlain had the mind of a child and it was quite im
possible to argue with him as he changed his mmd half a dozen times a day. I
mav mention that Ibn Hithlain and Dawish are closely related by marriage.
CfeTade no reference to Ibn Lami, the third rebel leader. He, however,
is a very petty Shaikh, who has only sprung.into notoriety because he happen
to be wiih Diwlsih when he surrendered. He is a person of no real importance
^Ifan“ "ady to return to Bin Sand and J^aSr ^ 6
would have gone back with the tribesmen and not with the r ^ e '
i After the —
the point of yi., , settlement I would point out that the comrol
tution m anticipation of a tmai settlement. w i • ty pw had
of the tribes was causing Air Commodore Burnett mu«h anxm y ^ T
been located, doubtless for very good reasons, “ c ‘ ose V™ anvious to re
border. The Iraq tribes had blood Deports w^re comingL of raids
cover loot that had been taken trom • f | ) ^q T '| )esmeil themselves were be-
by the Dhafir against Mutair and A]man an . _ was rece i ve d that the Iraq
coming less amenable to control : fina y, xi . y ^ f r0I n the border,
authorities contemplated the remova o -i 'R-nrnett this removal was subse-
sent a lives should divide up me U£U ^k v ,C from a general looting oi xm
arrangement, which seemed to me i ^ s h 0 uld be sent back to him., that In
tribes. He then suggested .hat th _ , " -ii • a m0 nth Iraq and Kuwait repre
would call for claims from Ne^d an " ^ . p a d collected the tribes and tha.
sentatives should come to some P a ce ^ , i f ro m the tribes the plunder that
with the machinery at his disposal be would ta reproseTlt . a tive. There am
they had stolen and hand over onw u arr angement : there would mevitab v
peared to me to be many difficulties m tins aria „