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Coll 17/18(1) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎190r] (384/1354)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (673 folios). It was created in 28 Jul 1932-15 Jun 1935. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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ilinute Paper.
Department.
(a) the Iraqis to agree to certain preventive
measures on the Iraq side of the Iraq-Koweit land
frontier, which had been suggested dy the Political
Resident and which if applied should^at any rate^given
some customs cooperation on the Koweit side, go far,
if not all the way, to dispose of the difficulties
that are experienced;
(h) Koweit to cooperate to the extent that the
proposals put forward hy the Sheikh for reducing sea
smuggling hy the institution of a system of manifests
should he accepted, hut that the sheikh should he
strongly urged to accept a reliable Director of
Customs, either British (which the new Ambassador
favoured) or British Indian^as the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.
representative urged at the meeting). The Director
would he in general charge of the manifest system in
respect of goods passing both hy sea and hy land, and
if he was a person of some little standing ana
experience it might he expected that he would ultimately
establish a certain liaison with his Iraqi opposite
number in Bagdad.
6 # The amendments suggested by the Foreign Office
in the drafts prepared are shown in manuscript (the
manuscript addition to para-7 of the telegram to
Bagdad is, however, part of the original draft). I
think they are all unobjectionable, with the exception
that Mr. Rendel is anxious, on page 2, para.4, of the
draft to Bagdad to suggest that the Director of Customs
should he “with wide powers". I do notlike this. The
Sheikh of Koweit has always been very reluctant to
devolve authority. It may he difficult to persuade
him (though i think we ought tolpersuade him) to

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Content

The volume contains papers regarding the alleged smuggling of goods from Kuwait to Iraq, and attempts to broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. an agreement between the Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) and the Government of Iraq with regards to importation restrictions, customs appointments and effective frontier controls. It consists of correspondence between the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait, HM High Commissioner (and later Ambassador) at Baghdad, as well as communications received from Al Sabah and representatives of the Government of Iraq.

The file opens with correspondence concerning the activities of Kuwaiti water boats collecting drinking water at various points along the Shatt el-Arab: the Government of Iraq complained that the boats were not stopping at designated calling points, and that the boats were engaged in smuggling, while the Shaikh of Kuwait asked for the calling point requirement to be rescinded as it was causing interruptions to the water supply. The correspondence also documents instances where Iraqi customs barges had fired on Kuwaiti boats, killing and injuring merchants.

The bulk of the correspondence concerns efforts by HM Ambassador at Iraq, the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kuwait, to broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. an agreement between the two parties. Several conferences were arranged with a view to discussing the Iraqi proposals, viz: that a British Customs Director be appointed at Kuwait to oversee the importation of certain commodities (principally sugar, tea, matches, coffee, tobacco, cigarettes, and cigarette papers); and that the Shaikh co-operate with Iraqi efforts to institute an effective frontier control and customs cordon.

In addition to correspondence, the volume includes the following minutes and reports:

The volume includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 4-5).

Extent and format
1 volume (673 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 675; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-672; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 17/18(1) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎190r] (384/1354), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2878, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100063011513.0x0000b9> [accessed 23 April 2024]

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