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Coll 17/18(1) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎538r] (1080/1354)

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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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reported to him that they had seen the Fao Customs launch
«* the previous evening, and on several occasions during
the latter part of September, moving about in most sus
picious manner between the entrance to Khor Subiyeh and
Laschan island, and examining water boats and other
sailing craft, who make a practice of using this channel
when proceeding to and from Fao. Some of the islanders
further testified that they had, on one occasion, seen
the launch take shelter from a south east wind and anchor
west of the qasr Subiyeh promontory, that is to say, actual
-ly inside the bay of Kuwait.
5# According to the Shaikh also, one or two of the
islanders whose fishing boats had been held up, volunteered
the further Information that the launch crew bad told them
that their role was to hold up all craft carrying merchan
dise from Kuwait to Fao (except water and fishing boats)
and convey them to Fao, and charge their owners with
smuggling and that no manifests in their possession would
help them, as the-re would be destroyed. This latter evi
dence however, though important and though it bears out
many other stories I have heard about the methods of Fao
preventive officers, must be taken with reserve, I think.
6« In response to the Shaikh*s enquiry as to why
they, the islanders, had not reported the presence of the
launch to Kuwait earlier, they replied that as poor
fishermen they had not dared to do so, lest their in-
formation eventually come to the ears of the ’ao authori
ties and they be punished by having their boats seized
and nets destroyed (Not a difficult operation on a dark
night).
7. On the 1st and Snd October the Shaikh at my
request proceeded to make immediate enquiries from some
nakhudf;s of water boats, which had just come in from Fao,
Their evidence he incorporated in his letter of 3rd
October to me (under reference).

About this item

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' [‎538r] (1080/1354), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2878, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100063011517.0x000051> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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