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Coll 17/18(2) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎60r] (119/889)

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The record is made up of 1 file (443 folios). It was created in 15 Jun 1935-14 May 1942. 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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- 2 -
many years derived their whole prosoerity from the fact
are
that their free ports/lying on the coast of a country^ which
has adopted a policy of high tariff and protective duties.
Recent investigations showed that they were deriving on
wards of a crore Equivalent to ten million, or one hundred lakhs. Used especially in connection with money (rupees). of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum from smuggling into
British India and in order to prevent this we have been
compelled to undertake drastic preventive measures^which
have been expensive but have paid for themselves many times
over. All appeals for French co-operation in preventing
smuggling have, as you probably know, entirely failed and
we have been forced to the conclusion that the remedy
lies with the Govt, of India and not with the French Govt.
Similarly it would seem that the remedy in the case of
Kuwait really lies with the Iraq Govt., though the situa
tion is of course complicated by the fact that H.M.G. have
some responsibility for Kuwait f s foreign relations. ?*y
L\a Ia/wU**?
object^ is mainly to assure you that we are not being in any
way deliberately obstructive over this, but simoly do not
- - - - in'* , | hi i Mil iiii»i mwi—
see at present any solution for tne difficulty. Perhaps
if later on an oil industry is developed at Kuwait, the
Sheikh may cease to be dependent on illegitimate trade with
Iraq. I have marked this letter P. & F., as it repre
sents merely my private reflections and I have not sent
copies to Fowle or elsewhere.
R.T.Peel,Esqr.,M.C.,
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. , London
Yours ever

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Content

This file is a continuation of IOR/L/PS/12/2878, and 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 the prevention of smuggling and the establishment of 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, and HM High Commissioner (and later Ambassador) at Baghdad, as well as communications received from Al Sabah and representatives of the Government of Iraq.

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. This included discussion of Iraqi proposals to assume control of Kuwaiti customs, to instigate joint border-controls and a manifest system for goods transported by land or sea, or to impose Kuwaiti tariffs on imports at the same rate as Iraqi tariffs. Later correspondence discusses the negotiation of an anti-smuggling agreement between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and a proposed customs union between Kuwait and Iraq. The correspondence makes reference to on-going negotiations over the Kuwait-Iraq border, and the Iraqi date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait.

There is a small quantity of correspondence from 1941 between the Government of 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 Ottoman Bank at Baghdad, regarding currency smuggling, money laundering, and the purchase of Indian rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. .

The file includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 2-3).

Extent and format
1 file (443 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 444; 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 2-444; 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(2) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎60r] (119/889), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2879, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100064979936.0x00007a> [accessed 23 April 2024]

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