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Coll 17/18(2) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎80v] (160/889)

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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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Government declared that the Sheikh^ offer was
inadequate, and decided to introduce improved preventiv^
measures, though not a complete blockade, A
tentative move was made by the Iraq Government in
November 1936 for a settlement of outstanding questions
v/ith Kov/eit, but the Sheikh went no further than to
declare his willingness, once a Saudi-Koweit trade
agreement v/as in operation, to discuss an anti
smuggling agreement with Iraq, In November 1937 a
discussion 7/as held at the Foreign Office at v/hich the
Ambassador at Bagdad and 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. v/ere
present, and the eventual result of which was that in
January last the Sheikh v/as warned by us that the Iraqis
had most extensive measures (armed cars, aeroplanes &c.)
under contemplation for a rigorous control of the frontier,
and that as the result would seriously affect Koweit
trade it would be in his own best interests to come to
an agreement with Iraq in the matter of smuggling.
The Sheikh v/as apparently unmoved - and majr have
suspected a bluff, for we have heard nothing further of
the intensification of the Iraqi frontier preventive
operations. There matters rest, and we are told
(P.Z.6763/38) that the recently formed Council in
Kov/eit "most of whom are general merchants" (and
so thrive on selling goods to the smugglers) have the
same reactions as the Sheikh.
The position is not a very satisfactory one
for His Majesty’s Government, v/hose protege is certainly
not behaving as a good neighbour. But our pov/er of
intervention is limited - and v/e failed to get our
advice accepted by the Sheikh in 1935. The Political
Resident has alv/ays most vigorously emphasised the
view that it would be fatal for His Majesty's
Government/

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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' [‎80v] (160/889), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2879, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100064979936.0x0000a3> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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