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Coll 17/18(2) 'Smuggling between Kuwait and Iraq' [‎378r] (755/889)

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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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necessity.
7 4-
. y
MR. LAITHWAITE suggested that if Koweit had a
British Customs Director it would be easier to work with
the Iraq Government, who had British Customs experts
themselves, and easier to convince the Iraqis that Koweit
was really prepared to cooperate than if the Sheikh only
had Customs officials with purely local experience. He
emphasised that the Director would be the Sheikh’s
servant, appointed not by H.M.G. but by His Excellency
himself. H.M.G. in making this suggestion had been
solely concerned with £oweit interests. MR. RENDER added
that the British Customs officials in Iraq had been able
to help Iraq trade a great deal. Several independent
States, for example Siam, employed British officials
and it would be no reflection on the sheikh’s independence
if he did so.
%
THE SHEIKH said that Koweit, which derived its
Customs revenue from the trade at one port only, could
not afford to pay for such a Customs Director, but
MR. LAITHWA.ITE reminded His Excellency that Iraq had
offered to pay the cost. His Excellency expressed his
dislike of having at Koweit an official paid by the Iraq
Government, but MR. LAITHWAITE said that though Iraq
might provide the money, there wd uld be no question but
that the Director would be in His Excellency’s own
service and that he need not be paid by the Iraq
Government direct. The source of the payment need not
be known.
HIS EXC^t.t/RTJCY then said that he would not mind
paying the Director himself. It was not a question of
money. What he objected to was the proposal itself,
and he did not see the necessity for it since smuggling
could/

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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' [‎378r] (755/889), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2879, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100064979939.0x00009e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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