File 87/1926 Pt 2 'Arabia: Bin Saud: Relations with H.M.G. Revision of Treaty.' [‎543r] (773/840)

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ends northwards into Syria on either side of the Jebel Druz and as
far eastward as Rutba. The salt villages near Kaf have been in
possession of Nuri Sha‘lan and his family for a considerable time,
and Jauf itself was captured from Ibn Rashid by Nuri Sha lan during
the war and was only quite recently taken from him by Ibn Sa‘ud.
Ibn Sa‘ud can therefore have no justification in contending that, since
he has conquered Ibn Rashid, the whole of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan with
Kaf and Azraq should fall to him. Jauf is at present his by right of
conquest from Nuri Sha'lan and there is m> hope, or even desire, to
it back from him so as to include it in our boundaries, because
it is so far away that we could not hope to defend it. On the other
hand, he should be kept out of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan as much as
possible, for it is there that the Ruwalla, who lie across the route from
‘Iraq to Syria, and the Beni Sakhr and Huweitat, who are un
doubtedly Trans-Jordan tribes, have their winter grazing grounds,
ranging as far eastwards as Jauf and even in some cases beyond it;
none of Ibn Sa‘ud’s tribesmen have used this area in the same way.
To let Ibn Sa‘ud have Kaf would be quite w'rong for the above reason
as well as for the military one that it is an important outpost of
Trans-Jordan, and again because his occupation of it will give him
an excellent base for spreading propaganda amongst the Ruwalla and
amongst our tribes.
The salt villages near Kaf produce a considerable revenue, which
at present is divided between the residents of the villages and Nuri
Sha‘lan. The latter has enjoyed this revenue for a number of years
and should not be deprived of it by any agreement of ours wduch
will hand the villages over to Ibn Sa‘ud. Further, the salt from
these villages is supplied to the Bedu lying west of kaf, and much
of it goes up into Syria to the Hauran and Jebel Druz. By letting Ibn
Sa‘ud have Kaf you are not only endangering Trans-Jordan, but
also ‘Iraq’s communications with Syria, by giving Ibn Sa ud a firmer
foothold in the Ruwalla area.
From Sir Gilbert Clayton’s instructions it would appear that Ibn
Sa‘ud desires the inclusion in Nejd of a tract of territory to the sout i
of Kaf comprising the four Wadis—Bayir, Gharra, Hasa and Hidnj.
There is no settled population in this area, but it is the grazing ground
of the Ruwalla, the Huweitat and the Beni Sakhr, and of the Beni
‘Atya as well.
At Bayir, the source of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Bayir, there are very important
wells, and Ibn Sa‘ud’s object is probably to have this further
advanced point of concentration for an attack on Trans-Jordan in his
hands, or it may be that he merely wishes to have our grazing tribes
more completely in his area during the season when they move east
ward.
Logically no part of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan should be his, and it cer
tainly'would be a mistake to allow him to extend his area any
further westward than the line indicated to Colonel Knox.
A further reason for denying him this area is that there is a good
motor road running from Ma‘an via Jafr (a fortified watering
place) and Bayir to Azraq. .
r Yours sincerely,
C. H. F. Cox.
To Mr. G. Antonius,
Austrian Hospice, Jerusalem ;
(or)
c/o Education Department, Jerusalem.