File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎279r] (570/586)

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October 25th the D. A.P.O., of Mandali, Khan Bahadur c Ali
u +’ W1 ° la ^ ^ )een i n the hands of the provisional government set up in
fhe town, arrived at Khaniqin. He was accompanied by some members of
the provisional government but they turned back before Khaniqin « T as
reached.
The leaders of the Mandali movement are Saiyid Salih Agha,, uncle of
the JNaqib of Mandali, Musa Effendi, and ‘Abdul Karim Chalabi.
On October 28th the P.O. of Diyalah sent a message to Saiyid Salih
Agha ordering representatives of the provisional government to come in
and see him before November 4th. Before the letter arrived, Saiyid Salih
Agha and Musa Eft'endi wrote in chastened terms to announce their desire
to come in. But when they got news of the formation of the Arab Govern
ment in Baghdad they changed their note and declared that they would go
straight to Baghdad and present themselves before the Naqib’s Council.
1 hey thought better of it, how'ever; mid at any rate did not put in an
appearance at Baghdad
DTJLAIM DIVISION.
48. Since the reoccupation of Hit by British troops the area below Hit
has settled down to its normal occupations and cultivation of winter crop*
is m full swing.
44. Dkari ibn Dhahir and Khamis, his son, are reported to have
returned into the Jazirah via the Hor al Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and to be about four hours
north of the Saqlawiyah. There is no doubt that Dhari is in correspondence
with some of his former Sarkals who are afraid to flout him openly.
45. In the area north of Hit small tribal baiids of blackguards mainly
of Albu Nimr, amounting in all to about 50 or 60 men, are terrorizing the
cultivators in the gardens and looting their dates and small stores of grain.
46. Aftan al Sarqi continues to sit in ‘Anah with no following, await
ing events. His influence is sufficient to prevent further looting in the town.
47. ‘Abdul Razzaq al Munir is reported to have sold the Rawiyiin a
machine-gun and departed via the Jazirah to join the Turks.
48. ‘Ali al Sulaiman is troubled about the unsettled position above
Hit and is anxious for Government to settle on its future course of action.
He is prepared to take action himself but desires to know what force he will
have at his disposal in the future before taking on any responsibilities.
49. Aftan al Sharqi is prepared to come into ‘Ali, who would accept
his submission.
Nijris is reported to have made submission to ‘Ali. It is improbable
that ‘Ali should agree, nor will he be satisfied until Nijris and his brothers
‘Umah and Battal are dead.
FRENCH OCCUPATION OF DAIR-AL-ZOR.
50. Information has been received from French official sources that
on October 13th Mujhim ibn Muhaid chief of the Fad‘an section of the
‘Anizah, who has been given official responsibility for the tribes in the north
ern zone of French mandated territory, arrived at Dair-al-Zor accompanied
by a French mission.
They were received by the population with cries of “Vive la France.”
The chiefs of all the surrounding districts came to salute Mujhim and gave
him the assurance of their devotion to France. They wrote to Hachim ibn
Muhaid, an enemy of Mujhim upheld by the Kamalists, who is now at
Raqqah, saying that if he advanced towards the east, all the tribes, worn out
by the anarchy of the last three months, would rise against him. They fur
thermore made known to the Albu Sarai that they were ready to come to an
understanding with them, provided they expelled Ramadhan Shallash, vho
was responsible for the last trouble. On the 18th October the brother of
Ramadhan and some of the chiefs of Albu Sarai came to see Mujhim.
The situation is satisfactory in the region between Dair-al-Zor and Abu
Kamal. A caravan carrying grain completed the journey from Dair-al-Zor
to Aleppo without incident.
51. An ^Aqaili of Baghdad, who was in Dair at the time, reports that
before the establishment of the new regime the Dair people had taken affairs
into their own hands, as far as they could, and ejected all Syrians and ‘Iraqis.
A convoy of twenty loads of provisions and ammunition had been sent by the
Turks from Mardin to the ‘Iraqi officers, but most of it fell into the hands of
the Dairis. Tahsin Beg, Ja‘faFs brother, had left Dair wdth the others and
is said to be now at ‘Anah. ‘Ali Jaudat was serving as go-between with the
Turks and the news that he has gone over to them is probably correct.
Mujhim ibn Muhaid was charged by the French to set up a local Government
in Dair. He came down with a force of tribesmen, Fad‘an and Saba‘,