رسالة من العميد آرثر ويجرم موني، القيادة العامة، قوة المشاة الهندية "د"، البصرة إلى سكرتير الحكومة في الهند بالإدارة السياسية والخارجية، مكتب الهند [و‎‎٢‎٨] (٤/١)

CONFIDENTIAL.
iier-General A. \\ , Money, General Hea<lqnart<M*s, Indian
Expeditionary Force D," to India OHice.
No. Ig. 1983. Basrah,
^ ir ' 22nd January 191(5.
In continuation of my letter No. Ig. 105(5, dated 19th November 191^,
1 furnish a further re])ort on the tribal situation ;—
(JeueraL
I. 1 he check received by our lorce at Ctesiphou on 22nd November
temporarily changed what had up to that time been our uninterrupted
policy ol steady advance into Mesopotamia into an SO mile withdrawal on
our main line of operations.
1 his might reasonably have been expected to have produced a marked
elFect throughout the whole theatre of operations. Such has not, however,
proved to be the case. With one notable exception (that of Khayun-el-
' H)ei(l at Shattra, to whom reference will be made later) the tribes have
retained their former attitude which may be roughly summarised as
upstream ol us, hostile ; downstream, friendly.
• Euphrates Line.
2. 1 ribes in neighbourhood ol Nasiriyah are friendly. Ajaimi of the
Muntafik is in neighbourhood of Samawa, with but a small following; he is
the first actively hostile element upstream of us on the Euphrates.
Desert tribes between Zobiur and Nasiriyah are not of much account.
\\ e have strong allies at each end—Sheikh Ibrahim of Zobeir and Sheikh
Hamad at Khamsieh.
Shatt-al-Hn i.
Stirred up by the exertions of a Turkish oflieer (Mizher Bey) at
Shattra, the AI Abudah Chief Khayun-el-Obeid (of Shattra) together
with a portion of the Kaffajah tribe immediately south of that place) have
abandoned the attitude oi allegiance to the British, which had been won for
us by our victory at Kut-al-Amarah in September last, and showed their
active hostility by an attack ou a reconnaissance which went out from the
British camp at Butaniyah ^between Nasiriyah and Shattra) on Uth
January.
4. this Khayun-el-Obeid is an ill-conditioned chieftain who constantly
proved a thorn in the Hesh to the Turks and on more than one occasion
defeated Turkish expeditions despatched against him.
Upstream of him again, along the Shatt-al-Hai, the Qaraqul, Beni
Uichab, and Shawelat are now doubtless influenced by his new example
though we have no positive proof thereof.
fj. Finally, at the head of the waterway, are the actively hostile Beni
Rubiah who extend up river as far as Baghialah, actively friendly to us
alter September, but now entirely turned round since our retirement and
tlie Turkish advance from Ctesiphon.