Page 165 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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for some years;however this Is not the place to trace the
political machinations of the Iraqis and their advisers or to
record thd endeavours made "by the Government of India and its
servants to safeguard the rights of the Ruler, hut since the

question is one of importance the developments during the year
must he recorded.
The work was commenced hy an American concern acting
under the direction of the United States ?&litary mission hut
later in the year the American elements were required elsewhere

and the British Military Authorities took over the work and had
made some progress hy the end of the year, a deep water wharf
having heen partially completed on the hank of the Khor Abdullah
immediately he low the junction of that Khor with the IChor Zubair

at Umm Qasr creek, numerous buildings and a ?/ater pipe line from
Zubair were completed, and a narrow gauge railway from zubair
laid to the northern limits of the port area, It was hoped at
the close of the year that ships would he able to berth there
before the summer of 1943 commenced.

Politically events moved with disconcerting suddenness
early in the year but later the pace became more norial and the
present position is that it is agreed that the Kuwait-Iraq
boundary traverses the port area but there are two schools of

thought regarding the exact path traced by the boundary on its
journey from Safwan to the junction of the Khors Abdullah and
Zubair principally owing to a difference of opinion regarding
the geographical location of this junction, The "1940 line"

leaves a considerable area of the port area to Iraq while the
"Wakefield Report", an illuminating and closely reasoned docu-
ment compiled by LIr. E.B. Wakefield, I.C.S • i while Officer on
Special Duty here, places the boundary much further north’and

secures to Kuwait the most important port installations inclu­
ding the actual wharf,
',7hich line will eventually be accepted is difficult to

forecast but it is possible that the projeot will never be
completed and the area will once again sink back into obscurity.