Page 435 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Effect of Zubarah dispute on relations, 1949 423

Confidential British Agency,
Doha,
11/9/SO. 23rd. February 1950,

Please refer to your telegram 1-Jo,19 of 22nd February,
2, I have 3pokon to the Sheikh about the reservation af­
fecting tho moveinonto of tribesmen in his letter to you about
Zubara. Ho cay3 that his meaning was that ho does not wish Ilia
ovm subjects to be able to come and go as they p’loaso between
Qatar- and Bahrain without paying customs duty, by the simple
expedient of attaching themselves to’Sheikh Salinates followers.
In poytain cases where the individual concerned is an undosir-
character, he does not wish him to be able to return ah all.
And indeed, I hope that thsrc will be no attempt on this part of
those who are permit toil to come, to smuggle pooplo in and out of
Qatar,
. 3, The particular people whom the Sheikh had lri mind when
ho wo to wore Ohanim bin Abdul liahman of tho al Bu Kuwurah and
his followers, lie says that they are Qataris, and that this is
not in dispute between himself and Sheikh Salman, Glianim recently
visitqd him hero and announced his intention of returning, with
those'members of his ± tribe who are at present with him in Bah­
rain, to their former dwelling places In the North of Qatar near
Fuwairat and Qarra. (The people at present living thoro are in
fact, of tho al Bu Kuwarah, and 1 met some of them when I visited*
tho navaL survey party recon) The .'Sheikh has told them that
he has no objection to their returning, but that they must do so
in tho same way as tho rest of his subjects, and not an appendagos
of the Na’im.
4, Tho Sheikh confirmed that ho has withdrawn u'.l'l his
armed men not only from the fort at Zubara, but from the whole
area, and that only the two unarmed watchmen, whom he now refers
to qcj "nmvateer" romain -there, I askod again what was tho purpose
of their remaining, and ho said they wore to keep tho place clean,
loofc after the horaes which ho hu3 there otc, I said that that
was !the fundamental divergence between your view and his, - ho
insisted on keeping the fort in existence on one pretext or an­
other, who re a 3 you saw in it only a source of friction v/hich would
bo bptter removod and finished with. Ho Insha'allahcd for a Yfhilo,
but'showtd no disposition to give way. Salih's view id is thatif
we <3o not insist now on' pressing the point he vri.ll eventually got
tirod/of tho fort, and that when things aro quiot, it will grad-. .
ualiyfall into neglect and disuse. Salih is always an optimist
in negotiation though.

C$J$ Polly E3q., OBE,,
H. M, Political Agont,
Bahrain*