Page 265 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat
P. 265

Background and claim to Ilawar islands, 1936-1942   253
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              (3)  A preliminary statement, outlining the Bahrain Govern-
   W-
          mont's counter-olaim to tho Ilawar Islands, a copy of whioh
          was also forwarded with my tixpross lottor Just quoted*

              (4)  Letter No. 1972-3.F. dated the 3rd January 1939 from
          tho Adviser to the Bahrain Government, a copy of whioh, with
  VA      its enclosures, was forwarded to you with my Kxpress letter
          No. C/10 doted the 5th Jonuary 1939.  This letter conta??i»d
           the Bahrain Government's formal counter-claim.
              (5)  The rejoinder from the Shaikh of Qator now forwarded

          with this letter.   I have made certain marginal comments on
          this.
                  In addition montion should he made of letter Ho. C/180
          dated the 28th April 1936 from the Adviser to the Bahrain Gover-

          mont, a copy of which woo forwarded to you with my predecessor's
          letter No. C/217 doted the 6th {.ay 1936. In this lettor, whiah
          boars reference to tb« negotiations then proceeding for a con­
          cession covering the Unallotted Area of the Bahrain possessions,
           tho Bahrain Government formally stated their oloim to sovereignty,
             3.   Tho Shaikh of star's claim, os set out in document No. 2,
           is based on tho following t-

              (a)  A plain asseveration of sovereignty over this group of
           islands as over other islands adjacent to Qatar, the coasts,
           promontories and "everything belonging to #'atar".
              (b)  A formal denial that Bahrain had, until recently, occu­
           pied these islands or exorcised Jurisdiction in any form therein.

              (c)  A claim that the islands, by virtue of geographical pro­
           pinquity, are an integral part of tho Qatar State.
                  In addition to these, in submitting his rejoinder
           (dooument No. 6) the Shaikh of Qatar has forwarded papers whioh
           purport to be statements by persons possessing looal knowledge
           that the Hawar Islands belong not to Bahrain but to tho Shaikh
           of Qatar. The value however of those lattor documents is greatly1

           diminished by the fact that the signatures on all of them are
                                                                 in /-
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