Page 107 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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Political Agent provided the Iraqi Government agreed to reciprocate. The Iraqi
Government accordingly agreed to judicial documents emanating from Kuwaiti
Courts being served in Iraq provided no executory or coercive process was
undertaken against any person concerned in such documents.!*"1) It was also agreed
that no fee should be charged by either side for the service of such documents,(“•*)
and that they should be forwarded through the Secretariat of the High
Commissioner for Iraq.(iUS) According to a report received from the Political
Resident in 1950 summonses were then being received direct from the Iraqi Courts.
He incorrectly stated that this arrangement was entirely an unollicial one and that
there was no reciprocal arrangement for the service of summonses on the part of
Iraq .(’")
126. In 1930 the Iraqi Government informed His Majesty’s High
Commissioner that they proposed to appoint an Iraqi Vice-Consul in Kuwait and
asked for his observations. The Political Resident raised strong objections on the
ground that if the proposal was accepted other Powers would demand similar
representation at Kuwait and elsewhere in the Gulf and the High Commissioner
was instructed that, if the Iraqi Government reverted to the proposal, they were to
be informed that under the agreement of 1899 with Kuwait^**) His Majesty’s
Government’s sanction was required to it and this they were not willing to accord
owing to the precedent which it would create.(au,‘) The Iraqi Government do not
appear to have reverted to the matter until 1949 when they addressed a note to His
Majesty’s Embassy to the effect that they had decided to open a consulate at
Kuwait, its district to comprise Kuwait, Bahrain and the other Gulf Shaikhdoms,
and asked for His Majesty’s Government’s agreement.!’1*7) The situation had now
changed as it appeared probable that His Majesty’s Government would find
themselves compelled to agree to the appointment of a United States Consul at
Kuwait (paragraph 164 below) and in spite of objections voiced by the Political
Resident and "the Ruler, it was not felt possible to resist the Iraqis’ proposal if the
American one was accepted. No reply was, however, sent to it until the American
appointment became a fait accompli in 1951, when His Majesty’s Ambassador at
Bagdad informed the Iraqi Government that His Majesty’s Government were willing
to agree to the appointment of an Iraqi Consul at Kuwait on conditions similar to
those prescribed for the United States Consul^9") (paragraph 164 below). The Iraqi
Government have not pursued the proposal, possibly because of their unwillingness
formally to recognise Her Majesty’s Government’s position in Kuwait (paragraph
122 above), and it was not mentioned when the Ruler visited Iraq in March 1952.
In 1950 the Political Agent reported that there were about 2,500 Iraqis registered
with the Kuwait authorities as being resident in Kuwait and that the correspondence
about them received from the Iraqi authorities through the British authorities in
Iraq was substantial.(a9#)
127. Generally speaking during the last few years relations between Kuwait
and Iraq have greatly improved and since Kuwait’s acquisition of wealth Iraq
appears to be courting instead of abusing her, but whatever attitude Iraq adopts
there is little doubt that her ultimate aim remains the absorption of Kuwait
(paragraph 118 above). Only one frontier incident has been reported since 1950,
when Abdullah al Mubarak’s men found two Iraqi policemen in Kuwait territory
and beat them up, and practically nothing has been heard about smuggling, on
which Kuwait economy is no longer dependent. Nuri Pasha when Prime Minister
of Iraq visited Kuwait in 1951 and the Ruler paid a State visit to Bagdad in
March 1952 when he was feted and he and his staff were given decorations. The
Regent visited Kuwait in 1952 and again with the King of Iraq in 1953, in which
year a mission from Kuwait attended the King’s Coronation in Bagdad.
(ii) The Date Gardens Case
128. In 1914 the Ruler of Kuwait was given a guarantee!300) that his date
gardens between Fao and Qurnah in Iraq would remain in possession of him and his
(«») C.o. toF.O. 88108/31 of May 19. 1931 (T 6391/3853/371 of 1931).
(«*) C.O. toF.O. 88108/31 of August 1931 (T 11042/3853/371 of 1931).
(»•*) C.O. to F.O. 88108/31 of October 17, 1931 (T 13059/3853/371 of 1931).
(*“) P.R. to F.O. 288/26/50 of August 10. 1950 (EA 1905/9 of 1950).
(,,s) No 1 II T.C.
(•*•) C.O. to F.O. * 78105/30 of March 28. 1930 (E 1623/278/91 of 1930).
(«') Bagdad to F.O. Despatch 103 of May 25. 1949 (E6995/1903/91 of 1949).
(*••) Bagdad to F.O. 1909/22/51 of December 4. 1953 (EA 1901/8 of 1953).
(*••) P.R. to F.O. 288/14/50 of May 13. 1950 (EA 1905/5 of 1950).
(a0#) No. 7 II. T.C.