Page 85 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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48. In 1942 the Political Resident was of opinion that the establishment
°* a,D Porl at ^mm Qasr would inevitably lead to the decline of Kuwait and
the Ruler expressed a hope that any port established there for the purposes of
the war would be completely destroyed at the end of it.CO The port was in fact
largely dismantled and abandoned by the military authorities at the end of. the
war, and although the Iraqis have since from time to time considered the
development of another port there, they had taken no concrete action to put this
proposal into effect up to the end of 1953. It is unlikely that the development of
an Iraqi port at Umm Qasr could adversely affect Kuwait’s economy now in view
of her enormous oil resources, and in 1951 the present Ruler of Kuwait stated
that he saw no objection to the development of such a port provided there was no
infringement of Kuwait territory.!”)
49. After 1942 the frontier question remained dormant until 1946, when
the Political Resident reported considerable agricultural development south of
Safwan.!94) In 1947 His Majesty’s Ambassador at Bagdad recommended the early
delimitation of the frontier and discussion between the British authorities concerned
was resumed and continued for several years. It was eventually decided that the
Ruler should be shown on a large-scale map the line which had been proposed to
the Iraqis in 1940 and asked to agree to a further approach being made to them
on the basis of the same line. This was done after the accession of the present
Ruler in 1950 and he agreed to the proposal.!9') He did. however, insist that the
key point “ to the south of Safwan ” was less than a mile away from that place.!9*)
In 1948 the Acting Iraqi Minister informed His Majesty’s Ambassador orally
that he would shortly be receiving a note opening the whole question of the Iraqi-
Kuwait frontier!97) but nothing further transpired.
50. In April 1951 the Kuwait Oil Company were informed that there was
no objection to their operating up to a distance of 3i kilometres from the frontier
as shown on War Office map No. 3954.(9*)
51. In 1951 there was much further discussion about the point south of
Safwan and it was decided to define it as “the point 1,000 metres due south
of the customs post at Safwan, i.e.t the building which, on the 25th June, 1940, was
used as the customs post at Safwan.”!99) This definition was embodied in a note
which was presented to the Iraqi Government in December 1951 (Appendix D (ii)).
the interpretation of the 1932 line being otherwise much the same as that proposed
in the note of 1940 (paragraph 45 above). The Ruler had agreed to an approach
being made to the Iraqis on the lines proposed,(‘"°) though it is not clear that the
new definition of the point south of Safwan was explained to him, and to bear half
the cost of a Joint Technical Commission suggested in the note. The Iraqi
Government replied in May 1952 asking that, in view of their desire to construct
a port at Umm Qasf, the question of the cession to them of Warbah island should
be settled before demarcation of the frontier was undertaken.(m) They alleged that
in 1938 Lord Halifax had agreed orally to include this island in Iraq on the basis
of giving compensation to Kuwait, and that he had promised that a note would be
addressed to the Iraqi Government in confirmation of this. The Iraqi Ambassador
made a similar allegation in a note addressed to the Foreign Office in June 1952.(,0=)
In both cases a reply was given to the effect that there was nothing on record to
indicate any agreement on the part of Her Majesty’s Government to the transfer
of the island of Warbah to Iraq, and that at the meeting which took place between
Foreign Office officials and Iraqi Foreign Minister in 1938 it had only been
suggested that if the Iraqi Government wished the Ruler of Kuwait to cede to
them a part of his territory they should make proposals to him with an offer of
compensation. This did not imply that Her Majesty’s Government agreed to the
cession of Warbah to Iraq.
n TO. toF.O. Ext. 2004/42 of April 28. 1942 (E 2656/134/93 of 1942).
p r toFO. 1034/48 of July 18. 1951 (EA 1085/7 of 1951).
>•4 f o 'to F O. Ext. 3036/46 of May 2. 1946 (E 4008/4008/91 of 1946).
PR toFO. 173/18/50 of April 10. 1950(EA 1082/6 of 1950).
Kuwait toFO. 75/9/50 of June 29. 1950 (EA 1082/9 of 1950).
(”) Baghdad to F.O. 367/6/48 of July 14. 1948 (E 10199/700/91 of 1948).
P, f r ’to^.O.^ 1034/45 of June 14. 1951 (EA 1087/65 of 1951).
/ioo\ p d* to F.O. 1034/60 of December 3. 1951 (EA 1087/22 of 1951).
(,0») Baghdad to F.O. Despatch 120 of August 21. 1952 (EA 1086/9 of 1952).
(,M) (EA 1086/8 of 19523