Page 254 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

240
Records oj Bahrain
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COMFID15MTIAL.

BAHRAIN
a;:-
Sir I.Kirkpatrick has quo3t^onod the.pol 1 cySdnj^iK
; the sub ml so ion and draft tolcgram undor in the '’'follow Ingfet
• to rma; - ■; . *•> y
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"According to tho tapo tho National Union
•f appealed • to .tho. Arab3 and tfio U.N. to ■:qave^theMV^
n-°m tlio:;itiiporlallam of Toro la ana
"In those" clrcumotancos should'we' advipo^Ith^Sifilpr'1
Ruler tp ;adopt pussyfoot' methods. / Pl8ag?^||g|«fe
XCigfl*!
;
• : . ' .V 2. A saliontf foaturo of tho present oituatlo^V\^^]i&'!:^i,
i
Bahrain io that tho Bahrain Government is barely cap;a^il^5{
of doaling with its ovm rosourcos with oorloas threats!'.®
to public 3ocurlty. Thlo is bocauso tho police are'^jrSfrV.
small in numbers and poorly organised. "
•J 3. Stops aro bolng taken to lncroaao tho numb'e jp.e
/ and efficiency of tho police but tho process v/111 .taicQ-vJivi
'• time. In tho moantlmo thoro io a strong possiblirtyi^fe^-y:
•y that in the event of a sorious threat to so cur lty,;.fc3jT'^rjv*
' British troops would have to support tho Bahrain '
police and a possibility that in the proceos they wpuydrf^:
,i. have to firo on Bahrainis. •
- ••
’4. I think v/o should go a very long way. to'avo id'/fv'c*-
this: it would inevitably create general hostlllty;(-;i^
to Britain, impose a continual commitment, • so 1 ye
v..
no political problem, and bo a propaganda gift" to
our onemios. .
5. When tho .Bahraini polico can reasonably bo •
oxpocted to deal v/ith disorder promptly and effectively!'
themselves, then wo can think again: it might ;r.
conceivably in certain circumstances thon po worth our.:.-
taking the risk of British troops being involved if,V;;.y.\'
docisive results (or at lea3t results which might be. *•
expoctod to enduro for two or three years) were &
theroby likely to bo achieved.
• \
6. In tho meantime, howevor, I,submit that we
- should try and play along v/ith bothjGoverriment and .--'
reformists, exercising'a restraining influenco
s both of them. In particular v/o should not invito'
trouble beyond the capacity of tho pollco; to doal
v/ith; nor givo the Rulor a blank choquo Suggos11 ngIgjjjy ;■
•: that wo will back him by force if ho takes action/.' *:
which, while it has been made legally rospoctdble,.;, .
is politically ill-advised. . ..
: 7. On ro cons idora t ion, there for o, I • adho ro tp^'th5?]|^*
•; viov/8 I havo already expressed. •''•
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