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The Formation of the Federation
         Slates, and did not join until some lime after the Federation had been
         proclaimed.
           Firstly, Ra’s al Khaimah had resented that throughout the
         negotiations between the nine States it did not rank equal with the
         big four in matters such as the number of delegates and voting rights,
         and that neither the British officials nor the Arab mediators
         consulted as frequently with Ra’s al Khaimah as with the larger
         States.110 To Ra’s al Khaimah it appeared to be not in keeping with
         the historic role which the shaikhdom had played in the past. When
         the federation was reduced to seven members Ra’s al Khaimah saw
         all the more justification for making its presence fell and insisting on
         its own terms for membership.
           This attitude was reinforced by the persistent rumours which
         were circulating to the effect that Union Oil of California, who held
         the offshore concession of Ra’s al Khaimah, had made a promising oil
         strike. The third exploration well had reached the target zone, a
         structure in the lower Cretaceous Thamama limestone from which oil
         is produced in Abu Dhabi.120 Two earlier holes had to be abandoned
         because the drilling platforms could not be used for such extreme
         depths, much deeper than in Abu Dhabi. The third well did
         encounter hydrocarbons, and by mid-December 1971 tests had
         established that the amount of oil present was too little to justify
         production. The hope of finding oil in the onshore concession held by
         Shell Hydrocarbons was still more remote, because so far only a
         seismic survey had been carried out. The possibility of Ra’s al
         Khaimah joining the federation as an oil-rich shaikhdom was the
         second reason for its hesitation.
           The third problem involved the claim of Iran to the two Tunb
         islands. The Ruler of Ra’s al Khaimah refused to sign an agreement
         similar to the one which Sharjah eventually accepted. On 30
         November 1971 Iranian forces seized the two Tunbs. Ra’s al Khaimah
         did not want to arouse a military confrontation between Iran and the
         Arab countries, some of whom might have been prepared to provide
         troops, but instead appealed to Arab heads of States for moral
         support.121 Ra’s al Khaimah sent a delegation, led by Shaikh 'Abdul
         'Aziz bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, to the emergency session of the Arab
         League on 6 December 1971. He said that his Emirate would like the
         problem to be solved peacefully and indicated the possibility of an
         appeal to the International Court of Justice.122
           From the beginning of December Ra’s al Khaimah re-opened the
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