Page 182 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

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572 Records of Bahrain

CONFIDENTIAL
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Shaikh Salman's mood indicated as much at the timo)♦ Now
that Shaikh Ahmad has succeeded hie father ao Ruler of Qatar
I am wondering whether there is any hope of making progress
over Zubarah. To this end I hope that John Moberly, to whom
I am copying this letter con take a suitable opportunity to
sound out Shaikh Ahmad about his attitude towards Zubarah*
I gathor from Shaikh Muhammed bin Salman that his father is
hoping that the departure of Shaikh Ali may lead to a better
atmosphere between Qatar and Bahrain and ideally to a solution
of the Zubarah problem. Moberly will remember that when I
y/oo over in Qatar for, the ceremony of Ahmad's succession, I
told Cochrane that 1I.M.G. v/ere anxious that all the Gulf Rulers
should be on the best: possible' terns and that it would bo an
act of wise statesmanship if Ahmad could send a telegram to all
the Rulers of the Gulf informing them that he had succeeded his
father as Ruler of Qa'tar. Sh'aikh Salman of Bahrain v/ould thus
be included dnd relations botY/een the new Ruler of Qatar and
Shaikh Salman v/ould therefore start off on a good footingo
Unfortunately cither [Cochrano failed to pas6 this on or Ahmad
: dedided againot it, f|or in the! evont I believe only the Saudis
received a telegram from Ahmad:* I myself had it very much in
mind to speak to Ahmad about this, but no suitable opportunitjr
i arose and his call orj me at the Agoncy after the ceremony v/ao
so brief and there wore so many people in the room that I did
not have the opportunity to raise the matter* It is,' I
suppose, not too late for Ahma'd to Y/rite a letter to the other
Rulers of the Gulf aid he mighft perhapo bo reminded that his
father wrote a fricncly letter! to Shaikh Salman when Shaikh Ali
became Ruler of Qatai in 19^9. I realise, of course, that,
I as v/ao made clear in paragraph 2 of Middleton's letter to
I Y/almslcy under reference, Ghai'lcli Salman's behaviour tov/ardo
Qatar has been abrupi almost t-o the point of rudeness and he
has as good as rebuffed the various gestures of friendliness
and coxirtesy Y/hich Shaikh Ali [attempted to make in the past.
If Shaikh Ahmad ever |v/erc to make a friendly gesture to
Shaikh Salman v/c v/ould, of course, do our best to persuade
Shaikh Salman to reciprocate. \ Ideally what I v/ould like to
see happen is that Sliailch Ahmad v/ould not show himself as
intransigent as hi6 father over the Zubarah problem and might
be prepared to listen to any suggestions we might have to
remove this tiresome sourco of. friction between the two States.
As Middleton said in paragraph 5 of his letter to Walmsley,
the atmosphorc in Qatar may be better now that tho succession
issue is for the moment safoly out of the way* I realise
that Y/o cannot hope to make quick progress on the Zubarah issue,
but I feci that tho important first step "...
hoy/ is to try and
sound out Alim ad' s feelings on the subject and see whether
there v/ould be any chance of his accepting the kind of
compromise which I suggested in paragraph 11 of my minute of
June 1 enclosed in Middleton's letter IOO1/1 of June 6«
5o Pending tho receipt of Moberly* s reply I recommend that
wc should mark time on tho question of the seabed., You may
like to know that Yusuf ShiraY/i has told us that he does not
! think Shaikh Salman Y/ill be prepared to change his preoent
uncompromising attitude over the seabed unless and until ho has.
/receivod. • •
CONFIDENTIAL
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