Page 69 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

1

67
and were suffering groatly. They found it quite impossible to go for their supp lies
as far south as Hoffuf or Jubail, as the King would have liked them to do. They
had therefore begged to be allowed to make one more journey to Kuwait to get in
their autumn and wintor supplies, and the King had granted their request.
In February 1931 however came the change. Ibn Saud ordered that the block­
ade should recommence with increased severity immediately after the Id, which
would end the Haj season, and Nejd tribes were in the meanwhile forbidden to
cross the Kuwait border.
This time the tribes were warned that a new feature would be introduced in the
shape of armed Ford Cars, which were to work between the well known line of wells
lying 80 miles South of the Kuwait frontier, and which would scour the country
side daily upto the Kuwait frontier in search of those breaking the order.
In April 1931, lack of rain brought on a serious famine among the great Ataiba
tribal confederation, and faced with the difficulty of grazing their camels in their
own country, west of Qasim, several thousands of Ataiba made a mass movement
North-Eastward and settled in the “ Summan ” or Mutair country ICO miles South-
West of Kuwait. They were at once followed by a second mass migration on the
part of Bani Abdillah, a tribe related to the Braih Section of the Mutair, though
their actual homes were in the Hejaz.
Bin Saud, taken by surprise, was faced to acquiesce, and though he did not like
to admit it, was unable for a time to prevent or control several thousands of these
starving tribesmen, who insisted on coming upto Kuwait and purchasing food.
It did not take the King long to regain control however, and on 6th May came
the news that the Amir Saud (the King’s son) from Riath ; Ibn Jaloui, the Governor
of Hassa from Hoffuf; and Ibn Musaad, Governor of Jebel Shammar from Hail,
had each issued proclamations to the effect that no more Nejd tribesmen were to be
allowed to go up to'Kuwait or even to Iraq to buy food.
In confirmation of this 4 armed motor cars appeared in the'Kuwait Neutral
Zone from Jubail on 7th May and informed the Amir Haif bin Hajraf in charge of
the Kuwait Fidawiyeh and Araibdar that no more Hassa tribes would be allowed
to “ sabil ” (buy provisions) to Kuwait. The penalty for breaking this new order,
was confiscation of. all camels as well as loads, and imprisonment for the offenders.
Immediately afterwards ibn Arfaj, Bin Saud’s frontier officer who had been
away in Nejd, once more Teappeared-and took charge of operations.
The blockade now took the most stringent form that it has yet done, for armed
cars based on Jarriya, began to move up and down the Kuwait frontier from the
South-West corner pf the Kuwait Neutral Zone as far as Rigai in the Battin valley,
the most Westerly "corner-of Kuwait territory.
Many small groups of Bedouin were captured returning from Kuwait with
supplies, and these-were , made to suffer accordingly.
On the 2nd August ibn Arfaj was recalled to Riath, and Abdur Rahman bin
Muharib, his second in command, took charge of the blockade arrangements. This
worthy in an excess of zeal now made the mistake of ordering 3 small raids inside
Kuwait territory; the dates of these were 10th August, 12th August and 19th August.
His intention *was to catch the Nejd tribesmen coming out from Kuwait close to
the Town and before they reached the border. These raids were duly reported to
His Majesty’s Government and formed the subject of an official protest.
On the 20th September, ibn Muharib in order to tighten up the blockade took
advantage of the discontented Shaikh Jadaan al Suwait of the Dhafir, an Iraq tribe
camped at Subaihiyeh on the Southern border of Kuwait, and persuaded him to
throw in his lot with Bin Saud.
As tliis chieftain had a considerable following with him, his assistance would
be of great value, especially as ibn Muharib’s partols were not of sufficient strength
to permit of his watching the whole frontier line'simultaneously.
On 28th September came the news that Jadaan as-Suwait had definitely thrown
in his lot with Bin Saud and had joined Ajemi as-Suwait, ibn Thuahi and ibn Afran,
other prominent Dhafir Shaikhs, who had already broken away from Iraq.
Early in October ibn Muharib ordered the Dhafir Shaikhs to move from
Subaihiyeh into the Garra region, a point South-West of and close up to the Kuwait
MC302FD B