Page 228 - Begrave Thesis_Neat

The Prime Minister attended a meeting on the situation in Bahrain at the

request of AD Dodds-Parker of the Foreign Secretary’s office. Reports of the

meeting did not list the other attendees but recorded that it had criticised the

Administration’s approach in neither containing the Movement nor reaching a point

of conciliation with it. Eden noted the importance of strengthening Bahrain’s police.

He also recommended the gradual introduction of Iraqi personnel into the force.

After Eden had been briefed about the latest developments he experienced a volte-

face about the Resident, recognising ‘Burrows’s extra-ordinary difficult position’ in

managing the crisis and that he had shown ‘considerable skill and patience’ in doing

so. 644

Based on the rumours of coming strikes in Bahrain the British Cabinet

discussed once again the Bahraini dilemma on 10 May. Faring that strikes might

lead to disturbances, the Prime Minister recommended that Britain’s Navy should

take sole responsibility for the area. Accordingly, the Cabinet invited Sir Walter

Monckton, the Minister of Defence, to assume responsibility for the stability of

Arabian Gulf region and the protection of Britain’s oil supplies from there. 645

The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper published reports by American journalist

Joseph Alsop on current affairs in Bahrain. Alsop praised Belgrave for his work in

developing Bahrain over the years by building hospitals, roads, the electricity

supply, and schools. Regarding the NUC, Alsop believed that the Party was ‘strongly

supported by the Egyptian Government of Gamal Abdel Nasser’ and aimed to seize

power from the Bahraini Administration. Alsop claimed to have interviewed

644 TNA, FO 371/120546, A.D. Dodds-Parker’s Minutes on Bahrain, 9 May 1956.
th
645 TNA, CAB 128/30, C.M. (56) 35 conclusions, 10 May 1956.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 207