Page 268 - Begrave Thesis_Neat

Further to the news coverage by Al-Ahram the British Embassy in Damascus

forwarded a despatch to the Residency in Bahrain on Al-Bakir’s activities and the

Syrian press coverage of his work. The Syrian press’ version added that Al-Bakir

viewed ‘that the British authorities in Bahrain, Sir Charles Belgrave in particular,

opposed all nationalist and liberation political activities’. 772 Burrows, surprised at

Al-Bakir’s claims, requested the British Chancery in Beirut to contact Al-Bakir and

enquire as to: ‘the reason for his changed attitude towards us’. 773

The Bahraini nationalist leader had come a long way since his days as a

merchant in Doha in 1952. The attention, publicity, and status he earned during his

stay away from Bahrain had possibly given him overconfidence and might have

encouraged him to make daring and outrageous claims, regardless of their validity,

as the more bold the claims were the bigger the challenge was perceived by the

public.

On the developments of the Suez Crisis, Eisenhower suggested to Eden the

assembly of an international conference that included the nations that signed the

Constantinople Convention in 1888. 774 Based on the proposal a Suez Canal

Conference was scheduled between 16 to 23 August in London. It consisted of

twenty-two nations. Egypt and Greece declined to participate, the latter due to its

stance towards the conflict in Cyprus. 775

772 TNA, FO 1016/468, Chancery’s British Embassy in Damascus to Residency, 11 August 1956.
773 TNA, FO 1016/468, Residency to British Embassy in Beirut, 20 August 1956.
774 Eisenhower to Eden, 31 July 1956, (also found in Boyle, 156-58).
775 FRUS, vol. XVI, ‘Suez Crisis July 26-December 31, 1956’. Doc. 290: Report Prepared in the
Executive Secretariat of the Department of State, 2 October 1956; and TNA, CAB 128/30, C.M. (56)
59 conclusions, 14 August 1956.
th

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