BRITISH TREATY WITH IRAQ

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25389, 12 January 1948, Page 7

BRITISH TREATY WITH IRAQ

DRAFT INITIALLED BY MR BEVIN REPLACING 1930 PACT (N.Z. Press Association-Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, January 11. < The British Foreign Office announces that the Foreign Secretary (Mr Ernest c Bevin) and the Premier of Iraq (Sayid ’ Salih Jabr) have initialled the draft ‘ of a new British-Iraqi treaty of alii- 1 ance to Teplace the 1930 treaty. The ] discussions have been extremely cor- ( dial. ] The treaty will be signed next week ] and published as soon as possible ■ afterwards. < “The announcement is seen as a sign of improving relations between ( Britain and the Middle East conn- ( tries,” says Reuter’s diplomatic corres- j pondent. “Well-informed quarters be- ( lieve that Britain under the new treaty . has waived her right to maintain troops in peace-time enjoying Iraqi - legal immunities at the Habbaniyah i and Shaibah airfields. It is believed that Iraq will in future control these airfields, though British aircraft are : expected to use them until alternative facilities are developed. The 1930 pact is based on out-of-date political concepts and strategy.” • 5 1 ■ > i ! i I i • L > I > ; ’ 1 ’ ’ ’