IRAQ POSITION

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1941, Page 7

IRAQ POSITION

Rome and Baghdad IN RADIO AND TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION. (Received May 22, 2.18 LONDON, May 21. _ The Moscow Radio states that direct radio and telegraph communication has been established between Rome and Baghdad. - Iraqi Town CAPTURED BY BRITISH. RUGBY, May 20. After a short engagement with Iraqi rebel troops, British troops occupied the town of Fallujah, where an important bridge was found to be intact. ... . Fallujah was captured without casualties. Its surrender was demanded by leaflets from the air. It Is pointed out in London that this is a new technique, the advantage being that the whole population knows of the demand, and popular feeling is thusi brought. to bear upon tne enemy commander. At Habbaniyah and in the Basra areas, the situation remains quiet. Meantime, on the road to Ba gk' dad from Fallujah, capture of which was a triumph of co-ordination, a British column covered 600 miles from the Mediterranean to Habbaniyah in five days. Three hundred miles of the journey was across a waterless and roadless desert. The temperature was 130 degrees in tne shade. When it reached Habbaniyah the column, which comprised hundreds of lorries, armoured cars and guns, had to tour around a vast stretch of desert, which the Iraqis had flooded from the Euphrates. R.A.F. troop carriers landed troops east of Fallujah, barring the road to Baghdad. The operations began at dawn with a leaflet demand that the town should send delegates to discuss and arrange surrender. No delegates appeared, and a few minutes later, a terrific bombing of the town began, and continued until 3.30 p.m., with the Iraqi machine-guns having ceased, the troops entered the town unopposed, and found that most of the defenders had abandoned their uniforms and fled.

British Naval Airmen

RESCUED IN IRAQ.

RUGBY, May 20.

During the operations in Iraq, a naval aircraft, which had been damaged while taking part in an attack on the barracks at Samawa, had to make a forced landing, three miles south of the town, and was quickly surrounded by members of Raschid Ali’s forces, who opened fire. Another aircraft, which had observed the incident, promptly landed and rescued the crew, without casualty, in the face of armed opposition, and once more took to the air. AFGHAN AND PERSIAN AID FOR THE IRAQIS. LONDON, May 20. Volunteers from Afghanistan and Iran are arriving to aid Raschid All. PAPERS IN INDIA. AGAINST RASHID ALI. ■ (Received May 21, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, May 20. Condemnation of the action of Rashid All anc* his intrigues with Germany, are forthcoming from the press of India. “Ahsan,” a Lahore daily, writes: “Germany’s sole objective is to see the Moslems annihilated. Turkey would never break her pledge' given .to Britain. While it is generally believed the Iraq tangle is the outcome of Rasnid Ali’s intrigues with Germany, Turkey has taken the first opportunity to express disapproval of the action taken 'by the Iraq Government, because she is convinced that the countries which have agreed to act as instruments of Germany have lost their independence and sovereignty.” “Hamdam Urdu”, a daily of Lucknow, says: “Hitler’s moves and threats fail to influence the Moslem countries, which have proclaimed their friendship towards Britain, and refused to become involved in a European war. The present Government in Iraq has alone struck a discordant note.”

“Shahbaz,” another daily of Lahore. writes: “Rashid All’s activities, which have jeopardised the entire Islamic world, are being denounced in every Islamic country.” “Inquilab.” in a leader, declares: KThe flanger which appeared irr Iraq constitutes a direct threat to the safety of India ”