IRAQ OPERATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 137, 12 May 1941, Page 7

IRAQ OPERATIONS

ACTIVITY AT MOSUL. REBELS FURTHER. PRESSED (United Press Associatijn—Copyright) (Rec. 11 a.m.) LONDON, May 11 In the Habbaniyah and Basra areas the situation remains calm. The R.A.F. continues to attack rebel military objectives, xlt Mosul troops and a transport park were attacked and damage done. At Rutbah, 200 miles west of Habbaniyah, our troops have captured the aerodrome, and also the fort. Rutbah is near th© oil pipoline which runs to Haifa.

A Press Association message says: It is learned in Cairo that demonstrations against Rashid Ali have occurred at Kirkuk and Mosul, the oil field centres. Prominent Iraqis have not left their homes in Bagdad for the past 10 days as a sign of their disapproval of Rashid’s policy.

News has been received in London that all the British subjects resident in Mosul and the oilfield area of Qaiyara are safe and well. All the British women resident in these areas have been successfully evacuated. The Iran Minister to Turkey in a letter to the newspaper Ulus denies foreign reports that German subjects arc entering Tran under the name of tourists. Ho said liis denial was based on definite information from Tran. ATTITUDE OF TURKEY.

A Press Association message says that though the Iraqi Minister of Defence (Naji fShawkai) had a long interview with the Turkish Prime Minister (Dr. Saydam) and the Foreign Minister (M. Saracoglu) after which the Turkish Cabinet met, official Turkish circles are maintaining a great reserve concerning tnc purpose ol Naji Shawkat’s visiL to Ankara. This is because Turkey does not recognise Rashid All a Government. After Naji iSliawkat’s interviews tbe Iraqi Legation issued a statement demanding that the British troops be withdrawn and denying that Iraq wanted war. The statement added that Iraqi forces besieging Basra have been increased to three divisions.

It is reported from Istanbul that all residents of the city between tbe ages of 15 and GO have been ordered to take courses in air-raid precaution duties. It is also reported that in Smyrna, every householder has been ordered to build an air-raid shelter before July 1. The Times says it is clear that Rashid.Ali’s grip on Iraq was never wide or deep. He and a few headstrong generals, all of whom were under German influence, easily persuaded some regiments that the British were breaking their promises to Iraq. Most of the Iraqis have little idea of what the fighting is about, and will quickly rally to the Government as soon as the British break the revolt. Arabs in Saudi Arabia, Transjordania, and Palestine have little love for Rashid Ali, who is a notorious schemer. The Germans will not abandon their plot to use Syria as a halting place for bombers from the Dodecanese Islands. The Germans boasted too loudly of their plan to seize the Mosul oil wells to abandon their plans lightly.