THE IRAQ INSURGENTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 138, 13 May 1941, Page 4

THE IRAQ INSURGENTS.

Rasiiid Adi’s attempt to unite Iraq against' the British Empire was.doomed to failure because he had not only the support of a mere fraction of the population, but the half-hearted help of the army he tried to send against its best friends. Those lie rallied to his cause at the instigation of the Axis Powers, in the hope of striking a blow for the oppressors, quickly realised the hopelessness of the warfare they engineered against Britain, for the small Iraqi air force has been severely handled by the R.A.F. and the assault upon the airfield at Habbaniyali has been repulsed with heavy loss to the insurgents. If Rashid Ali expected to win the country’s support he was quickly disillusioned because ho found his cause did not strike the popular chord; the former Regent and other prominent Iraqis, whether in exile or in the country itself, openly expressed their disapproval and Rashid Ali himself has been compelled to hurriedly leave Bagdad owing to the hostile demeanour of its people, who without doubt have realised from the bombing of the aerodrome near the Iraq capital what the might of the R.A.E. means. Rashid Ali has been badly let down by Hitler, whose agents fomented the revolt, and the strong manner in which Britain met the crisis must have valuable repercussions in all Arab States. An important bridgehead to Asia has been prevented from fallin g to Nazi intrigue and the present position strengthens the hope that the situation will be completely cleared up in the near future.