Palestine’s Stormy Petrel

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1939, Page 5 (Supplement)

Palestine’s Stormy Petrel

“You see those men, at the top ot that hill? They are Fawzi Kaukji’s soldiers.”

“See this machine-gun bullet? That’s from Fawzi Kaukji.” “Those Arabs manoeuvre well. They must belong to Fawzi Kaukji’s army.” “The attack on that farm was brilliantly directed. It must have been organised by Fawzi Kaukji.” Blackened ruins of farms and plantations, the crackling of machine-guns and the rumble of tanks in desert regions of the Palestine frontier—these are the scenery and music of the terrible drama now being played out in the Holy Land, with Fawzi Kaukji as hero and villain (writes Edmond Demaitre in Vu. Paris). From his Excellency Sir Harold Mac Michael, representative of His Britannic Majesty, down to the Yemenite boy who sells papers in front of the Jerusalem post office, there is no one who does not know the name of this mysterious Syrian or who has not heard of the legendary exploits of this adventurer who takes the rank and style of “liberator” and “national hero.” “Fuehrer of the Arabs” The English, who know by experience what can come of the appearance in a Moslem country of a strong man acting the triple role of dictator, ascetic and warrior, have made great efforts to end the romantic career of this Fawzi Kaukji, whom his friends and admirers compare with the Mahdi of the Sudan, the Mad Mullah of Somaliland, or the notorious Fakir of Ipi. But, unfortunately for the peace of Palestine, their efforts have been in vain, for the “Fuehrer of the Arabs” — the title which the rebels have conferred upon Fawzi Kaukji—is not only fully conversant with the laws of strategy and tactics, but also knows how to evade the watchful and cunning secret agents and'spies who exist in their hundreds in all the towns and villages of the Near East. Several times he has almost fallen into his enemies’ hands, but he always manages to escape—thanks to his profound knowledge of the desert and countless friends in all the Arab centres between Bagdad and the Hadramaut.

Incredible Speed

He is here, there and everywhere'. He moves about the Beduin country with incredible speed, and it often happens that he is discovered in an oasis 100 or 150 miles away in the interior three days after his presence has been notified on the frontier. Even among his own followers, no one knows for certain where he is, and sometimes members of the Intelligence Department send notifications of his presence at three different places on the same day. The secrecy in which he wraps his movements is fully justified; he is sought by the Syrian police and the' English authorities in Palestine and Transjordan, not to mention the Ikhwans of King Ibn Saud, who also have an account to settle with him. If he should take it into his head to end his days, he has only to choose —a Syrian firing squad is waiting for him, the executioner at the Acre prison in Palestine would like to meet him, and if he were unlucky enough to be captured in Saudi Arabia, he could be certain of having his head chopped off by the Lord of Hejaz and Nejd in perI son!

In the Mountains According to British information, the

Arab fuehrer leads a force of three or four thousand men among the almost inaccessible mountains and deserts of northern Palestine; a large enough force if the geographical and political obstacles in the way of the work of pacification are taken into account, Fawzi Kaukji knows those difficulties, and cleverly makes the most of them Although his mountaineers and nomads urge him to undertake operations on a large scale, he has kept enough authority up till now to restrain their zeal and to avoid a pitched battle, which would, without doubt, mean the end of his desert revolt. He believes that his campaign in Palestine will end in the liberation of all Moslems, and so he prefers to gain time rather than battles. Moreover, he has chosen guerrilla warfare and a war of attrition in the hope that his foes will finally get tired of the sudden dashes, skirmishes, and raids with which they are unceasingly harassed by his bands. He has invented war by night in Palestine. As silent as tigers stalking their prey, his Beduins appear—no one knows where from —out of the night and vanish again like ghosts as soon as the first rays of the sun redden the skyline. And in the lonely Palestine hills houses burnt down, plantations destroyed, dead bodies horribly mutilated, are the sign that Fawzi Kaukji has passed that way . . . Muscular, rather stout, and of medium height, the Arab fuehrer is pleasant enough to look at when he bestrides his curvetting horse at the head of his wild warriors, in his Arab burnous and headdress. On the other hand, when he wears his “European” uniform—which is a mixture of an Alpine Chausseur’s uniform, Herr Hitler’s dress, and the rig-out of an English peer stag-hunting in Scotland—he looks more like a peanut vendor going to a fancy dress ball.

Many Photographs You will ask perhaps how I can possibly describe in such detail the appearance of the unknown phantom which is Fawzi Kaukji. It is very simple. Following the example .of his German prototype, the Arab fuehrer, knowing the value of propaganda, has missed no opportunity of having himself photographed in a striking pose. I have had the pleasure of seeing how well a guerrilla chieftain photographs at the information service bureau in Jerusalem; I have seen photographs of Fawzi Kaukji reviewing his troops, chatting with* his lieutenants, studying i a map, and even asleep (that’s some-; thing Hitler and Goebbels haven’t thought of yet!). These photographs are distributed in thousands and thousands throughout all the countries over! which Fawzi Kaukji hopes one day to extend his sway.

It is clear from this that the Arab fuehrer is in no way like his contemporaries—the Emir Abdulla, the exMufti of Jerusalem, or King Ibn Saud. While Lawrence, Philby, or Glubb managed by means of clever acting to turn themselves from Europeans into Beduins, Fawzi Kaukji has turned himself in many ways from a Beduin into a European.

Unsolved Mystery It is easy to understand how Fawzi Kaukji has been able so to transform himself from Beduin warrior into “European" dictator when his history is known. His youth was passed in Syria, then he entered the Turkish, army, and was sent to Constantinople for an officer’s course. His activities during the World War are an unsolved mystery; according to some he fought in the Sultan’s army and was promoted captain a few months before the defeat of the Turkish forces, while others say that he deserted to the Allies and had some connections with Lawrence of Arabia. However that may be, it is known that he appeared in Syria and put himself at the head of the rebels thei’e just after the War. Imprisoned in the Jebel Druse by a French patrol, he was condemned to death by a military court, but managed to escape a few hours before the time fixed for his execution. Then for a few years he disappeared again. He lived concealed in the Syrian hinterland, organising resistance among rebel tribes. When France began the pacification of the country he vanished again, turning up at Bagdad, where King Feisal gave him a post in\the Iraq army. " " -I

But it was not likely that this hotblooded adventurer would be content to end his days in peace at Bagdad. Hardly was he settled in the Iraq capital when he became involved in a PanArab conspiracy and had to flee. However, Arabia is a large country, and its sheiks and emirs were well able ( to use the military and diplomatic services of a former captain of the Turkish army. Later he offered his services to King Ibn Saud, and for several years he pursued a quiet life, organising the Saudi Arabian forces. The Lord of lS[ejd heaped favours upon him until he discovered that Fdwzi Kaukji, still haunted by the dream of an Arab empire, was the force behind the revolt of Ibn Rafadi of the Billis tribe which brought fire and sword ‘to the area between Saudi Arabia and Transjordan. The Syrian escaped from the Ikhwans of Ibn Saud, who swore to exact a terrible vengeance. Fawzi Kaukji went next to the Emir Abdulla, Who, though he declined to accept his services allowed him to settle in Transjordan. There, in a miserable village on the banks of the Jordan, Fawzi Kaukji awaited his opportunity. Opportunity Came It came when the ' fir st rifle shots crackled in Palestine. He crossed the Jordan and himself at the head of the bands of marauding brigands who were harassing the English patrols. A brilliant organiser, full of energy, as ambitious as any condottiere and as fanatical as the" most pious energy, as ambitious as the most pious ceeded in transforming , the Beduin hordes that gathered round him into a regular army, with an iron discipline. And, at the head of this army, he has held the. whole of the interior of northern Palestine for almost a year.