ARAB COMBINATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19889, 7 March 1928, Page 11

ARAB COMBINATION.

(PROBLEM FOE BRITAIN.

DISQUIETING turn taken.

bebellion of wahabis. . help from ibn saud. munitions for tribes. ■o Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. £ N.Z.-Sun. LONDON, March 6. Despatches from Basra, Irak, report a aisqaieting turn of events in connection With the Wahabi rebels. The Wahabi leader, Ibn Saud, King of the Hedjaz and Nejd, is credited with having told a gathering of Sheiks that, as peaceful methods had failed to bring the infidel inhabitants of Koweit and Transjordania back to the Islam fold, he would assist the Nejd tribes to achieve their return Jjy force. For this purpose Ibn Saud said he jirould provide munitions and food. If this threat is carried out it will mean lhat Britain will have to deal with a powerful Arab combination instead of jjni.ill parties of marauders. Another report from Basra states that Jbn Saud has given the Ajman tribe 400 rifles and largo supplies of ammunition, that he is supporting other fanatical tribes in the same way, so that thoy may attack "the infidels of Irak, Koweit and Transjordania." This is the first intimation of an intention to attack Trans-

,-jordania. It is believed that Ibn Saud has turned against Britain because of the heavy damage caused by the raids carried out by 'members of the F.oyal Air Force in Nejd. But he has never been very friendly since Britain stopped b.s subsidy of £60,000 a year owing to his intrigues. Air Force units are being assembled at strategic points and armoured cars and trains are being held in readiness to cooperate with the airmen. A British official wireless message says the Dominions Office states that there is no foundation whatever for the reports which have appeared in the press to the teffsct that troops are being sent to Koweit fcom- India in connection with the Wahabi troubles. The Secretary of - State for the Dominions, Mr. L. S. Amery, in answer to Questions in the House of Commons, said he was satisfied that the Air Force in Irak was doing everything possible to deal -with the raiders in that territory. lne Government had furnished Ibn Saud with prior information regarding the action to be taken to repel the raiders in Ira . Kb was convinced that the marauders would ultimately learn that they could not penetrate into peaceful neighbouring territory and indulge in wanton pillage and the massacre of men, women on children.

Ibn Saud. leader of the Wahabis and King of the Hedjaz and Nejd, is a striking figure, over 6ft. in height a clever general and an astute diplomatist. His aim is to unify Arabia under his own rule. He is now guardian of the Moslem holy places, and even as early as the summer of 1925 he had made the pilgrimage to Mecca far safer than it had ever been during the reign of his predecessor Hussein Ibn Saud was thought to be ready to leave Irak and Tranjordania alone so lone as thev remained under the British mandate, but it was known that he was always opposed to their attaining in e has become the dominating personality in Arabia. In 1378 the Emir of Hail (of the Shammer tribe) drove him and his, father, Abdur Rahman, into.exile at Koweit. He eventually induced Abdur Rahman to abdicate in his collected a force with which he the usurper from Riadh and called on his own tribe to rise. After a long struggle in which he was often defeated, he got the upper hand and killed the Shammar Sultan. He then seized Katif, drove the Turks out of El Hasa.and reached the Persian Gulf. After the outbreak of the Great "Wat he sided against the, lurks and attacked trib.es which were f " ent '•? , . them. The fact that Hussein the Hashimite King of the Hedjaz, had taken the title of Sultan of Arabia aroused his resentment, but. as Hussein conld count on British aid, he did nothing till the situation changed after the Peace Conference. Ibn Saud then seized on an old dispute as to the ownership of an oasis and routed the Hedjaz forces at Tanba in 1920, but respected a British warning and turned his atttentioh to the Shammar tribe, whose territory of Hail he seeared. in *922 he began a campaign against the Emir of Transjordania, but, finding he ;would have to reckoa with British troopn, gave up his plan. In 1924 a conference was held at Koweit fn an effort to secure a peaceful settlement, but Hussein would not make any concession and Ibn Saud invaded the Hedjaz. In September, 1924, his troops took Taif and defeated Hussein s army, which he forced to retire on Mecca. Bein abdicated in favour of his son All, but Ibn Saud continued his campaign and Entered Mecca on October 13. Jedda, where Ali had established himselv, ana Medina were invested, and reports .which were declared to be exaggerated, of his having shelled the holy places feroused the anger of the Moslem world. Eventually Ali left Jedda, which yielded on December 19, 1925, to Ibn Saud, who sreclaimed5 reclaimed himself King of the Hedjaz on anuary 8, 1926, and has been recognised as such by the British Government. Ibn Saud, on September 17, 1927, ratified with Britain the Treaty of Jedda, one of the clauses of which was that each Contracting party should prevent by all means the use of its territories as a base for unlawful activities against the peace and tranquillity of the other. Since then there have ljeen repeated and murderous raids into- the British sphere of influence. Hie leader of these raids is Sheik Feisal ed Dowish. He is the head of one of the most powerful and fanatical of the Wahabi tribes. For years ho was Ibn Saud's right-hand man, but it was believed that thoy had quarrelled in 1926. The sheik desired to raid Irak as "infidel instruments" such as trains and telephones were Used there, but Ibn Saud restrained him. It was stated by the Prime Minister of Irak, Jafar Pasha, on January 5, that Ibn Saud had disclaimed all responsibility for the acts of Sheik Feisal, and was mobilising a force to attack the raiders in the rear. Ibn oaud has at his command many tribes of fanatical, guerilla Warriors, who might be expected to rally to his standards for Mahommedism at the call of a jehad {holy war). Russian propaganda has been ceaselessly disseminated among Mahommedan priests since thev held their congress in Moscow in 1921.