Evening star., 1941-05-07
The War in Iruq

forth week ago seems to be develop
ing into real war which may be Of
considerable duration. The Iraqis
have not succeeded in driving the
British from the country as they
doubtlessly hoped to do by their sur
prise coup. Basra, the vital port near
the Persian Gulf, seems to be firmly
in British hands, and reinforcements
are surely on the way by sea, both
from India and from Egypt or East
Africa. Also, considerable detach-
ments of the Royal Air Force, pre-
sumably flying across the desert from
Palestine and Trans-Jordania, are
Gripping the small Iraqi air force and
inflicting widespread damage on
land troops and communications.
However, these British successes
are merely the first steps in the cam
paign needed to subdue a large
country and regular Iraqi forces esti-
mated at $4,000, plus an indetermi-
nate number of irregulars good for
guerrilla warfare. The task in hand
may be gagged by the fact that it is
nearly 400 miles from Basra to the
beleaguered British garrison at the
air base at Lake Habbaniyah, while
it is almost as far again from Hab-
baniyah to the Mosul oil fields. ad-
mittedly in Iraqi hands. 1t is
doubtful whether the British will
have troops enough for such decisive
operations in the immediate future,
and every day that passes increases
the danger of violent repercussions
in neighboring Arab lands.
The most likely source of trouble
is Syria, which has been seething
for years under French rule. The
French authorities in Syria and their
rather demoralized army may not be
able to repress popular movements
in favor of the Iraqi cause. Further
more, those authorities are loyal to
Vlchy, which in turn is under Ger
man pressure. Already, rumor has
it that Germany is demanding the
right to fly airplanes across Syria to
Iraq, That could be done from the
Italian islands of the Dodecanese,
and also from newly acquired Greek
bases.
Trouble on minor scale also seems
to be brewing in Palestine. The ex-
lied Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, an
inveterate foe of Britain, is in Bag
dad, where he strongly supports
Rashid Beg and also sends emissa-
ries to stir up strife in Palestine.
Desert Arabia is an ominous question
mark. Its ambitious ruler, Ibn Saud,
watches the struggle in Iraq with
hawk eyes. His hosts of fanatical
Wahabis, well armed with modern
weapons, would be a major factor if
thrown into the scale. However, Ibn
Saud's record shows him to be a
shrewd reckoner who will not move
rashly.
Britain evidently is trying to build
a backfire against Rashid Beg by
supporting Abdul Illah, the exiled
regent of Iraq and uncle of Boy King
Feisal, who is in Rashids hands.
Abdul Illah is repeatedly in Trans
Jordania at the court of his relative,
Emir Abdullah. Both are thoroughly
pro-British and are repeatedly gath
ering an Arab force to cross the
desert and take Rashid from the rear.
1t is also possible that the regent
may be taken to BaSra and placed
at the head of new Iraq govern
ment under British protection. In
deed, Britain has never disavoWed
its recognition of the regent as Iraqs
legal head. British dealings with
Rashid Beg, even before his rising,
were on provisional basis.
Though the pipe lines from the
Mosul oil fields have been cut, this
does not trouble Britain for the mo-
ment. That oil was piped crude, and
was refined in Palestine or Egypt.
Ample supplies must exist there in
storage. Besides, the pipe line from
the South Persian oil fields reaches
the Persian Gulf near Basra, and is
thus under British control. Oil is
the least of Britains present troubles
in the Near East.