IOR/R/15/1/584

The volume consists of letters, telegrams, and reports relating to affairs between the British Mandate of Iraq and the Kingdom of Najd. The majority of the correspondence is between Leo Amery, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary (both in London), Henry Dobbs, High Commissioner in Iraq (later Gilbert Clayton, Acting Hich Commissioner in Iraq), Lionel Haworth, Political Resident in Bushire, Cyril Barrett, Political Agent in Bahrain, James More, Political Agent in Kuwait, Ibn Sa'ud, King of Hejaz-Najd and its Dependencies, John Glubb, Administrative Inspector in Iraq, Gerald de Gaury, Special Service Officer in Kuwait, the British Agency in Jeddah, and the Government of India.

The volume covers the period of unrest after a revolt by the Ikhwan, including a number of raids on Kuwait and the Battle of Sabila, which effectively brought the crisis to an end. Subjects raised are:

• a raid on Kuwait by the Ikhwan;
• an attack on a car on the Kuwait-Basra road in which an American Missionary, Henry Bilkert, is killed;
• intelligence of tribal movements and activities, particularly those of the Ikhwan tribes of Mutair, 'Ajman, and 'Utaibah, and the threat and occurrence of cross-border raids, all gathered from reports by John Glubb, Flight Lieutenant Howes (Special Service Officer in Kuwait), as well as local rumour and reports;
• issues concerning the defence of Kuwait;
• the failure of Gilbert Clayton and Ibn Sa'ud to come to an agreement over the legitimacy of the desert 'police posts' in Iraq;
• the thoughts, motivations, and capabilities of Ibn Sa'ud;
• a second meeting between Ibn Sa'ud and Ikhwan leaders in Riyadh to try and resolve the crisis;
• the idea of a blockade of Hasa ports to force the Najdi tribes into submission;
• the Battle of Sabila and its aftermath.

Other subjects included are:

• the imprisonment of Nuhaitar ibn Juraiyid of the Dhafir tribe in Hail;
• the channels through which communication with Ibn Sa'ud should be made (i.e. through Bushire or through Jeddah).

Notable within the volume is a sketch map and extensive notes by Harold Dickson on the seasonal migrations of the shepherd tribes of the Lower Euphrates.

At the end of the volume (folios 378-382) are office notes.