9.
16B
Page 16
So
I think the stakes are so high that we cannot afford to hesitate. Cur interest in the oil of Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain and in the prospective oil deposits in Muscat and the Trucial Coast is of crucial importance to us. Our special position in the Gulf depends upon the respect in which we are held by the Rulers of these territories. long as our protection is seen to be effective, our position will be assured. If we were to allow the Saudis to impose a major defeat upon us and the loss of Buraimi would be that the whole of our position might easily slip away.
10.
The conclusions are
(a) that we should now inform first the United States
Government and immediately afterwards the Saudi Government that the Saudis' actions have rendered a judicial settlement of this problem impossible and that, to protect the interests of the Rulers whom we represent, we are resuming our freedom of action in the disputed areas and breaking off arbitration;
(b) that we should then unilaterally declare what we
regard as a fair frontier though at the same time saying that we would be prepared to make minor rectifications by agreement;
(c) that we should support the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in
reoccupying the disputed area and removing the Saudi police from Buraimi;
(d) that we should declare a frontier and be
prepared to defend it by force, if necessary;
(e) that we should give the Sultan of Muscat the
necessary help in resuming control of Hamasa,
Foreign Office, S.W.1.
14th October, 1955.
H.M.
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