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practically the whole of the air force in India were engaged, and which cost more than a million pounds and several hundred lives.
There can be no guarantee that this operation in the Ahmadzai salient will not develop into an equally formidable commitment indeed we can rely on the Germans and Russians doing all in their power to fan the flames by propaganda and by subsidies.
6. On the face of it the proposed operation would not involve much air activity, But it is common experience that the air force is always called upon in the end for far more than appears probable at the beginning. It is true that some of the aircraft in India would be of little use in a war against Russia, but their crews would be; and it is essential that we should conserve our air resources in India as much as we possibly can,
7.
That is the Imperial Defence aspect. In regard to the local aspect, we in London are not in a position to produce reasons to counter the view of the authorities in India that these operations are unavoidable, The Govern- ment of India naturally feel that they have gone to the utmost lengths in avoiding these operations, and that they have now become inevitable. It is suggested, however, that more convincing evidence as to their inevitability should be produced before they are sanctioned by the ar Cabinet in present circumstances,
8.
The problem is as much one of the settled districts as it is of tribal territory. The branch of the Wazir tribes which uses the salient which it is now proposed to occupy stretches into settled India and into the districts Last of Bannu In fact a majority of the tribe live in the Bannu district. It is a notorious fact that raiders who have used the salient as a base for their operations against Bannu and the districts have been assisted and joined by villagers from the Ahmadzai Wazirs in the settled districts. A different code of rules, however, applies in settled India from that which applies in Tribal territory in regard to the employment of armed forces.
There is no doubt that the problem has its roots as much in the Bannu district itself as ver the border and we ought not to agree to an operation against the tribal territory only, without pressing that the hindrances to effective action in settled districts should also be removed, This is largely a Frontier Constabulary problem.
9.
It is recommended therefore that the memorandum by the Secretary of State for India should be referred to the Chiefs of Staff for examination and report.
4.
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