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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT

TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.

It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document.

SECRE T.

C.O.S.(40)497

(Also W.P:(40)230).

29TH JUNE, 1940.

WAR CABINET.

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

DESPATCH OF TROOPS TO TRAQ.

Memorandum.

COPY NO. 37

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319

on

In our Memorandum dated 14th June, 1940, Internal Security in Iraq we suggested, inter alia, that:-

1.

2.

(i) "It should be demanded of the Iraqi Government

to play their responsible part in implementing not merely the letter but the spirit of the Treaty and that public declarations, either spoken or written, by Iraqi statesmen are essential.

11

abinet approved this suggestion.

The War Cabinet

The situation in Iraq remains unsatisfactory. Conditions have deteriorated and anti-British propaganda, encouraged by the collapse of France and the entry of Italy into the war, is increasing. The prestige of the Axis Powers is high, while that of the Allies is correspond- ingly low. The War Office has discussed with the Foreign In Office what steps should be taken to improve matters. the opinion of the Foreign Office, if heavy pressure was brought to bear on the Iraq Government to take action against the supporters of our enemies, the Government might fall and a situation would arise in which we might be compelled to send troops into the country to restore order. To prevent such an event, the Foreign Office would like to see British forces in Iraq now.

3o

The factors on which a decision must depend are:

secure.

The

497

(a) We are now at war with Italy, and our communi-

cations through the Red Sea are by no means

Although our recent successes have reduced the threat from submarines, the Italians are now free to increase their Air Forces in East Africa to the limit imposed by maintenance difficulties. air threat to shipping at the southern end of the Red Sea is in consequence likely to increase. The overland route through Iraqi from Basra to Palestine becomes, therefore,

W.P. (40)205.

AW.M. (40)167th Conclusions, Minute 14.

-1-

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