§ 55. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what is the name of the locality from which a raid took place into the Iraq territory, resulting in the death of 146 men and 127 women and children, and in the course of which all male prisoners and wounded, both men and boys, were put to death; whether he can tell the House the causes which led to this outbreak; whether these raiding tribes are among those who were bombed on any of the five occasions on which bombing has taken place during the past five months; and will he state the date when the above-mentioned disturbance, causing so great a loss of life, took place?
§ Mr. LEACHThe locality referred to is a desert area lying about 130 miles southwest of Djaliba, which is a railway station 76 miles west of Basra. The raid, which took place on 14th March, can only be attributed partly to the natural turbulence of the tribes and partly to the desire for loot. The particular tribe responsible for the raid has not been bombed at any time.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs it 14th March this year?
§ Captain BERKELEYDid not the hon. Gentleman inform the House the other day that when these bombing machines were employed no casualties resulted, and that they dropped tracts and not bombs?
§ Mr. LEACHI said that the result of our operations this year, since this Government came into office, had not resulted in any casualties.
§ Captain BERKELEYDoes not the hon. Gentleman now inform the House that this raid took place in March of this year, since the Government came into office?
§ Mr. AYLESIs this one of the methods adopted by the Government for demilitarising the mind of the people of Great Britain?
§ Miss LAWRENCECan the hon. Member say whether these casualties were inflicted by one tribe on another or by His Majesty's Forces?
§ Mr. LEACHThe casualties referred to took place in a raid which had no relationship to air raids. The raids referred to are tribal raids which we are seeking to bring to an end.
§ Sir C. YATEThese men were killed by the raiders.
Viscountess ASTORIs it not true that if it had not been for the raid many more people would have been killed. [HON. MEMBERS: "Answer!"]
§ Mr. SPEAKERSome questions do not allow of an answer.
§ 56. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is able to state the number of dwelling places destroyed by bombing on the five occasions when bombing took place in Iraq during the past five months; what number of sheep and cattle were destroyed; and the value of the grazing lands which were also bombed?
§ Mr. LEACHIt is not possible to state the number of buildings destroyed by bombing in Iraq during the period covered by the question, but the chief occasion on which material damage was effected was in the course of punitive air action against Shaikh Mahmoud's headquarters, when several houses and a large tobacco store were destroyed by fire. As regards the second and third parts of the question, no figures are ascertainable, but the reports received indicate that as a result of the issue of warnings, livestock are often removed by the tribesmen from the area affected. I would point out that the objects of air action in such cases are largely secured, not by the infliction of casualties, but by making the tribesmen concerned realise that the Government of their country has means of reaching those who offer armed defiance to its authority.
§ Mr. LANSBURYHaw is it that, if it is impossible to tell what material damage has been done, it is possible for the airmen to say that no one suffered injury by their bombing?
§ Sir C. YATEIs it the case that no punishment whatever was inflicted on the raiders who killed these 146 men?
59 and 60. Lieut.-Commander KEN-WORTHYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) whether the Royal Air Force has been in action, since the present Government took office, in any dependencies or mandated territories other than Iraq; and, if so, what were the circumstances;
(2) on how many occasions the Royal Air Force has been in action since the present Government took office, otherwise than in Iraq; what were the occasions; and whether bombs were dropped or machine guns brought into action, and against what objectives?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I point out, Mr. Speaker, that the first question is intended and does refer to British territory, and the second question to territories other than British?
§ Mr. LEACHThe Royal Air Force has been in action, outside Iraq, on two occasions since the present Government took office, on both occasions on the North-West Frontier of India. The first was at Razmak, on 19th April, 1924, when an aeroplane directed the fire of a section of howitzers against a village, which was shelled in reprisal for the sniping of patrols in the neighbourhood. The second was on 25th and 28th May, when bombs and machine guns were used against two villages of the Mahsuds, who had committed several serious outrages and had been warned that if they did not comply with certain terms, including the return of Hindus kidnapped and sold and the surrender of rifles, air or other action would be taken against them. Three out of four sections of the Mahsuds complied with these terms; the fourth failed to do so, and were consequently attacked.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYWhen these villages were bombed with machine guns, was any warning given so, that non-combatants and children could be removed?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYWas it done in this case?
§ Viscount CURZONHas it not always been one of the chief points of Liberal policy to do away with slavery?