HL Deb 22 July 1957 vol 205 cc15-8

3.34 p.m.

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF GOSFORD)

My Lords, disturbances have recently been taking place in Central Oman, a remote and difficult area in Arabia, over which the Sultan of Muscat and Oman re-established his authority at the end of 1955. These disturbances have been stimulated by the former Imam of Oman, whom the Sultan allowed to retire peaceably in 1955 to a village in the area. The former Imam and his brother, Talib, appear to have managed to acquire a limited quantity of arms and have been trying to persuade some of the local tribes to defect against the authority of the Sultan. While they have had some initial success, the unrest still remains localised.

The Sultan of Muscat and Oman has requested British assistance and this request has been agreed to. The local British authorities are considering with him the best form which this might take. They have been given discretion within certain limits to take military action. Small scale precautionary movements of our forces have already taken place. The reasons for this action are that the dissidents have clearly received assistance from outside the territories of the Sultan. It is, therefore, in the view of Her Majesty's Government, right that we should respond to the Sultan's request for help. We have had friendly Treaty relations with the Sultan and his predecessors for the past 150 years.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl first whether we have any treaty obligation to come to the military aid of the Sultan? He referred to the Treaty of 1939, but there is no reference to military aid in that: it is a commercial treaty. My second question is: is it contemplated that we should send, from outside, military aid to the Sultan?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, the answer to the noble Viscount's first question is that our relations are at present governed by the 1951 Treaty of Friendship. There is no military treaty as such. No forces have in fact been moved into Muscat, apart from overflying by aircraft on reconnaissance.

LORD BIRDWOOD

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl a supplementary question? If we do not fulfil a request from the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, is not the effect on other Sheikhdoms of the Gulf, to whom we have obligations, going to be extremely deplorable?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, I believe I have already answered the question of the noble Lord, Lord Bird-wood, by saying that our local military authorities in the area have already been given discretion, within certain limits, to take action.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, is it a fact that we may find ourselves faced with the necessity of moving our forces outside into the Oman area for the purpose of suppressing, any rising?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, there is no question at the moment of using land forces and there is therefore no question of land forces going into the area.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, is there any evidence at all that it is really outside foreign oil interests who are moving in these matters? It is rather important that the nation should know, when they are considering the wisdom of any action that may be taken.

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, the only real interference from outside of which we know is concerned with arms. So far as we know, anything else is rumour.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, does the noble Earl claim that we could have the right under any treaty to move in forces to suppress a rising?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, I do not think there is any question of any right. We have no right to go in with our forces but we have been asked to go to the aid of the Sultan.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, I am speaking of international rights. I have asked Her Majesty's Government whether there is any international right to send in forces, because it is a very dangerous precedent to establish.

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, does the noble Viscount mean whether we have a right to go in of our own accord?

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

No, by invitation.

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

We certainly have the right to do so.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

My Lords, I would refer the noble Earl to the case of Hungary on which there was a very clear statement by the Chairman of the Bar Council and late Attorney-General, Sir Hartley Shawcross. He said there is no such right. I am not speaking of the merits of this dispute, but I point out the extreme danger of our asserting the right of our Government to send in forces, even if demanded by the local authorities.

THE EARL OF GOSFORD

My Lords, that is a rather different problem.

LORD BIRDWOOD

My Lords, would the noble Earl agree that Her Majesty's Government should bear in mind their responsibility for the protection of the lives of Britons, who, so far as I understand, are situated about one hundred miles from the seat of the possible area of operations?