§ Colonel DAYasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any reports of the reported rising of the Wahabi Sheik Feisal-ed-Dourish, in preparation for an attack on Iraq territory, and can he give the House particulars?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe Acting High Commissioner for Iraq reports that a raiding party of about 100 Wahabi tribesmen attacked the Iraq Police post at Busaiyah on the night of the 5th November and killed 20 persons, including six police and one civil official, and wounded one other. This post is situated some 50 miles within the Iraq frontier. The raiders made good their escape. A strongly-worded protest has been sent to the King of the Hejaz and Nejd, to whom the raiders are understood to owe allegiance. Since the raid took place reports have reached the Iraq Government to the effect that Wahabi tribesmen were concentrating for a further raid upon Iraq territory, which was said to be planned for the 16th November. So far as I am aware, no such further raid has taken place; and it is possible that the reports were, in fact, a belated forecast of the events of the 5th November. Precautionary measures have, however, been taken to deal with any further trouble that may arise.