Enclosure No. 1 to Despatch No. 698, dated April 11, 1945 from the American Legation at Baqhdad.
COPY
ASSYRIAN PROBLEM
From all public speeches and official statements made by the Allied Statesmen since the beginning of the present war the declared policy of the Governments of all the United Nations is understood to be cooperation to establish and maintain permanent international peace and security. The Allied Powers have declared their belief in essentiality of establishing competent international institutions for finding practical solutions for world's social, economic and political problems so as to remove all future causes of wars it is with this particular object that the Allied Powers are utilizing the services of all experts at their disposal. for preparation of comprehensive plans in order to carry out disarmament and complete destruction of aggressive militarism of states whose armed forces have supported unprovoked aggressive policy of their Governments who aimed at annihilation, enslavement and domination of small and defenceless nations and peoples. It is also intended to eliminate Fascism, Nazism and all similar regimes together with their sympathisers, satellites and collaborationists who supported Axis policy and to replace them by peaceful democratic Governments. It is also intended to make careful consideration of and methods to compensate all damages done by wars of aggressive nations. It is desired to relieve the oppressed and destitute people immediately after their liberation to arrange for their repatriation, restoration of their essential services, to help them in their urgently needed agricultural and industrial productions. Above all to extend recognition of rights of both small and great nations and peoples and to form new entities out of the peoples who have proved their loyalty, wisdom and goodwill to enjoy sovereign rights and equality thus putting in practical practice the high ideals embodied in the Atlantic Charter and subsequent allied declaration.
Here we humbly present the case of a brave, loyal, eligible and most deserving people who once were a great and advanced nation of about forty millions and a powerful Empire whose contribution to science and culture are numerous together with its propagation of Christianity, educating and enlightening services throughout the Continent of Asia are unsurpassed. But as a result of twenty six centuries of aresions [sic] and persecutions has been reduced to a few hundreds of thousands.
In order to end their sufferings they accepted the Allies proposals to join them in World War One while realising the heavy sacrifices which would be demanded by them by fighting the Central powers and their Satellites. They joined the Allies and fought gallantly making every possible sacrifice, proportionately greater than any of the other allied nations. Having performed their part and as a result losing their Autonomous political status within the Ottoman Empire and their position as a Millet in Persia (Iran) sacrificing our homeland all our movable and immovable properties and more than half of our men, women, and children who were either killed on the battle fields or massacred in cold blood. Having thus born the heavy expense of the war but performing our part in that great and momentous struggle for the final allied victory.
After the armistice when the Assyrians appeared before the Allied Tribunals demanding a settlement for their claims in accordance with the Allied promises we were unfortunately refused a hearing. It was decided that our ancient fatherland (Assyria) which was wrested from the Ottoman Empire not without the valuable blood of our sons, to be renamed Iraq and be given to the war time enemies of the allies - the Mesopotamian Arabs - who as subjects of the Sultan had fought against the Allied Army ferociously both as regular soldiers, as volunteer Arab tribal hordes and, as Moslems. Contrary to all approved principles of justice and humanity these enemies were treated as friends and given the country a constitutional government and independence. Whereas we, the Assyrians, were refused direct representation and treated as enemies and left no alternative but either to starve or become serfs to our former enemies. In spite of our continuous appeals and protestations as to the future treatment which we expected that would be accorded to us by our new and unfriendly masters, no attention was paid to us. Later oppressive social, economic, administrative and political measures were immediately adapted against us intended to bring about gradual but complete annihilation of this loyal people who had thrown their lot with the Allied Powers. Living was made so intolerable as a result of the measures adapted against us and as previously foretold they culminated in the 1933 massacre of peaceful loyal Assyrian serfs living in the villages of their new masters. This act was committed by regular Iraqi Armed Forces under direct instructions from the Central Government. After we brought the case before the League of Nations the sole excuse for this act of barbarism committed against poor, hungry, and unemployed Assyrians who had entered Syria in search of employment, food and lands for settlement and cultivation where they could live in peace and secure from aggression. and to escape serfdom, destitution and. oppression, was described by the Iraqi delegates as an unexpected excesses to have taken place as a result of stabilizing measures adapted by his Government for maintenance of internal security. When the League realized the real position of the Assyrians once more reviewed the Assyrian problem and the council decided that it was necessary to find a reasonable and humane solution of the Assyrian problem. Unfortunately before any thing practical could have been done the Axis powers presented and engaged the League with new and more complicated problems. When the present war broke out in 1933 no permanent and reasonable solution had been found. The preliminary steps taken by the League had resulted in dividing the Assyrians between two countries of Iraq and Syria. Whereas their other oppressed brethren in Iran and those who had so kindly been given refuge in Russia and United States and other similar smaller communities all over the world were awaiting a practical solution where they would be allowed to join their brethren and live in peace and secure from molestations.
During 1941 when the existence of the British Empire and of the whole civilized world was threatened by the aggressive and formidable armies of the Axis Powers who had defeated the allied armies in the west. and southern Europe and occupied Crete and when the German and Fascist. Armies were marching on Egypt, threatening the foothold of the allied armies in the Middle and Near East suddenly Iraqi Government - enemies of the Allies during the first World War and superficial friends of the British during the period between the two wars joined hands with the Axis Powers stabbed the British in the back and invited the Fascist and Nazi Air Forces to come in and help them to push the British out of Iraq so as to enable them to place at the disposal of the Axis Powers all their resources including food supplies, important aerodromes, all lines and means of communications above all the Oil Fields so important to the Allied Armies, Navies and Air Forces. At this historic moment - the Assyrians allies of the former war though treated as enemies during the period. between the two wars - seeing this act of treachery declared themselves on the side of Great Britain and her Allies, risking their very existence at a time when even the possibilities of the Allied recovery was doubtful, fought gallantly and fanatically thus winning the first Allied victory in this war over the Fascist and Axis Air Forces and the armies of their Iraqi Satellites at Habbaniyah and Fillujah in May 1941, thus forcing the Air Forces to evacuate Iraq at the same time defeating the Iraq Army and Arab tribal hordes bringing about armistice thus securing the whole of the resources of Iraq for the future use of the Allies. How could any other people have made such a noble and historical decision and under such circumstances "A NATION IS A NATION NO MATTER SMALL OR GREAT".
Had the Assyrians acted otherwise as many peoples acted and would have acted under such circumstances, it is almost certain that the Allies would have been deprived of the use of vital war means and materials and hew long it would have taken and at what cost to regain them it is a matter for experts to decide. Besides the Assyrians ignored all war time profits and on the request of the British Authorities volunteered in thousands and joined the Royal Air Force ground forces at a meagre rate of three pounds per mensem and served on the most difficult and important duties of guarding the Aerodromes, ammunition dumps, other important war materials and all lines of communications in the Middle and Near Eastern countries and among internally hostile public of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and in Cyprus. They have since taken active part in the Mediterranean and Southern European theatres of war and have crowned themselves in glory by making every sacrifice with one and only object, to be rewarded by a home where they can settle, be secured work and live in peace and have freedom of speech and worship and freedom from want under a Government in whom they will have confidence as promised by Atlantic Charter.
On the other hand the Assyrians in Iran placed at the disposal of the Allied powers a large volume of heavy efficient and reliable mechanical transport for transportation of most important war materials from the Persian Gulf. They also placed at the disposal of the Allies and served in all capacities where they could be of proven use to the Allied War effort.. It is needless to mention that when the Germans were invading Caucasus thousands of Assyrians volunteered to join the Red Army and play their part in stemming the advance of the Germans. The Assyrians in Russia and in United States have joined the Armed Forces of their respective countries and are rendering valuable services.
From the available information, it appears that the valuable services and sacrifices made by the Assyrians during the present war similar to those of the last are going to be claimed and credited to others and utilized by the approved oppressors against the interests of the Assyrians. We wanted to be known as it is no secret to us that the Iraqi public still considers the decision of the Assyrians to join and fight on the side of the Allies while they (Iraqis) had decided and joined the Axis powers, a treacherous act on the part of the Assyrians and are therefore looking for a suitable opportunity to retaliate. This opportunity will be provided when the war is over and the Allied forces stationed in this country are repatriated and if no provisions are made to protect the Assyrians against their oppressors.
Unless the leading Allied Powers and noble Governments of. the United Nations undertake in the name of justice and humanity to intervene and demand the Assyrians be provided with rights for direct representation, and refuse any possible claims by others the credit for their valuable services and sacrifices during the present war preparations have been made in order to exploit the situation and prevent such claims and thus further prevent repetition of the great injustice which was done to the Assyrians at the end of the last war which has been left homeless destitute oppressed and persecuted.
We further wish to warn those unfamiliar with the mentality of Iraqi Arabs not to be mistaken to believe that a Cabinet change in Iraq as is the case, can any way bring about a change in public opinion and in the existing administrative political judicial diplomatic military and police machinery of the state, nine per cent of them enthusiastically have supported their Government Policy when that Government declared war on the Allies in support of Axis Powers nothing has undergone any appreciable changes since. It is the same public support. led by the same existing state machinery who consider the Assyrians responsible and instrumental in bringing about the defeat of their military forces and shattering of their pro-Axis war aims and inflicting on them losses in men and material, they therefore consider it their prime duty to retaliate in due course.
We the Assyrians appeal to the justice and humanitarian principles of the Allied Governments that:
(a) We may be considered a separate and distinct people (nation) which joined the allies in both wars and made great sacrifice losing its political Autonomous Status, its movable and immovable property, social educational religious institutions, all of its financial wealth and more than half of its people either killed on the battlefields or massacred in cold blood.
(b) We may be given the right representation in order to enable us to put our case in its true form before the competent Allied Institutions and to avoid decision taken on its presentation by the interested parties who have in the past misrepresented it in the past as a result of which we have the suffering since the last war.
(c) In order to enable direct representation we request that provisions are made by the Allied Governments in requesting all countries in which the Assyrians domiciled to allow them to appoint their own representatives so as to make up a delegation of all Assyrians for submitting their case and representing their people before the competent Allied institutions which will be formed for organizing post war world order.
(d) That our request for secure home where our refuge disorganized oppressed persecuted and homeless people to be given serious consideration.
(e) That Assyrians be placed on the agendas of all competent institutions which will be formed in order to take into consideration and make necessary compensation. for all moral political and material damages caused by the two successive wars and precautions taken to prevent the loyal Assyrians from becoming victims for having supported the Allied but to be included for every constructive and relief work intended for repartions of damages proper settlement rehabilitation and restoration of their urgently needed services and in their agricultural and industrial production required for peaceful daily life.
Ressource: http://www.aina.org/books/lpotme/lpotme.htm#c2
by the way there are also many chapters about Kurds you should have a look.
And i just found out that kurds count at 1935 or so around 8 million people.
