741.90G11/48: Telegram
The Minister Resident in Iraq (Knabenslwe) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 26—11:54 a.m.]
328. Nuri42 has just published in the local press his letter of December 15th, 1940, to Rashid Ali, translation of which was sent to the Department with my despatch of January 7th, 1941.43 With the letter was published an explanatory statement by Nuri in [apparent omission] case he stresses particularly the desirability of establishing an Iraqi Legation in the United States because, as he states, such representation has been essential for Iraq in consequence of international developments and because of the intermingling of Iraq’s political, economic and educational interests with those of the democratic front. He adds that this diplomatic representation will ensure for Iraq the sympathy and support of American public opinion in the efforts that are being made for the solution of national questions particularly [Page 514] the Palestine issue and assures the importation of essential commodities for Iraq. He concludes with the statement that the United States is today a power to be reckoned with in the determination of the fate of the world, both from the material and moral aspects and that its aid to the democracies will be a fundamental factor in the victory of the principles of liberty and that its word will, after the end of the war, be very effective in determining the world order which will be based on the freedom and independence of nations.
- Gen. Nuri as-Said, appointed Prime Minister of Iraq October 9, 1941.↩
- Not printed, but for summary, see telegram No. 127, December 29, 1940, 8 p.m., Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. iii, p. 725.↩