Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Near East and Africa, Volume VII

890G. 6363/12–2846

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iraq (Moose)

confidential
No. 561

Washington, December 28, 1946.

The Secretary of State refers to conversations which took place in the Department on May 29, 1945⁴² between Nuri Pasha and various officers of the Department, in which Nuri Pasha stated, inter alia, that he considered it highly desirable that the extraction of petroleum in Iraq be increased and that he hoped American interests would take steps to bring about the opening of the Basra and Mosul oil fields.

The Officer in Charge may inform Nuri Pasha, unless objection is perceived, that the American Government and American elements in the Iraq Petroleum Company have consistently favored the development of these areas and that, in line with this policy, it is now understood that the Iraq Petroleum Company has secured priorities for the export of drilling materials and has firm plans for commencing drilling operations in the Basra Petroleum Company Ltd. concession in the near future. It is also understood that the Iraq Petroleum Company has firm plans for the commencement of operations in the British Oil Development Company Ltd. concession area in northern Iraq.

42. Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. viii, p. 49; see also footnote 10, ibid., p. 51. Nuri Pasha was at that time a former Prime Minister of Iraq. He became Prime Minister again on November 21, 1946.