TALE OF A CITY 110 The US authorities also requested that all construction works be carried out by the US military, using their own personnel, equipment and materials. By the end of December 1943, the Americans were allowed by the British to construct radio stations and lighthouses in Tripoli, Benghazi, Cairo, Lydda, Habbaniyyah, Abadan and Sharjah. However, in Bahrain, the request was denied owing to an agreement that no part of the Bahraini territory was to be granted to any but the British Government. A Bahraini official stated that any facilities of importance to the world war efforts could only be given to the British R.A.F or rented to the US air force. American officers visited Bahrain to discuss the relevant issues regarding the required facilities. However, the Government of Bahrain pressed the British not to allow any of that.1 The British themselves were against the American presence in the Gulf region, especially the Arabian part: Bahrain and Sharjah. The R.A.F Command Headquarters Middle East sent a secret and urgent message to the Defence Ministry, London dated 19 December 1943 saying: “ Political Resident of Persian Gulf has cabled London repeated newDelhi to the effect that he considers proposals to grant Americans air facilities in Bahrein to be open to strong objection because there will be little hope of ejecting them after the war if we grant facilities for an air base in a place where there is already very powerful American owned company. He suggests that the Americans should be encouraged, to develop Persian coastal air route in preference to Arabian.” 2 The Secretary of State for India in the British Government, London, wrote a letter dated 8 January 1944 addressed to the Political Resident in the Gulf stating: “If however, it turns out tobe impossible forR.A.Fthemselves toexecutemainconstructional work required for Americans , we feel that it might be preferable to attempt to divert them to Persian coast route, notwithstanding objections which we appreciate, rather than let them 1 .O.R./L.P.&S/12/2043, EXT.491/1944, Johnson, D. M. Lieutenant Colonel, USA−Ret., “The Persian Gulf Command and the Lend−Lease Mission to the Soviet Union during World War II”, On Point: The Journal Of Army History,28 June 2016. (The Army Historical Foundation, Established 1995), pp.2−3. 2 Ibid., L.P.&S/12/2043, EXT.186/1944.
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