دور العراق في مؤتمر الكويت عام 1923 والصراع السعودي _ الهاشمي

Abstract

The aftermath of World War I (1914-1918) barely settled when the signs of conflict among Britain’s allies in the Arabian Peninsula became apparent. This conflict, rooted in decades past between the Hashemite's in the Hijaz and the Al Saud in Najd, intensified despite Britain’s efforts to prevent it from erupting. While Britain aimed to focus solely on the military contributions of its Arab allies to decisively win the war, the escalating hostility between Najd’s ruler, Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, and the King of the Hijaz, Hussein bin Ali, demanded increased diplomatic efforts to persuade both parties to ease tensions and engage in negotiations to resolve their outstanding issues . British diplomatic efforts led to the Kuwait Conference in December 1923, where Iraq played a prominent role in seeking peaceful solutions to problems threatening the stability of the region under British influence. Despite Iraq’s efforts during the conference to bridge perspectives not only between Iraq and Najd but also among other Hashemite entities like the Emirate of Transjordan and the Kingdom of the Hijaz, the absence of participation from the Hijaz led to the conference’s failure. Consequently, Abdul-Aziz Al Saud found sufficient justification to direct his forces towards the Hijaz, annexing it to his domain and ending Hashemite rule there. At that time, Iraq lacked the capacity for direct intervention in favor of the Hijaz against the Saudi onslaught. Its efforts were limited to financial aid, condemnations, and appeals to Britain, which turned a blind eye to the conflict. Additionally, Iraq was compelled not to provide real support contributing to the resilience of the Hashemite's, ultimately leading to the downfall of Hashemite rule and the Hijaz falling into the hands of Ibn Saud.