CONFIDENTIAL (4/4) BRITISH RESIDENCY, BAHRAIN.15 March, 1968. BAHRAIN. 57 Qatar/Abu Dhabi Seabed BoundaryThe Political Resident discussed the presentstate of play with you when you were here on 13 March,with particular reference to the postscript to yourletter (4/2) of 17 February to me, to which we owedyou a reply. You asked for a letter setting out thesubstance of the conversation concerned. Perhapsyou could check what follows with the PoliticalResident during his forthcoming visit to Doha. As wesee it, and without prejudice to the question of theQataris obtaining seismic data from Pachachi, the ballis at present in the Qatari court. Zaid awaits asuggested compromise line from Ahmed.2. If Ahmed pursues the idea suggested in yourpostscript (which would in any case present considerablecomplications) he would have to be told that the effectof defining a new operating limit, which this would inpractice amount to, would be to set a measure ofsanctity on the resulting line (presumably the GreenLine) and reduce the likelihood of a settlement on anyother basis. The Political Resident for his partwould not be disposed to take two bites at this cherryduring the remaining period of our responsibility; andfor this reason alone Ahmed would be well advised todrop the idea of an interim measure. و أحمد الله 3. If Ahmed is really interested in securing asettlement with Zaid, it would surely be to his advantageto put forward a compromise proposal fairly soon, sinceotherwise there is at least the possibility of Záidplaying the arbitration card. The fact that he hasrecently mentioned the possibility of returning toarbitration in the case of Buraimi suggests that theidea may not be far from his mind.) This of coursewould mean that there would be no change in the presentsituation for, I suppose, two years or more, while thelaborious process of arbitration was pursued.4. All in all and taking into account the fact thatZaid, in his present resentful frame of mind, isunlikely to make a spontaneous gesture of his own, thearguments for Ahmed putting forward a proposalsufficiently accommodating to have a chance ofacceptance would seem to us fairly strong. 1 and takine stion was purse, while essent (H. G. Balfour-Paul)R. H. M, Boyle, Esq., D.S.C., DOHA.Copy to: A. T. Lamb, Esq., MBE, DFC, Abu Dhabi. M. S. Weir, Esq., Arabian Department.
