Rebellion in Dhofar province

This file relates to the Dhofar rebellion, and the efforts of HMG and the Sultanate of Oman to combat the rebels. It contains:

• Various telegrams, situation reports, and weekly summaries from the Commander British Forces Gulf (CBFG) on military operations in Dhofar and Oman. It includes: casualty lists; reports of rebel attacks; the activities of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force (SOAF); the activities of the firqat – local tribal militia loyal to the Sultanate – under SAF control; and the British military presence in Dhofar
• Press extracts about the situation in Dhofar from Aden, Baghdad, and Moscow Radio
• The communiqués and statements from the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf (PFLOAG) on its offensives in Dhofar and British casualties; and other supportive, local communist publications of the Dhofar rebels
• Articles in the British press on the situation in Dhofar, including The Economist, the Financial Times, and the Daily Mail
• A report from the Consul General in Muscat D G Crawford’s visit to the British Army Training Team at Taqa [Taqah] and Murbat [Mirbat]
• An exchange of correspondence concerning the morale and future strength of the firqat and proposlas for improvement
• A report from the British Embassy in Moscow on the interest of the Soviet Union in Dhofar
• A record of a meeting in the Political Residency between British commanders and Muscat officials to discuss the Dhofar situation
• An exchange of correspondence on the danger of British military dependence on the bases at Salalah and Masirah, and its impact on British policy in the Gulf
• An evaluation of the Dhofar rebellion by the Oman Defence Secretary Colonel H R D Oldman
• A report on the Gulf islands dispute with Iran, and its impact on British defence policy