Page 568 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

568 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

That was the beginning of a long Green Mountain War from 1955-1965.
After the Sultan Forces swept interior Oman, arresting those oppose the Sultan and
killing many Omanis, a revolt throughout interior had spread headed by Imam Ghalib
and his brother Talib of Green Mountain. They had established an Omani Liberation
Army, which was supported by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and American Oil Cos.
By 1957, the Omani liberation Army was ready to push back Sultan army from the
interior, and declare independent Oman. Even they had a spokesman at Cairo and sent
an envoy to UN, China, and other countries.

The British Involvement:
Sultan Saeed was unable to deal with the uprising, thus he turned to Britain for as-
sistant. He first had asked for nominal help by requesting for British Royal Air Force
(RAF) to make reconnaissance flight over the Green Mountain area. In a letter to the
British Council-General in Muscat, he wrote that he decided military action will have
to be taken and that “ he will be grateful if the Royal Air force could help by making
reconnaissance flights over Shargiya and drop messages on loyal tribes telling them
what the government are doing. There may also be requested for communication flights
between Muscat and Tawi Salaim near Dariz.” (2)
The British Government was more than happy to respond to his request because that
would keep the Saudi away (which meant to keep ARAMCO or Arabian American Oil
Company). The British assistant to Sultan of Oman rooted in the special relationship
between Her Majesty Government and various Sultans that had ruled Oman since 1800.
This special relationship had grown up from excluding the French from Oman in Nine-
teenth Century to run the Sultan’s army in 1957. Having said that, the British assistant
gone through various steps:
Sir Percy Cox, Brit-
ish Council in Muscat
with Sultan of Muscat
and his Ministers in In-
dia 1903. Source: Pe-
yton, W. D. (1983). Old
Oman. London: Stacey
International. P., 32.
First step: they had
asked Sultan Saeed to
make public announce-
ment. In a telegram in
May, 1957 Sir Bernard
Burrows (H.M.Poiltical
resident in Bahrain

2 . Bahrain Telegram No. 525 to foreign Office. In Records of Oman, 1867-1960. Vol. 9. Historical Affairs
1955-1960. London: Archive Editions, 1992. P., 143.