NationStates Jolt Archive

Year of the Hijrah 1351 [CE 1950]

It was an early morning in Qattara for Mahmud, as he rounded up the entire caravan from the oasis. The days were especially hot, so it was best for everyone to move as quickly as possible before the afternoon deemed it too difficult to cross the salt flats. Sheikh Mahmud was responsible for the entire tribe, and he didn't want to lose anyone to the sands of the desert.

It had three years into his exile from Al Qahirah, after the Emirs declared their independence. It was considered irrational on the behalf of the British, to attempt to steal back Egypt from the Egyptians, but it seemed that their interests were in jeopardy when the Emir Yusif allied with the Saudis. And at first, Mahmud supported the Emir wholeheartedly.

However, after the calamitous fighting in the Sinai, he was among the many young folk who escaped the harsh recourses and he fled back to the home of his fathers - Qattara. It was a desolate region - even the Germans avoided it during the war, and it seemed that the British would likewise leave it alone. But it was this mistake that would lead to their downfall. While Mahmud returned to a nomadic lifestyle, he vowed to make a return to Al Qahirah and re-establish the Emirate.

Well, that was 1947. Just seven months after the British seized control, they installed Yusif's nephew - Saud ibn Faud - as the new Emir and essentially made him a puppet. This upsetted many Egyptians, who felt cheated by the ibn-Faysal dynasty. Yusif remained an ardent opponent from prison cell in London, but his voice was soon silenced after his controversial death in 1949. The official report was suicide, but rumors grew from it, claiming that the British had killed him. Of course, there was also the other rumor that Yusif committed suicide to rouse the rumors that the British had killed, but mostly supporters of the puppet regime claimed that, and only amongst themselves, for fear that the majority of the "other" people would rebuke them harshly [i.e. stone them].

It was this early morning that would prove to be the beginning of a beautiful thing, however. Mahmud began the procession, leading on his white stallion. The day had passed into its second hour and the sands were already hot. he could see the ripples of air rise from the desert, blinding his eyes to things that he ought to see. Of course, there was no real danger, but the rocks of Qattara usually hid some traps that would sometimes stop an entire procession - a march in the wrong direction often led to disaster, as it was starvation that killed most venturers. True, the heat took its toll, but heat was the slower killer. In any case, Mahmud didn't want either plague on his family, and he took care that no one fell off the track. He continuously circled the caravan, with his son Jalal following often. His horse would tire more quickly, but he expected it to give a greater effort, because the tribe expect him to perform with excellence.

In all, he had about 200 people following, not including the servants and the foreigners who decided to tag along. He also had about 15 merchants from Tripoli - all of them experts in the black market. They were all headed to the one major oasis in Qattara - Moghra . It was here that Mahmud had made his vows three years ago. Jalal, a rising young man of 16 years, had watched his father make the vows, and he had recited the same vows then. It surprised the community - especially the Tribe - but nearly everyone agreed that it was pious for a young child to accept and affirm his father's vows, ensuring that if Mahmud were to die, Allah would still bless him for his son's achievements.

They made the long venture through the canyons before crossing into the oasis. It was a poor place to maintain a settlement, with brackish water seeping from the salt lakes of the interior basin. Nonetheless, the water here was enough to support the roughly 2000 Bedouins who resided in or around Qattara. And tonight, the oasis would be stretched to its limits, as its waters would teem with those thousands and their company of stock - camels, horses, rams, and goats, maybe others as well. But it would only be one day - at most two - and after this, they would return to wherever they had come from. This meeting was the work of the past seven months, negotiating with the other Sheikhs and even some outsiders. It cost him 75 horses, 56 goats, and 1500 dinars to gather everyone, quite a hefty sum for a common Sheikh - the cost in livestock was more damaging than his money, because in this part of world, your horse was more valuable than anything else. He was your salvation in the desert, and with Allah's blessing, this steed would carry you wherever you needed to go to survive the ultimate test of faith.


After the tribe had settled, Mahmud dismounted and sifted through the vegetation, mostly reeds and shrubs, to reach the other Sheikhs. Only 500 had arrived, but it was early in the day, and Mahmud was content to have whatever Allah could grant him. He returned after two hours, to his home camp to dine for lunch. Jalal was eagerly reading the Qu'ran, studying its instruction and wisdom for the upcoming events. Malak was sitting in another room, with the other women of his family - his sisters, his nieces, even his own mother. Unlike other men of his tribe, Mahmud chose to have only one wife, because he felt that he could not burden himself with more than one. His mother criticized him once, for having only one wife, because he only had one son - it was ill-advised criticism, but he forgave his mother for the transgression. Regardless, he shunned polygamy and remained a devoted husband, as the Prophet had instructed. And he loved his son even more, as Allah had blessed with a faithful and righteous child, although he did cause mischief occasionally.

"Hareem!" he called, as the ladies immediately entered the main quarters, quietly and subserviently. One of his servants then brought in a small platter of food, for their meal. Some people in the Tribe considered it a blasphemy to eat in the same room as a woman, but Mahmud was a little more generous and invited everyone in his household to eat at the same table. After all, he couldn't really afford to get another table anyway, and he wouldn't allow the women to eat from the floor, like animals and beggars. Besides that, this was his family and he felt that it was better to enjoy in the same company - and there was only one other male in the family, so it made no sense that they should eat alone.

They quickly finished their servings - lamb roast and unlaven bread, with some distilled water from the marshes. It was still salty, but it was considerably healthier than the natural water. And the roast was especially good, considering that he hadn't eaten any meat for the past three weeks, surviving on bread and water like much of his family and Tribe. But agai, they finished the meal quickly, and the ladies obediently returned to their quarters. He would have made mention to Malak, but he didn't feel that it was the right time. Instead, he went back out, with Jalal by his side, and returned to the other camps. By this time, nearly 1500 had arrived, as more were still coming from over the hills. He was very satisfied and consulted with those Sheikhs who were already there - they would began at sunset, with the conclusion of the evening prayers. And there, they would begin this beautiful thing.

The Sheikhs had all assembled for a meeting with Mahmud. The sun was shining brightly in the west, and among the reeds, Mahmud revealed his intentions:

"Greetings, Brothers! We have all come from afar to this place, and yes it was I who pleaded you to come here. In this desolate place of the Earth, we assemble to honor and glorify Allah and the true rectitation of His Prophet. For those of you who do not know me, I am Skeikh Mahmud ibn Abbas al Misri! For generations, The Abbas clan has wandered these deserts as nomads, and many of you well know of Abbas al Hasim!

"It has been for many generations, and now it is our generation and the generation of our children! I recently went to al Qahirah to heed the calls of a growing Egypt when that dream was stricken from us by the British! They humiliated us and destroyed the places of Allah and the places of Egyptians! They stole our state from us, and gave us a puppet! And in place of a just and pious leader, they implanted a child with no thought of his own and corrupted him in the ways that please neither Allah nor Egypt!

"I wasa exiled from the city, and it was here three years ago that I vowed to strike back and make no mercy with the British until they have quit their conviving ways and full retribution has been made upon them! It is my resolve to free Egypt from the infidels and return Allah's grace and favor to us.

"It is no task - to wage war against an empire of corruption and blasphemy - that should or could be done by one man. Hence, I have called upon you - my brothers, cousins, distant relatives far and unconnected but by the grace of Allah made brothers - I have called you to join me in jihad, as we prepare to return Allah to us. When the minarets of the country can freely call their prayers, we can say then that our job is finished! What say you?"

The speech brought a mixed reply - mostly grumbling. Many of the Sheikhs resented the idea of a Britain, but resented more the idea of an Egypt. They preferred to live as they were, as their families had done for centuries since the ascension of the Prophet. But there were others who were more enthusiastic. They met with Mahmud afterwards, hoping to hear more of his plan - and indeed he had more.

"It is not fitting that we should wage war while we are unclean. Therefore, after the Hajj, we shall assemble in Mersa Matruh to announce our jihad to the Egyptian people. After all, this is the last land of Islam that the British occupy, so it is more than fitting that Islam be liberated from the unclean occupcation. It is only Jumada al-Awwal, so we have 7 months to prepare for the Hajj and then the jihad. Spread the word across the deserts to those willing and to those faithful to take the cause. If it interests them, tell them that our next meeting shall meet in Port Said after Ramadan. From there, we will prepare for the things to come, which will hopefully lead to freedom of the faithful." And with that, he left the Sheikhs to debate among themselves whether it could be done. He had already made his mind - it would be done.

Year of the Hirjah - 1351 (CE 1951)

It was time for Hajj, and Mahmud had gather with his entire company at Mersa Matruh - the city that would first see its own liberation to his coalition. But he had not gathered to wage war. His hands would clean before they came to free them from the persecutions of the British occupation. They voyaged the hundreds of miles across the very highway that led past El Alamien, which decided the fate of the Germans in WWII. Some of the tanks and motor cars were still there, testaments to the carnage of war before them. It made Mahmud think of the things to come - desolation and destruction. He didn't like what he had seen, but the alternative was a cage. Would he prefer death to a cage?

The company spent a week carefully travelling on horses and camels, with gifts of incense and goats for tha Hajj. Their path came through Al Qahirah, where numerous British soldiers patrolled the streets and the signs - printed in English - declared martial order for the Emir Saud under the pretensions of "civil unrest". Indeed, the only unrest was the discontented hearts of millions of Egyptians. But Mahmud kept calm, for his hands were unclean.

They continued past for anotherr two days before arriving in Port Said, just in time to catch some of the remaining vessels parting for Madinah. He had only been there once, with his own father Salah ibn Nur. This would be his second Hajj to the Holy Land, and he sincerely hoped that it would be his last - not for the sake of sanctity but for the sake of humanity.

Year of the Hirjah - 1351 (CE 1951)

The Qattara delegation had arrived in Jeddah, ready to make the final leg to Madinah before making the symbollic voyage emulating the Prophet's return to Makkah. Throughout the entire venture, none of the Qattara delegation made any mention to the jihad to follow, but in their minds, they all knew of it. It was long over-due and the discontented faces of those they met in Al Qahirah proved that their purpose was truly a liberation of the people and the will of Allah.

Mahmud could not confirm of those who followed him, but the number had swelled somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 people, not only from Qattara. There were communities in the south of the country, near the Nubian partition - somehow they had received word of the jihad and had come to join. In all, it was the largest following heading to Makkah since the days of the Mameluks, of those leaving all of the Egyptian territories.

They had disembarked from the ships at Jeddah and prepared for the final run to Madinah. Mahmud checked his entire household, ensuring that they had properly eaten and drank their thirst. The trip wasn't long, but it was reputedly harsh, passing through sandy dunes and baking rocks. He would have waited for sunrise the next day, but the Hajj was not far off, and he would rather rest in Madinah than rest in Jeddah. He counted the days until he would lead the insurrection, and they numbered 24.

Just then, the musalleeh cried from the minaret tower of a nearby mosque, intiating salat. Everyone turned to the northeast and unfolded blankets or whatever they could use to cover the ground before them. And then the musalleeh cried out again, starting the prayers:

"In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
The Gracious, the Merciful;
Master of the day of judgment.
You alone do we worship, and you alone we ask for help;
Show us the straight path -
The path of those You bestowed favor upon, not anger upon, and not of those who go astray."

After that, Mahmud began his prayer, asking for Allah's blessings as he began in heart the rebellion against what he knew to be perverse rulers and blasphemous fools, those who opposed the will of Allah. And he could already feel in his heart, the satisfaction of Allah, granting him the peace of mind - it was already done before it had begun.

Year of the Hirjah - 1351 (CE 1951)

After the Hajj, the Qattara delegation regathered in Mersa Matruh. The city had flooded with thousands of interested people, so many that Mahmud feared the their plan was already compromised. But it actually didn't matter that much - British authorities rarely made entrance to the city, since it was too distant to pose any serious threat. Technically, the Emir's army was the force that protected the city, but since his last stay, even those people stationed in Matruh felt that the Emir was a weakling and puppet to the British Crown.

They all heeded his rallies that day:

"Brothers of the Sharia! I call to you! I am Skeikh Mahmud ibn Abbas Al Misri - a fellow man from Qattara. My family once governed the western deserts of Matruh for the Emir Yusif, and we prospered under his divine wisdom - imparted by Allah for His grace. But those people of Britain, under the compelling winds of Satan, they have crushed this prosperity and sought to persecute the words of Allah! They come not as Muslims, not as Jews, not as Christians, but as barbarians seeking to subvert our people to the customs of Satanic rituals.

"I have sworn to Allah that I should free the people of Egypt, and I have heard the word of Allah, as He sent me dreams and spoke the sacred words - "AAlif!" "Laaam!" "Miiim!" I have gathered here now - after purifying my soul and heart - and I have come to bring you the truth of the people that shall rule Egypt and the Three governates! Alif Laam Miim shall rule, and the will of Allah shall be ours!"

The cries went out for miles into the empty deserts, as the city of Matruh revolted and spread the word of liberation to Libya. In two months time, the whole western edge of Egypt and Libya had claimed allegiance to the ALM coalition. The British Governor-General Sir William Geoffrey heard of this news and organized the British forces to expel the coalition. In a report back to London, he explained - "Desert bedouins are no match for His Majesty's Armed Forces. We shall expunge them before any blood spills from this rabble."

The "desert bedouins" described by Sir Geoffrey were not exactly as he had anticipated. For one, Mahmud belonged to a prominent line of rich Skeikhs, who ironically benefitted from the British occupation at first. Following the annexation inn 1882 of Egypt, Sheikh Nur al-Din An Nasir ibn Abbas Al Misri was an optimistic young man, whose vision of the world had radically changed. Giving his full for the British occupation, he left Qattara to work in Cairo for the changed government - a welcome reform from the Turkish caliphate. He started in the offices in Cairo, where he dutifully worked for the British liaison. For his services there, he was granted an official commission into the British Army, where he served as a liaison officer in the Egyptian Armed Forces, under the nominal command of the Khedives of Alexandria. During this time, he met with a beautiful princess - Sadaf Al Khalifa, and they were granted a marriage by the British offices. They soon had a child He was officially the Skeikh of all Qattara - as it was his original domain, but he spent much of his time in Cairo, while his relatives attended to the royal duties in Qattara, which included the jewel of Matruh. During this time, he met with a beautiful princess - Sadaf Al Khalifa, and they were granted a marriage by the British offices.

All of this while, Nur realized something about the British that ultimately made them unhospitable - they were secular Christians, who had little respect for the nature and depth of Islam. Although his respect for the British had won him numerous accollades from His Majesty in London, he saw the effect of not-respecting them as he strolled the streets of Cairo. He wondered what kind of life would be there for his own children, if they ever had any. Truth be told, he wasn't always respected, and whenever his wife was with child, the British hospitals refused them access because of their "preferences." He finally resorted to bringing his wife to a mosque, where his first and only son was born - Mahmud.

And from the first words of the imam, Nur raised his child to respect the British. "They are a strong people, but only Allah knows why they are so repulsive." From this early age, Mahmud grew to respect the British Armed Forces, but not the British people. They were a slovenly people, who hoarded their property to themselves and were often less charitable than other people. The thousands of workers who toiled in the factories earned very little for the workers - or even Egypt. By the time he was ready to begin his own life, he was thoroughly convinced that Egypt could not last under British rule - or else suffer the fate of becoming a dried and exhausted land.

He joined the army, like his father, and served in World War II with distinction, earning himself a popular stance in the Emirate Armed Forces, albeit, he only saw fighting out in the west and rarely against the Germans. Still he learned much about war in those days, and it came to great use when the Emir Yusif decided to declare independence, against the wishes of the British crown. With that done, Mahmud secured the west of the country, extending Emirate control out to Benghazi. But in the Sinai, the British lashed out a brutal offensive that obliterated the Emirate's Armed Forces, and even as Mahmud had not suffered much damage, he too abandoned his own quests. He fled like many others, and he returned to his childhood home - Qattara - a land of which he ironically knew so little. He spent three years in exile and learning of survival and managed to raise his own son to respect the British military, but the British - just as his own father had taught him.

As the British column reached the parched deserts of western Egypt, Mahmud sprung his trap - something that any commander from World War II should have remembered. Those somewhat outnumbered and outgunned, the surpricse factor and the relative size of the skirmish led to a crushing victory for the ALM coalition. Mahmud granted the British to retreat back to their cities to the east, while he organized his own forces to march on Alexandria.

Circumstance this time around favored him - since the British no longer maintained bases in Palestine or Transjordan. Sudan was too far away to draw any troops forward, and the British garrison in Lower Egypt was too small to mount any effective offensive campaign, especially not while Mahmud controlled the western Emirate in Libya and Qattara. The Governor-General, having received reports from his linesmen that the company had been brutally ambushed, rallied an entire division, nonetheless and ordered them west, hoping to crush this rebellion before it grew out of hand. Mahmud kissed the sands and gave praise for their stupidity - "Allah corrupts their minds, and they think to win, but instead they shall taste the bitterness of defeat. May ALM prevail!"

Four years later - CE 1955

The Desert War had changed much since it began. Mahmud mad continually plagued the British forces around the country, and the current Emirate had lost all legitimacy to rule his country. Emir Saud fled the country for London, where the British continued to recognize his authority over the country, and citing his reports as "proof" that the people of Masr rejected the Alif Laam Miim Coalition as its legitimate power and force. But they rarely fell on the people, who flatly refused to believe that.

But it had only been three months since the Emir fled for London, and only three months since the ALM coalition entered Al Qahirah, after four years of desert fighting. They had won Libya, despite numerous attempts by the British to land effective fighting forces there - all four attempts were repulsed, primarly because the ALM coalition had noted support from their neighbors to the west - Algeria and Tunisia, under their occupation by the French, who refused to allow Britain's hegemony in the Mediterranean to continue any longer. These diplomatic victories, coupled with Britain's inefficiency in performing in overseas territory, led the eventual collapse of British forces in 1954. However, news was brewing, as Israel, a long-time ally of Britain, had recently granted British forces to seek refuge in their country. They were becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate, and Mahmud had the greatest temptation to lash out the fury of the Arab pride in seeing a Jewish state corrupting the Holy Sites of Islam in Jerusalem.

But he had his priorities set - his first priority was to establish the ALM coalition as a free and democratic society, which devoted its authority to the Sharia. He hadn't even received any official recognition of his state [save the Soviet Union, which had completely confused his intentions and nearly led to a crisis in 1952...only after Mahmud flatly refused to accept the USSR's recognition of the ALM coalition as the legitimate authority did he manage to put a stronger force on the field against the British, who had devoted a great number of its resources to tagging the "communist" thought onto the coalition].

Now, here it was 1955, and just weeks before the epic clash at Ismailiyah. The British forces seeking refuge in Israel had swelled to well over 250,000 well-equipped and well-organized soldiers, divided into 3 divisions and 5 corps. The ALM Coalition could only afford to field 100,000 people, and modestly armed at that. But again, Mahmud wouldn't make the mistake of fighting the battle at Port Suez, which controlled the Red Sea access to the Canal. Instead, he would make it a fight in territory that was clearly distant from either Port Said or Port Suez, and ideally, that place was Ismailiyah, located in the middle of the Canal. In principle, the British navy could blockade the Canal and support their operations, but that would come at a clear and present cost - loss of support. No one liked to have their trade interrupted, and blockading the Suez Canal would only intensify the current relations between Britain and France, as well as numerous other states. In addition, Ismailiyah was strattled by two relatively large bodies of water, which were otherwise unforgeable, forcing much of the British forces either to commit to a central attack, where the ALM forces could easily dislodge and inflict many casualties, or to divide their forces and push the battle around, where the ALM could choose their own battle. And this threat was clear and apparent to the British Commander, General Thomas Grigsby.

He had been receiving reports daily about the ALM coalition forces. He found himself in a prrecarious position. Given the reports, he could expect to win this battle easily. However, he knew that the battle would be much harder, because the ALM coalition had a weighty support in nearly every section of the country, leading into the Suez region. His forces would be parched and unlikely fit for battle. Furthermore, the ALM forces had the advantage of picking the battlefield, since General Grigsby was not a particular expert at the topography of the Sinai. In due time, this would be a critical battle, and Grigsby already felt that it was a lost cause.

CE 1955
Ismailiya

Grigsby led up the British Forces from Israel, through the Sinai and was in effective control of the country. But it was all desert, and it meant nothing to the Egyptian ALM Coalition. He needed to break the discord and soundly defeat them opposite the Suez Canal. There were three traditional routes - Port Suez was the least favored, since he had no real way to control his supply routes and would be easily targeted by the ALM Coalition Forces. Port Said wasn't much better; he could still manage control of his supply routes, but then, his forces would easily become bottled on the Mediterranean coast and progress would be ineffective. The final option - targeting the center of the Suez Canal at Ismailiya - was a bad option only because the ALM coalition had based their forces there. If he wanted to make any progress, he would have to dislodge them from the city, and it would likely lead to a costly campaign.

Then again, he had few options. His only real option was to storm Ismailiya, or else sit in the Sinai forever until either the ALM leader died or the Egyptian Emir died. At this point, he could opt to wait it out, but everyone knew that the Egyptian Emir was in the hospital in London, and there was no real possibility that the ALM Coalition leader would die - unless if it were to come by assassins or in battle. Neither option was plausible to the British, but if they had to choose their poison, they would have chosen the latter. But Grigsby knew exactly what that meant - he would become a scapegoat for all of the problems if it failed. In any case, he likely would be criticized for incurring high British casualties in a campaign that could have been "otherwise better managed," which was of course false, but no one else would care to survey the truth of the circumstances. If it succeeded, he wouldn't take any of the credit for its success, because that belonged to someone else - anyone other than a career brigadier at a dead end.

Opposite the British, Mahmud was ready and willing to commit to a battle - and he already knew that the British would make every effort break him at Ismailiya. The other options were unlikely, unfavored, and unsound. They might try an invasion anywhere else, but Mahmud knew the British SOP - once an army was fielded on the ground, there was an intense reluctance to land another force in an opposing position, building off their experiences in WWII against Germany. But then again, he was still at a disadvantage - mostly in numbers. His numbers had swelled to 150,000 - mostly unarmed and ill-trained troops. If he had any more swells, it might encourage to act more quickly - at least before he could effect any sound defense strategy and train and equip hiss forces. If the British made all of the "right" moves, positioning his troops in Ismailiya might turn out to be the wrong decision.

But it was all over in terms of preparation, as Grigsby received the following order from London: "Make every effort to recover the city of Ismailiya by the week's close. The Emir states that it is important to recover this city in due time, or else lose all legitimacy for this confrontation." Grigsby knew that this was the political conniving of the MPs, who wanted to make the war end quickly and surely, unconcerned with the strategic position. But if he resisted the commands of his superior officers [whose suggestions were the suggestions of the said], he would lose his position, and he felt that his command was more effective at the moment than anyone else's - which wasn't much in the first place. But at the moment the British moved out, ALM scouts noted the movements and reported back to Mahmud: "Allah wills it."

CE 1955
Ismailiya

The battle began as everyone had expected - from the British to the ALM. The city was strategically positioned at the center of the Suez Canal, and it was protected by Lake Timsah. The lake was a natural obstacle to any direct attack. If one were attack by the north route, one could easily observe it from the city and counterattack easily. If one were to attack by the south, they would be squeezed between Timsah and the Bitter Lakes, which tactically unsound. So the main thrust would come from the north.

But as it had decide a while back, the advantage was with the ALM coalition - the main cities and ports lied on the west, which went it the majority of the water and food supplies. Grigsby could not afford to maintain a large force against the ALM coalition, which meant one of two things - either quit the field or make a swift attack. An attack at Suez was unsound because it was disconnected from the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. But an attack on Port Said was equally unsound because it was disconnected from their main objective. Ismailiya was the most logical, and for this, he quit all of the side-line dialogues and committed to the attack.


The attack began at midnight, July 24th. Two British armored divisions forded the Suez Canal, ready to attack while British artillery pounded the city of Ismailiya. The damage was widespread, but Mahmud managed to keep his attention focused on the British attack. These were newer models set against him, but he controlled the greatest asset of all - surprise. He had the command of several thousands of troops ready to storm the British positions, with modest WWII equipment, leftovers practically from the British occupation. And after the divisions had set about in formation to move out, he surveyed the attackers before giving the command.

The skirrmish that ensued was bloody, to say the least. The British units were stubborn, but the ALM forces seemed limitless. Tanks rattled against each other with firepower that had not been witnessed for over 10 years. The British committed a limited air attack, which waws the only saving grace for the ALM forces as they brushed against British forces. At one point, the British were completely surrounded by ALM forces, but it was at that moment that the fighting ceased, and they could count their losses. In some units, casualties numbered at 40%, while the ALM licked their wounds ready for another battle. They had fought to hard draw technically, but Grigsby knew that more was ahead of his fights. He stuck his hand into the fray and the dogs had chewed it through the skin. He wondered if he had committed any more or any less, if the situation would have turned out differently.

In the wake of the battle, Grigsby ordered a withdrawal. Mahmud was satisfied to see his gamble was worthwhile, having taught the British a valuable lesson. These next few days were to be the decisive point in a series of points that would tell the British at home - Egypt was lost to them, and if they sought to regain it through force and blood, they would lose dearly. That night was cheerful, after the day's worth of fighting had ended; and Mahmud had rewarded those survivors to a feast at his camp in the city, while the British could only gaze in the distance with their guns at the ready to fire. Grigsby could feel that Mahmud's flamboyance was another message - something that he could not understand at that moment. The ALM were settled in their camps with food and water, while his supplies were dwindling. He could only afford another three days before he would have to turn back to the Sinai camp.

1955 July 25
Ismailiya

Mahmud had gathered his commanders together, to discuss the plan. There were several plans and ideas.

One of his brightest commanders was adamant about an attack upon the British camp: "We must make an effort to prove to the British that we are convinced on our independence and that the ALM Coalition is able to handle its own load of military tactics. Otherwise, the British will continue this fight into perpetual combat where they will likely win the struggle. They have the naval supply to support their lines, they have aerial dominance - which they have not yet demonstrated upon us yet. If we make a useful attack upon the British, we will not route them, but we will also inflict pain upon them. They will be starved of fresh water, which we control at the moment. If they remain, they will be parched and unwilling to fight, and thence shall be our time to strike."

Another commander feared that this attack would be too costly: "General Fahd carries some sound thought in his preparations, but I feel that we have much more to lose than they. If we lose the battle, our force will be weakened, and the morale will be stretched. History does not often repeat itself, but when it does, it carries such a harsh wind against those who repeat it, and I fear that a defeat in the Sinai as in 1947 will be our demise. I'm not saying that we will lose - we may even win. But the British outnumber our current projections, and if we suffer as many casualties as we have been suffering, we won't be able to field an army strong enough to thwart a second attack by the British. We must calculate our victory to a certain one, and at the moment, it is better that they waste themselves upon our lines than us against theirs, however weak they may be."

One emboldened commander urged splitting the troops as an option: "If we divide our forces, we will be able to take to the defensive and the offensive. We can devote a portion to harassing the desert convoys of the British until they are coerced to quit their position, and our forces and combine together and crush them in their withdrawal. If we commit to either a strict defense or a strict offense, we will limit our options as a military force. Hence, our best option to diversify our options, and to put a combined arms approach on the British. With numerous attacks, they will be convinced that we outnumber them as well, so it goes well to attack their morale at the same time."

Yet another commander dismissed the bold stance as reasonable or even tenable: "We are strong because we are united and have force. If we had greater numbers, it would perhaps suit us to divide our forces, but they outnumber us, so in accordance to all sound maxims, we must stay together and present them a strong and stiff force. Our best option is not to attack or defend, but rather to entertain peace negotiations with the British. I feel that this option is the best, since in the way of discussion, we draw out their lines even further, for they are neither attacking nor defending, and they waste precious water as well. If we can convince them to entertain these negotiations, we can also pressure them to committing to us and ending the conflict. After all, we cannot hope to stand long against a full British force - and they cannot hope to stay long in our lands while we present an opposition to them. I suggest we make ready the vows of peace to strengthen our position militarily."

Mahmud had listened to all of these discussions and dismissed the commanders. He would spend the night pondering the best move. Each option had its vices and virtues, but he was trying to judge them as the British would have judged them. If he were Grigsby, what would he want himself to do? He thought to himself - water was his prime motivation, regardless of victory or not. If he could not secure a stable source of water, he would do nothing - and he certainly would do everything to secure a stable source of water, even if it were so little.