![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A3QP3SK477MTHYHRUM7NL54ZSI.jpg?smart=true&auth=b6b1a186ca323c3c67786c585e4d4380190964d117660bc9641fa90a304b871a&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence, Sir Herbert Samuel, and others in an automobile. Meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials in Amman in April 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7WRYCS3WPVC3ZZ6YKYNX4CO6F4.jpg?smart=true&auth=9662655098872a61590ec650987ed1d9089fa60b82024a0f6102828f3fb8bb9c&width=400&height=225)
Members of the Mesopotamia Commission pose for a group photo at the Cairo Conference in 1921 in Egypt, where they discussed the future of the Middle East and divided up the countries. General Photographic Agency / Getty
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/355V5UEY3RPLJJSDOOZUGU6D5I.jpg?smart=true&auth=639b202fb13bf13b56279df974760304b84b01a52fd6403f02d81b253317d445&width=400&height=225)
Winston Churchill, who was British Colonial Secretary at the time, in Cairo for the 1921 Cairo conference, at which he helped establish the borders of the modern Middle East. General Photographic Agency / Hulton Archive / Getty
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Emir Abdullah of TransJordan shakes hands with Clementine Churchill as Winston Churchill stands by her side at the entrance of Government House in Jerusalem. Alamy
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Winston and Clementine Churchill, T E Lawrence and Gertrude Bell on camels in front of the Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt on February 15, 1921. Alamy
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XCZ42ZFDTSUJCU3XMSFWWPCM3I.jpg?smart=true&auth=5b697152b0644be154dfc18d191441b38785ba9c8eb6d63adfff133e9e42b9ff&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence shakes hands with Emir Abdullah, with other men gathered around behind them. Further meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials were held in Amman, Jordan, in April. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZXZBTKJJNUHHMRHYHS4YRYXCUA.jpg?smart=true&auth=edba1d05a0fdacfbedbe259c8d9b94830f8102bf741e0b6073996be8f423b704&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence walks with Emir Abdullah in the garden of Government House in Jerusalem, as Winston Churchill walks ahead, in early 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5X7KKGXLCBPGNJKKENDNEDFN2I.jpg?smart=true&auth=dcae733eae16b0221eef7d4cdb435227b45073aa2a5406e007d4091142e6192c&width=400&height=225)
Arab men on horseback in line near tents at Emir Abdullah's camp in Amman. In April 1921, British, Arab and Bedouin officials met in Amman to continue talks. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IR4XBAWTH2O7VI3DF2732WBNG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=5a6fbcebc1a7bc0dd758316a8e8dde77850f0445c6b148654e4f5cddfba3b2b5&width=400&height=225)
(1st Row) Sheikh Sultan ibn Ali Al Adwan of the Belka, Emir Abdullah, Sir Herbert Samuel, Amir Shaker meet in Amman in April, 1921 [Back row: Sir Wyndham Deedes, Albert Abramson, and Maj Somerset]. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3AGBGASF775HPW2VMQ474YVFZQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=e338ad307d74bca162541d6743a76c631865317c6015a3a57a60b04fb07ab0c0&width=400&height=225)
Emir Abdullah in front of his tent in Amman in April 1921, when meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials were held. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5FHSWMTK7OTV4DHAZKUUW6BNGY.jpg?smart=true&auth=5257c019f8acc4eaf60c77b4bdb1ba19f841db2caea6fe55fb2cd64e501a1609&width=400&height=225)
Col T W Lawrence, Sir Herbert Samuel, Emir Abdullah at the on the Aerodrome in Amman in April, 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A3QP3SK477MTHYHRUM7NL54ZSI.jpg?smart=true&auth=b6b1a186ca323c3c67786c585e4d4380190964d117660bc9641fa90a304b871a&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence, Sir Herbert Samuel, and others in an automobile. Meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials in Amman in April 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7WRYCS3WPVC3ZZ6YKYNX4CO6F4.jpg?smart=true&auth=9662655098872a61590ec650987ed1d9089fa60b82024a0f6102828f3fb8bb9c&width=400&height=225)
Members of the Mesopotamia Commission pose for a group photo at the Cairo Conference in 1921 in Egypt, where they discussed the future of the Middle East and divided up the countries. General Photographic Agency / Getty
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/355V5UEY3RPLJJSDOOZUGU6D5I.jpg?smart=true&auth=639b202fb13bf13b56279df974760304b84b01a52fd6403f02d81b253317d445&width=400&height=225)
Winston Churchill, who was British Colonial Secretary at the time, in Cairo for the 1921 Cairo conference, at which he helped establish the borders of the modern Middle East. General Photographic Agency / Hulton Archive / Getty
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/E7RBYO6EPLLA32UBIY3Q7SOFVQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=6e482d787d2dbcb37f444d0ec62ef0b5bd25003dbe2efc12ba7be2a3d29c3204&width=400&height=225)
Emir Abdullah of TransJordan shakes hands with Clementine Churchill as Winston Churchill stands by her side at the entrance of Government House in Jerusalem. Alamy
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3UHNRVGZOASZBLMCIXDLRMAUEM.jpg?smart=true&auth=d64181d01c2f04e074f03300be2c8892cffd0a25c3f697a61eba485f72a6134b&width=400&height=225)
Winston and Clementine Churchill, T E Lawrence and Gertrude Bell on camels in front of the Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt on February 15, 1921. Alamy
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XCZ42ZFDTSUJCU3XMSFWWPCM3I.jpg?smart=true&auth=5b697152b0644be154dfc18d191441b38785ba9c8eb6d63adfff133e9e42b9ff&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence shakes hands with Emir Abdullah, with other men gathered around behind them. Further meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials were held in Amman, Jordan, in April. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZXZBTKJJNUHHMRHYHS4YRYXCUA.jpg?smart=true&auth=edba1d05a0fdacfbedbe259c8d9b94830f8102bf741e0b6073996be8f423b704&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence walks with Emir Abdullah in the garden of Government House in Jerusalem, as Winston Churchill walks ahead, in early 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5X7KKGXLCBPGNJKKENDNEDFN2I.jpg?smart=true&auth=dcae733eae16b0221eef7d4cdb435227b45073aa2a5406e007d4091142e6192c&width=400&height=225)
Arab men on horseback in line near tents at Emir Abdullah's camp in Amman. In April 1921, British, Arab and Bedouin officials met in Amman to continue talks. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IR4XBAWTH2O7VI3DF2732WBNG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=5a6fbcebc1a7bc0dd758316a8e8dde77850f0445c6b148654e4f5cddfba3b2b5&width=400&height=225)
(1st Row) Sheikh Sultan ibn Ali Al Adwan of the Belka, Emir Abdullah, Sir Herbert Samuel, Amir Shaker meet in Amman in April, 1921 [Back row: Sir Wyndham Deedes, Albert Abramson, and Maj Somerset]. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3AGBGASF775HPW2VMQ474YVFZQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=e338ad307d74bca162541d6743a76c631865317c6015a3a57a60b04fb07ab0c0&width=400&height=225)
Emir Abdullah in front of his tent in Amman in April 1921, when meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials were held. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5FHSWMTK7OTV4DHAZKUUW6BNGY.jpg?smart=true&auth=5257c019f8acc4eaf60c77b4bdb1ba19f841db2caea6fe55fb2cd64e501a1609&width=400&height=225)
Col T W Lawrence, Sir Herbert Samuel, Emir Abdullah at the on the Aerodrome in Amman in April, 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A3QP3SK477MTHYHRUM7NL54ZSI.jpg?smart=true&auth=b6b1a186ca323c3c67786c585e4d4380190964d117660bc9641fa90a304b871a&width=400&height=225)
T E Lawrence, Sir Herbert Samuel, and others in an automobile. Meetings of British, Arab, and Bedouin officials in Amman in April 1921. Courtesy: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
How Winston Churchill’s ‘40 thieves’ carved out the modern Middle East
Decisions made 100 years ago at Cairo Conference still create conflict in the region today
![James Langton](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F59aec61e-41b3-468c-8a69-57168338145b.png?smart=true&auth=20537dd68c837a65707d347b248e74bad34b378390f02a7be13b68d756185b99&width=70&height=70)
James Langton
24 March, 2021
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