 The Assyrians did not share an amicable relation with their neighbours . Their historical feud with the Kurds , which culminated in 1915 , was centuries old . Bitterness between the Assyrians and the Arabs was reported by British historians as far back as 1920 . This was made worse by the British officers of the Levies who encouraged the Assyrians to think that they were first @-@ class troops , which had the effect of increasing the natural pride of the Assyrians . This , coupled with the fact that the British and Assyrian Levies succeeded in suppressing Kurdish revolts when the Iraqi Army failed created an inferiority complex among some Iraqi corps towards the British and the Assyrians . 
