Prelude to an Assassination: Iran, 1953

[Gil Jesus]

One of the operations that emboldened the CIA to operate outside of Kennedy's authority was its success against the Leftist government of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran. The CIA fomented a revolution that resulted in Mossadegh abdicating power and in his stead, installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The Shah, although a loyal ally of the US, was brutal towards his own people. That brutality led to the November 1979 revolution which overthrew the Shah and resulted in the hostage taking of 52 Americans who were held for 444 days.

 

 

[James DiEugenio]

I heard Coup 53 was pretty good.

I am finally going to watch it.

This brief vignetter gets across the whole paradox of Eisenhower.  Of how the avuncular image hid a quite violent attitude toward the Third World.

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

13 hours ago, Gil Jesus said:

One of the operations that emboldened the CIA to operate outside of Kennedy's authority was its success against the Leftist government of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran. The CIA fomented a revolution that resulted in Mossadegh abdicating power and in his stead, installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The Shah, although a loyal ally of the US, was brutal towards his own people. That brutality led to the November 1979 revolution which overthrew the Shah and resulted in the hostage taking of 52 Americans who were held for 444 days.

 

 

This is excellent.  Kermit Roosevelt under a blanket in a car in Iran.  Very revealing, big picture.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Ron Bulman

[James DiEugenio]

In my view, this was about as short sighted and pernicious as the murder of Lumumba.

These were two places--the Middle East and Africa-- that needed democratic examples, and it was the USA that over threw democracy and installed fascist dictatorships.

[Gil Jesus]

4 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

In my view, this was about as short sighted and pernicious as the murder of Lumumba.

These were two places--the Middle East and Africa-- that needed democratic examples, and it was the USA that over threw democracy and installed fascist dictatorships.

I agree. The CIA overthrew duly elected governments that were less than friendly to American businesses and installed brutal dictators. The CIA was never intended to be the operational arm of the government or even corporate America. It was this monster, this combination of corporate America, the CIA and the military, that Eisnehower created, that resisted the new policies that JFK wanted to implement.

After all, who knew better ? A young, inexperienced, green President, or the seasoned career veterans of American foreign policy ?

I've been saying all along that this was JFK vs a right-wing, deep state establishment, one that went beyond political parties, one so entrenched in its beliefs and policies that the only person in his cabinet he could trust completely was his brother. And one so opposed to his policies, that he had to use back channels to get his messages to other leaders.