By: Alan Cooper

Alan Cooper — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:19:08 +0000

Actually, it oversteps things more than a bit to say that the CIA was critical to the downfall of Dr. Mossadeq (Mossadegh, if you prefer). There are really two sources of information (after the tale picked up and run with, seven years later in 1960, by the Soviet propaganda machine). These are 1) a self-serving book by Kermit Roosevelt, an operative who claims to have engineered the whole thing; and 2) the official report by Donald Wilber, which confirms the assertion that the CIA had indeed, in cooperation with MI6 and using some former British “assets” (Iranians who had worked for British Intelligence), planned to move against the Mossadeq government. However, the Wilber report also states that the operation was hopelessly botched and was called off. Mossadeq was not democratically elected and in fact had been appointed, pursuant to the Iranian constitution, by the Majlis (parliament) and confirmed by the Shah. Locked in a power struggle with the Shah, and upon receipt of a notice of dismissal by the Shah (also within the rules of the constitution) Mossadeq had dissolved his own parliament. The Majlis was re-instated when Mossadeq fell and the exiled Shah returned. The “plot” story was repeated by Madeleine Albright and President Clinton, neither of whom at the time had extensive knowledge of Iranian history of that period, and has certainly gained currency with many academics. It is not at all well documented, and in fact is disputed in the official document.

Comments on: Not Learning Our Lessons in Farsi

By: Alan Cooper