Today is the anniversary of the so-called 1953 Coup against the prime minister Mossadeq's government who always remind me of Jean Bertrand Aristid of Haiti, elected in a popular revolt but became a little dictator few years after that.
I don't condone what Brits or even Americans did during those trying times and I never liked British foreign policies on Iran but this is not my point here. I just want to mention a few points many of my countrymen forget to remember...
Many people condemn the US and UK for their participation in that coup agains Mossadeq but they fail to recognize that PM Mossadeq's policies had driven Iran bankrupt, isolated and he was completely out of touch with reality when he began disagreeing with the late Shah of Iran between 1951-1953. He could be dealing with the Shah in a manner that one expect a seasoned politician would do. He, an old man, was nuts by calling the Shah names and of course it drove the military crazy too.
Most people forget that Iran is what it looks like today thanks to President Truman's offer of military intervention on behalf of Iran if the Soviets didn't leave NW territories of Iran in one piece. People fail to mention that it was through massive US financial aids in 1950s that Iran could modernize itself and return to the world community after a devastating world war.
Leftists fail to mention that American citizens from all walks of life came to Iran as Peace Corps officers and helped rebuild Iran into a good & modern member of the world community. They were the ones who did jobs in Iran that many Iranians refused to do in distant parts of Iran. [Not to mention that my parents both had American teachers in 1950s and 60s and they are proud of that.]
Leftists do not want to be reminded that if there was no US military backing, today Iran would be run by likes of Saddam who tried to invade Iran many many times since late 60s and right through 1980s.
Yes, overthrowing a so-called popular prime minister is not great but why should I not appreciate other stuff Americans did in Iran for good between 1940-1978?
Another fact that most of us tend not to remember is that how a popular government fell if it was really popular and wanted among its own people. Let me be clear, it fell because like other governments it failed to achieve its objectives, feed the hungry, sell the oil and maintain order in the country and stay friendly to world powers.
You won't get too far if you keep barking at this or that! Some body will, finally, beat you hard to stop you from nagging and shouting... Prime minister Mossadeq was no different, unfortunately.
4 comments:
Winston, I read an article I want you to read and let me know what you think of it. Thanks.
http://www.ardeshirzahedi.org/cia-iran.pdf
I have seen that before.
Well said. Its important to get the right balance. Not everything the US has done has been bad.
Oh yes - your comment that popular governments can't be overthrown is uttlerly illogical: firstly, you accept that Mossadeq was pushed out with US and British involvement - suggesting that the people alone weren't unhappy enough to do it themselves.
Secondly, doesn't that justify the overthrow of the Shah's government, and demonstrate that the current regime is sufficiently popular to ensure its survival? Or do you mean that only governments you don't like are weak?
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