The U.S. & Iran: A History of Imperialist Domination, Intrigue and Intervention

[Orwellian_Ghost]

The U.S. & Iran: A History of Imperialist Domination, Intrigue and Intervention
Part 3: Iran 1953-1979: The Nightmare of U.S. Domination

by Larry Everest

For over 100 years, the domination of Iran has been deeply woven into the fabric of global imperialism, enforced by the U.S. and other powers through covert intrigues, economic bullying, military assaults, and invasions. This history provides the backdrop for U.S. hostility toward Iran today—including the real threat of war, even nuclear war. Part 1 of this series explored the rivalry between European imperialists, up through World War 1, over who would control Iran and its oil. Part 2 exposed how the U.S. overthrew the nationalist secular government of Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 and restored its brutal, oppressive, and loyal administrator--the Shah--to power. Part 3 and Part 4 examine what 25 years of U.S. domination under the Shah’s reign meant for Iran and its people, and how it paved the way for the 1979 revolution and the founding of the Islamic Republic.

The conventional narrative, repeated at every turn by the government and media, is that what the U.S. does around the world, whether it is economic treaties, political pressure, even war, is aimed at overcoming poverty, tyranny, and oppression, and giving other countries the benefits of democracy, modernization and the “free market.” But what the United States spreads around the world is imperialism and the political structures to enforce that imperialism. And what happened in Iran under the U.S.-installed and backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi showed the bitter reality of this truth.

After the 1953 CIA-organized coup, the Shah and the U.S. moved to crush the widespread anti-U.S., anti-Shah opposition, solidify the Shah’s grip on power, and bring Iran firmly under U.S. control--politically, economically, and militarily.

The Shah immediately formed a military government and put Iran under indefinite martial law. The U.S. poured military advisors and aid ($504 million between 1952 and 1961) into Iran, reorganizing, training, and expanding the Monarchy’s police, military and, in 1957, its dreaded secret police--SAVAK.1

...

http://rwor.org/a/092/iran-pt3-en.html

[HamdenRice]

1. So you mean WSWS (millionaire corporate exec's anti-union Trot disinfo) wasn't crazy enough for you?

You had to find an even more splinter of a splinter of a splinter far left Stalinist party to represent the "crazy house uncle" views of DU?

[anonymous171]

2. Interesting article but communists are not to be trusted.

Socialists/Anarchists are fine, but communists should just go die in a fire.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

3. Red-baiting

has become all too common around here lately.

What about Larry Everest's article do you dispute?

[KoKo]

4. K&R