1953 Iran coup was the CIA's first successful overthrow of a foreign gov

[eleny]

"Coup 53 of Iran is the CIA's (Central Intelligence Agency) first successful overthrow of a foreign government.

But a copy of the agency's secret history of the coup has surfaced, revealing the inner workings of a plot that set the stage for the Islamic revolution in 1979, and for a generation of anti-American hatred in one of the Middle East's most powerful countries. The document, which remains classified, discloses the pivotal role British intelligence officials played in initiating and planning the coup, and it shows that Washington and London shared an interest in maintaining the West's control over Iranian oil.

The coup was a turning point in modern Iranian history and remains a persistent irritant in Tehran-Washington relations. It consolidated the power of the shah, who ruled with an iron hand for 26 more years in close contact with the United States. He was toppled by Iranian Revolution of 1979. Later that year, "Students of Imam Line" went to the American Embassy, took diplomats hostage and declared that they had unmasked a "nest of spies" who had been manipulating Iran for decades."

http://www.iranchamber.com/history/coup53/coup53p1.php

[MadMaddie]

1. It's always about the Oil....the devils wine...

[muntrv]

2. And the repukes don't understand why the Iranians hate us.

[Kagemusha]

4. Wait.. you think they care why?

I don't believe they do, myself.

[eleny]

5. They understand - they just don't want *you* to understand

[Tom Joad]

8. Do the Democrats ever mention this?

The day i see a democratic congressperson repudiating this history... ah, hell, won't live that long.

[razors edge]

3. in the movie JFK

donald sutherland plays an agent who describes the time as "heady days, and "we were good" they were very proud of delivering for BP.

[Tom Joad]

6. Certainly not the last. Remeber 9/11.....1973

[Debs]

14. Oh no not the last

In fact the quickly followed it up the next year with the overthrow of Jocobo Arbenz in Guatemala.

[eleny]

7. "Madeleine K. Albright, ...acknowledged the coup's pivotal role"

More from the same article -
Albright, said:
" "The Eisenhower administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons," she said. "But the coup was clearly a setback for Iran's political development. And it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America in their internal affairs."

The history spells out the calculations to which Dr. Albright referred in her speech. Britain, it says, initiated the plot in 1952. The Truman administration rejected it, but President Eisenhower approved it shortly after taking office in 1953, because of fears about oil and Communism.

[peacetalksforall]

9. You can just feel the contempt the US and UK held for

foreign governments and the people of these countries. The superiority is nauseating. Predatory nausea. Well, the rest of the world doesn't seem to want to take it anymore. Find the negotiators. Peace activists arise.

[peacetalksforall]

10. Yep, that pumped them up. And we all thought our country was

performing nobly. The hypocrisy of this country. We were and are so stupid about what is going on.

[eleny]

11. I'm sure the 1979 hostage taking shocked many Americans

And I wonder how many ever learned why it happened. It's hard to face it but it's better to know and function with the facts instead of lies such as "They hate us for our freedoms". Pfui.

It would have been a shock but entirely refreshing if Jimmy Carter got on the airwaves and just said - My fellow Americans, back in 1953 we helped Britain overthrow the Iranian government and many Iranians never got over it.

[1932]

12. Hawaii was first.

[eleny]

13. Well, we're talking CIA coup here

But I know what you mean. :hi:

[leesa]

15. But they hate us for our freedom...