A Brief History of Iran
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In 1951, Iran elected it’s first Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh. He was Time Magazine’s 1951 Man of the Year.
Mossadegh was popular, and, to stop Britain from taking 85% of the profits from his country’s oil, he nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Unfortunately for democracy, this pissed off Britain and the US. |
The British and US complained to the International Court of Justice, but were told to get over it. Still seeking their unfair share of Iran’s natural resources, Britain and the US launched Operation Ajax.
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Operation Ajax was a CIA operation that killed over 300 demonstrators in the streets, triggered a military coup, and the Iranian democracy was overthrown. So much for spreading democracy in the Middle East.
What did the US replace democracy with? A dictatorship under the Shah. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company was renamed British Petroleum (yep, BP) and the company resumed operations in Iran. |
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Meanwhile, a religious leader, the Ayatollah Khomeini, became an active critic of the Shah. He started a grassroots campaign against the US-installed police state. It took years, but public anger against the Shah grew until, in 1979, the people of Iran overthrew the Shah in the Iranian Revolution.
After running the Shah out of the country, Khomeini let the people decide what kind of government they wanted. All males and females over 16 were allowed to vote, and 98% voted to replace the old US-installed monarchy with an Islamic Republic.
Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, seeing Iran’s military temporarily disbanded after the revolution, launched a surprise invasion.
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Did the US defend Iran, as it defended Kuwait when Iraq invaded?
Nope, the United States and Britain, still thinking about oil profits and control of the country, provided Saddam with chemical weapons and intelligence that helped kill over 500,000 Iranians. |
Iran ratified the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1970. Under the treaty, Iran has an unambiguous right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Since 1992, Iran has allowed the IAEA to inspect its nuclear facilities.
Despite frequent rumors perpetuated by the Bush administration and the Main Stream Media, no proof has ever been presented that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
While most Americans have forgotten Operation Ajax, most people in Iran have not.
Just stating facts…
Read More: Iran, nuclear, Mossadegh, Shah, Khomeini, Hussein, Bush, Operation Ajax, CIA, coup, Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, British Petroleum, BP, oil
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November 15th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Can you believe I was in LOOK Magazine the same year they had Ayatollah Khomeini on the cover. An article on NASA and the Astronauts and I was holding (over my head with one hand) a 45-foot beam that had been made by the Beam Builder a machine that makes the beams that plans were to build with in outer space. This 45 foot beam was very light but very stron. Show you magazine some day.
Enjoy your sweet family!
Berta
November 15th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Berta,
Jodi showed me that picture when we were over one time. It looked strange to see such a petite lady lifting that huge metal structure that looked like it was made out of some kind of heavy metal…that was right before wooden tennis racquets started disappearing, but I’m showing my age, now :-)
November 16th, 2006 at 8:39 am
Mom -
It was LIFE magazine. I have the copy in my posession. It is January 1980. The ironic thing is there is a HUGE article on Iran, and on the front is a picture of Iatolah (sp?) Khomeini. I remember my favorite picture in the magazine being the one of the ugly naked guys who decorated themselves with paint, whipped cream and spaghetti O’s!! The 80s was not a good hair year! Although your hair looked goo.d
November 16th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
You are right Jodi…”Life Magazine.” Shows my age…ha and actually how much it meant to me…Life or Look…who cares..! Love you guys.
Mom
Keep me straight! Thanks for the hair compliment. I am giving myself a punk cut…each day I trim a little. Give my girl friend Ana C. a big hug from Mamaw.
May 10th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
[…] A few days ago in the comments of a blog about Iran, my mother-in-law said her picture was in an issue of LIFE magazine with Ayatollah Khomeini on the cover. […]