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Gold9472
07-12-2005, 08:16 PM
Mohammed Mossadegh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Dr.Mohammed Mossadegh (Persian: ???? ?????) (May 19, 1882 - March 4, 1967) was prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. Mossadegh's name is sometimes spelled Mosaddeq or Mosaddegh (note the doubled "d"), the latter of which better reflects the original Persian pronunciation (mosæd'degh). He was removed from power by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, and pro-monarchy forces in a complex plot, supported by British and US intelligence agencies.

Rise to Power
After being educated in France, Mohammed Mossadegh got his start in Iranian politics in 1914, when he was appointed Governor General of the Iranian province of Fars by Ahmad Shah Qajar and was titled Mosaddegh os-Saltaneh by the Shah. He was later appointed finance minister, in the government of Ghavam os-Saltaneh in 1921, and then foreign minister, in the government of Hassan Pirnia Moshir od-Dowleh in June, 1923. Later in 1923, he was elected to the Iranian parliament but resigned shortly after, following the selection of Reza Pahlavi as Shah.

By 1944 Reza Pahlavi had abdicated, and Mossadegh was once again elected to parliament. This time he ran as a member of the National Front of Iran (Jebhe Melli), a nationalist organization which he had founded that aimed to end the foreign presence that had established itself in Iran following the Second World War, especially regarding the exploitation of Iran's rich oil resources.

After negotiations for higher oil royalties failed, on March 15, 1951 the Iranian parliament (the Majlis) voted to nationalize Iran's oil industry, and seize control of the British-owned and operated Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Prime minister General Haji-Ali Razmara, elected in June 1950, had opposed the nationalization bill on technical grounds. He was assassinated on March 7, 1951 by Khalil Tahmasebi, a member of the militant fundamentalist group Fadayan-e Islam. A while later, the Majlis voted for Mossadegh as new prime minister. Aware of Mossadegh's rising popularity and political power, the young Shah was left with no other option but to give assent to the Parliament's vote. Shortly after coming to office, Mossadegh enforced the Oil Nationalization Act, which involved the expropriation of the AIOC's assets.

Responding to the latter, the British government announced it would not allow Mossadegh's government to export any oil produced in the formerly British-controlled factories. A blockade of British ships was sent to the Persian Gulf to prevent any attempts by Iran to ship any oil out of the country. An economic stalemate thus ensued, with Mossadegh's government refusing to allow any British involvement in Iran's oil industry, and Britain refusing to allow any oil to leave Iran.

Since Britain had long been Iran's primary oil-consumer, the stalemate was particularly hard on Iran. While the country had once boasted over a 100 million dollars a year in exports to Britain, after nationalization, the same oil industry began increasing Iran's debt by nearly 10 million dollars a month. The Abadan Crisis quickly plunged the country into economic difficulties.

Despite the economic hardships of his nationalization plan, Mossadegh remained popular, and in 1952 was approved by parliament for a second term. Sensing the difficulties of a worsening political and economic climate, he announced that he would request the Shah grant him emergency powers. Thus, during the royal approval of his new cabinet, Mossadegh asked the Shah to grant him full control of the military, and Ministry of War. The Shah refused, and Mossadegh announced his resignation.

Ahmed Qavam was appointed as Iran's new prime minister. On the day of his appointment, he announced his intention to resume negotiations with the British to end the oil dispute. This blatant reversal of Mossadegh's plans sparked a massive public outrage. Protestors of all stripes filled the streets, including communists and radical Muslims led by Ayatollah Kashani. Frightened by the unrest, the Shah quickly dismissed Qavam, and re-appointed Mossadegh, granting him the full control of the military he had previously requested.

Taking advantage of his atmosphere of popularity, Mossadegh convinced the parliament to grant him increased powers and appointed Ayatollah Kashani as house speaker. Kashani's radical Muslims, as well as the Tudeh Party, proved to be two of Mossadegh's key political allies, although both relationships were often strained.

Mossadegh quickly implemented more socialist reforms. Iran's centuries old feudal agriculture sector was abolished, and replaced with a system of collective farming and government land ownership.

Plot against Mossadegh
Using his new power, Mossadegh turned on the high command of the armed forces, firing many that had been loyal to the Shah. Unwilling to accept this, the former officers began to conspire against Mossadegh, and they approached the British and Americans for aid in this venture.

The governments of Britain and the United States had grown increasingly distressed over Mossadegh's reforms. Publicly, they denounced his policies as harmful to the country; privately, both governments sought to implement lucrative oil contracts, but Mossadegh refused. Mossadegh's socialist reforms and increasingly close partnership with the communist Tudeh Party also prompted fears that Iran might develop closer ties with the neighbouring Soviet Union.

In October of 1952, Mossadegh declared that Britain was "an enemy," and cut all diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. In November and December 1952, British intelligence officials suggested to American intelligence that the prime minister should be ousted. The new US administration under Dwight Eisenhower and the British government under Winston Churchill agreed to work together toward Mossadegh's removal.

On April 4, 1953, US Central Intelligence Agency director Allen W. Dulles approved $1 million to be used "in any way that would bring about the fall of Mossadegh." Soon the CIA's Tehran station started to launch a propaganda campaign against Mossadegh. Finally, according to The New York Times, in early June, American and British intelligence officials met again, this time in Beirut, and put the finishing touches on the strategy. Soon afterward, according to his later published accounts, the chief of the CIA's Near East and Africa division, Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. a grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in Tehran to direct it.

The plot, known as Operation Ajax, centered around convincing Iran's monarch to use his constitutional authority to dismiss Mossadegh from office, as he had attempted some months earlier. But the Shah was uncooperative, and it would take much persuasion and many meetings to successfully execute the plan. Meanwhile, the CIA stepped up its operations. According to Dr. Donald N. Wilber, who was involved in the plot to remove Mossadegh from power, in early August, Iranian CIA operatives pretending to be socialists threatened Muslim leaders with "savage punishment if they opposed Mossadegh," thereby giving the impression that Mossadegh was cracking down on dissent, and stirring anti-Mossadegh sentiments within the religious community.

Mossadegh became aware of the plots against him and grew increasingly wary of conspirators acting within his government. He set up a national referendum to dissolve parliament. The vote was clearly rigged, with Mossadegh claiming a 99.9 percent victory for the "yes" side. Allegations that Mossadegh was resorting to dicatorial tactics to stay in power were in turn cited by US- and British-supported opposition press as a reason to remove Mossadegh from power. Parliament was suspended indefinitely, and Mossadegh's "emergency powers" were extended.

Inside Iran, Mossadegh's popularity was eroding as promised reforms failed to materialize and the economy continued to suffer. The Tudeh Party abandoned its alliance with Mossadegh, as did the conservative clerical factions.

To remain in power Mossadegh knew he would have to continue consolidating his power. Since Iran's monarch was the only person who constitutionally outranked him, he perceived Iran's 33-year-old king to be his biggest threat. In August of 1953 Mossadegh attempted to convince the Shah to leave the country. The Shah refused, and formally dismissed the Prime Minister, in accordance with the foreign intelligence plan. Mossdegh refused to quit, however, and when it became apparent that he was going to fight, the Shah, as a precautionary measure foreseen by the British/American plan, flew to Baghdad and on from there to Rome, Italy.

Commentators assumed it was only a matter of time before Mossadegh declared Iran a republic and made himself president. This would have made him the full head of state and given him supreme authority over the nation, something Mossadegh had promised he would never do.

Once again, massive protests broke out across the nation. Anti- and pro-monarchy protestors violently clashed in the streets, leaving almost 300 dead. Funded with money from the U.S. CIA and the British MI6, the pro-monarchy forces quickly gained the upper hand. The military intervened as the pro-Shah tank regiments stormed the capital and bombarded the prime minister's official residence. Mossadegh surrendered, and was arrested on August 19, 1953.

One of the leaders of the coup, General Fazlollah Zahedi, was proclaimed Prime Minister. The Shah himself, after a brief exile in Italy, was rushed back to Iran and returned to the throne. His attempted overthrow and subsequent restoration to power had all occurred within a week.

Mossadegh was tried for treason, and sentenced to three years in prison. Following his release he remained under house arrest until his death in 1967. The new government under the Shah in August 1954 reached an agreement with foreign oil companies to "restore the flow of Iranian oil to world markets in substantial quantities." [1].

Legacy
The extent of the US role in Mossadegh's overthrow was not formally acknowledged for many years, although the Eisenhower administration was quite vocal in its opposition to the policies of the ousted Iranian Prime Minister. In his memoirs, Eisenhower writes angrily about Mossadegh, and describes him as impractical and naive, though stops short of admitting any overt involvement in the coup.

Eventually the CIA's role became well-known, and caused controversy within the organization itself, and within the CIA congressional hearings of the 1970s. Die-hard CIA supporters maintain that the plot against Mossadegh was strategically necessary, and praise the efficiency of agents in carrying out the plan. Critics say the scheme was paranoid and colonial.

When the Iranian revolution occurred in 1979, the overthrow of Mossadegh was used as a rallying point in anti-US protests. To this day, Mossadegh's image in Iran is mixed. His secularism and western manners have made official government praise mild at best in the now fundamentalist theocratic state. Yet many others still view him as a victim of US aggression.

In March 2000, then secretary of state Madeleine Albright stated her regret that Mossadegh was ousted: "The Eisenhower administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons. 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 the same year, the New York Times published a detailed report about the coup based on CIA documents. [2].

Mossadegh had a flamboyant personality and was well-known for theatrics, including weeping, fainting, and napping in public. His numerous eccentricities, such as wearing his bathrobe in parliament made him a well-known figure. His controversial actions captured the attention of the world, and he was named as Time Magazine's 1951 Man of the Year.

In early 2004, the Egyptian government changed a street name in Cairo from Pahlavi to Mossadegh, to facilitate closer relations with Iran.

Gold9472
07-12-2005, 08:28 PM
Poor Saddam Hussein, errr... I mean Mohammed Mossadegh.

Gold9472
07-12-2005, 08:40 PM
I'm surprised Madeline Albright went out on a limb...

Good Doctor HST
07-12-2005, 08:42 PM
I like how almost fifty years later, the U.S. goes "uhhhhh.... sorry about ruining your country!" That makes it all better. All because Iran had the nerve to utilize a different economic theory than Britain and America, and therefore obviously must be working with the Evil Commies to destroy the globe.

Gold9472
07-12-2005, 08:45 PM
But how is what we did there, any different than what we're doing in Afghanistan and Iraq? It doesn't seem to be any different at all, and it shows the purpose of the CIA, and how they function... It makes me wonder if half the news we read isn't fed to us from some form of the CIA...

Simply_sexy
07-13-2005, 02:45 AM
I bet you can't say that name 10x fast!!

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 04:09 PM
Mohammed Mossadegh, *copy & paste* *copy & paste* *copy & paste* *copy & paste* Did it!

princesskittypoo
07-13-2005, 05:48 PM
lol i can't say sugar and spice 10x without messing up!

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:29 PM
O.o;;; sugar and spice is easy to say. Hold on, I'll try it with a southern accent, to see if that makes it harder. Hey, it is harder as sugah an' spaaice.

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:29 PM
Wow!

Gold9472
07-13-2005, 07:35 PM
Wow what?

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:36 PM
I was amazed at how much "sugar and spice" changes when said in a southern accent. :P

Gold9472
07-13-2005, 07:37 PM
Ah, so you didn't read the article?

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:39 PM
I did... I might have skimmed a little. I'll go back and read it thuroughly, then ask you to explain what the hell I'm looking for in the article.

Gold9472
07-13-2005, 07:42 PM
It's just an interesting article.

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:54 PM
Okay, I read it carefully. How the hell does someone get convicted of treason and only get three years in prison? In America its a capital offence!

Gold9472
07-13-2005, 07:55 PM
Good question.

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:55 PM
Or at least life in prison. I'm pretty sure the Rosenburg's (the couple that gave Russia the plans to make a nuke) were excecuted.

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 07:56 PM
That's the only treason case I can think of off the top of my head.

Simply_sexy
07-13-2005, 08:15 PM
We never read the articles anymore Goldicakes....It's so much more fun to just play around with it all!!

jetsetlemming
07-13-2005, 08:16 PM
There's just too many articles posted every day.

Simply_sexy
07-13-2005, 08:17 PM
There's just too many articles posted every day.
Exactly!

Gold9472
07-13-2005, 09:13 PM
Imagine what might be happening that you're not aware of because you're not reading about it...

princesskittypoo
07-13-2005, 10:11 PM
i read most every article on here. i do skip some. and i do only skim a few. but i admit i skimmed it and didn't really read them when that happens. i actually enjoy most of them. especially the 911 ones, the ones on weird religions, and the ones on government conspiracies. i guess i'm just a geek. i think i hate the ones that use languages and laws i've never heard of though.... language being something over my 4th grade education! lol i live in the south i had to say something derogatory about my education!

Simply_sexy
07-14-2005, 05:05 PM
i read most every article on here. i do skip some. and i do only skim a few. but i admit i skimmed it and didn't really read them when that happens. i actually enjoy most of them. especially the 911 ones, the ones on weird religions, and the ones on government conspiracies. i guess i'm just a geek. i think i hate the ones that use languages and laws i've never heard of though.... language being something over my 4th grade education! lol i live in the south i had to say something derogatory about my education!
Not me. Most I just check the title and see if I'm interested....Usually I'm not!

Gold9472
07-14-2005, 05:07 PM
Not me. Most I just check the title and see if I'm interested....Usually I'm not!

So tell me what would interest you then, and I'll try to find it.

Simply_sexy
07-14-2005, 05:09 PM
I'd like anything thats not political right now. I have enough politics at school...

Gold9472
07-14-2005, 05:11 PM
I'd like anything thats not political right now. I have enough politics at school...

You'd better take an interest in politics before politics takes an interest in you. :) Ok, I'll see what I can find.

princesskittypoo
07-14-2005, 06:13 PM
I'd like anything thats not political right now. I have enough politics at school...
i can understand. there's not much good news in politics anymore. and if there is it's hard to find.

jetsetlemming
07-14-2005, 07:37 PM
Jon Steward, on the Daily Show, in ten minutes, explained the whole Carl Rove thing so even a retard like Shadow Wolf could understand it.

jetsetlemming
07-14-2005, 07:37 PM
Much simpler than reading article after article. You should sum them up afterwards for the skimmers.

princesskittypoo
07-14-2005, 08:31 PM
maybe he should just tell us what to think.

jetsetlemming
07-14-2005, 08:32 PM
Yup, that'd be good.

krsjuan87
07-21-2005, 05:19 AM
i think that gold is providing a great service to us all here....most of this stuff i would never know if i hadn't stumbled upon his threads in the howard stern bb....thank you jon gold for helping to widen my eyes a little more then they allready were.....keep fighting the good fight brother, because the more you know, the more you grow!

Gold9472
07-21-2005, 08:42 AM
i think that gold is providing a great service to us all here....most of this stuff i would never know if i hadn't stumbled upon his threads in the howard stern bb....thank you jon gold for helping to widen my eyes a little more then they allready were.....keep fighting the good fight brother, because the more you know, the more you grow!

Thank you.

krsjuan87
07-21-2005, 09:30 AM
aint no thing jonny boy....london again man....whatcha think?

Gold9472
07-21-2005, 09:33 AM
It sounds like "copy cats"

krsjuan87
07-21-2005, 09:36 AM
floppy hats sounds like copy cats (dammit jim i'm a doctor and this is no time for dumb jokes)

Gold9472
12-10-2005, 11:43 PM
bump

Gold9472
02-27-2006, 11:27 PM
bump

Gold9472
04-13-2006, 05:47 PM
bump

Partridge
04-14-2006, 12:14 PM
Mossadegh - THE ROCK OPERA (http://michaelminn.net/mossadegh/show.html) (mp3s)

Oh yes! It's not bad actually.