Iran and the CIA The Fall of Mosaddeq Revisited [Hardcover]

In the early 1950s, frail septuagenarian prime minister of Iran, Doctor Mohammad Mosaddeq, shook the world - challenging Britain by nationalizing Iran's British-run oil industries. In August 1953 he was overthrown. Revisiting these events with astonishing new evidence, this book challenges the conventionally-held theory of foul play by the CIA.Introduction How the story evolved How did a myth about the CIA role develop and prevail? Why did the CIA files remain unclassified? 1 THE CONTEXT Foreign influence as a prime mover in Iranian politics The Tudeh Party The Azerbaijan Crisis, 194546 Shah Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi The Ulama as a socio-political force Ayatollah Seyyed Abol'qassem Kashani: the precursor of clerical activism Razmara: prelude to the oil nationalization crisis 2 THE ADVENT OF MOSADDEQ AND THE OIL CRISIS The rise of the National Front The nomination of Mosaddeq Doctor Mohammad Mosaddeq: a sketch The initial British reaction to oil nationalization The early American attitude to the oil dispute Political line-ups in Tehran Early conduct of the oil dispute The British complaint to the Security Council The Washington oil talks The World Bank proposal Early forebodings 3 MOSADDEQ'S SECOND GOVERNMENT, JULY 1952 TO AUGUST 1953 The Qavam hiatus and the Siy'e Tyr popular uprising (21 July 1952) Rift among Mosaddeq supporters A wedge to break the oil log-jam: the Truman-Churchill joint offer Mosaddeq's reforms and the theory of legitimacy The British two-pronged strategy: subversion and engagement The covert track The engagement track Diplomatic relations with Britain are broken off Final attempts to resolve the oil dispute A day forgotten in the Iranian collective memory 4 THE DOWNSLIDE The clash at the helm; the February 1953 jumble The Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi: a retrospective sketch General Fazlollah Zahedi Internal conspiracies The abduction of the police chief The link-up: TPAJAX and the internal cabal The summer of all dangers The taming of the Shah The falÃ