U.S. and Them: Operation Ajax - Iran and the CIA coup (2/2)

American CIA and British MI6 draw up Operation Ajax. A secret plan to overthrow the democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq in order to secure their oil interests and contain Soviet influence.

Sources

Oil, Power and Principle: Iran's Oil Nationalization and Its Aftermath - Mostafa Elm

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power - Daniel Yergin

CIA Clandestine Service History, "Overthrow of Premier Mossadeq of Iran,
November 1952-August 1953," March 1954, - Dr. Donald Wilber. (National Security Archive document)

Resurrecting Empire: Western Footprints and America's Perilous Path in the Middle East - Rashid Khalidi

Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East - Rashid Khalidi

Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA - Tim Weiner

All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror - Stephen Kinzer

A Concise History of the Middle East - Arthur Goldschmidt and Lawrence Davidson

Category:

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[JapanYamatoman]

That seriously angers me how dirty the US and more specifically the CIA are. They go around supposedly promoting democracy, but only when it suits their purpose and when it doesn't, they overthrow a democratically elected leader (who actually was a good guy) and instate the Shah, who was a brutal dictator, for what? OIL!!! Truly disgusting.

[Capuchin]

Are you seriously comparing Mohammed Mossadeq to Adolf Hitler? Pull your head out your arse mate and actually try learning something about this incident rather than talking complete and utter nonsense.

[PERSIAisHISTORY]

@345678894 really? then why is US in Iraq?

[345678894]

@PERSIAisHISTORY no, something else my friend

[xortanoffski]

Yes , if these evil empires had left Iran alone, by now we could have had a reasonable government and not these cloth headed evil idioits in charge inm the country with the probelms that they have caused for the Iranian people. It is always the same though! these idiots poked there nasty fingers in Afghanistan,USSR, Balkans and caused a lot of problems for themselves! If they had not interfered, we may never have had these silly muslems in charge of the country which is not a real muslem land

[PERSIAisHISTORY]

@aaronsdavis US is in Iraq because of the OIL.

[WesTaylorable]

Do not misinterpret what I am about to say, this is a deplorable act that has permanently marred US relations with the middle east. We have absolutely no credibility in the region until we take full responsibility for this operation. That being said, do not reduce the complexities of this situation to Michael Moore-esque anti-corporate rhetoric. The fact of the matter was that Iran was a VITAL chess piece during the cold war. Terrorism was unforeseeable due to the Communist threat at the time.

[smujismuj]

Outstanding Documentary!

[smujismuj]

The U.S. has thwarted democracy wherever it could.

[flipflop180]

this video seems to underplay Britain and Churchill's role. the public do the same with regard to Iraq war and scapegoat Bush too much. it seems This country has its subtle propaganda too

[aaronsdavis]

@JapanYamatoman Actually, it DIDNT suit their purpose, as the history since demonstrates...it did suit certain corporate interests within the US and Britain, but not their national interests, just as the invasion of Iraq didnt suit US intersests...