Why dont' we get along with Iran? I know many people here probably already know the history, so you can feel free to stop reading now. Anyone else that's interested- Keep reading.
Most of the time there is one of two answers. Either the Middle East is a big mess and nobody over there gets along OR they have a crazy leader, but I think that's a way of avoiding the real problems. Let's get down to the real story. Like most of our problems in the Middle East and South Asia, our issues started just after WWII. This is because European powers began giving up their colonial possessions, or abandoning areas of the world they controlled before the war. This is no different with Iran. Beginning in 1951, Great Britain gave up their power in Iran and let them have their own free and fair elections. They elected Mohammad Mosaddeq. He promised health care, food, and a minimum amount of income for some of the poorest Iranian people. The problem is that he has to pay for it some way. So he decided to nationalize the Iranian oil industry to pay for it. Previously, British petroleum companies, along with other international oil companies (yes American companies as well) were allowed to come in and drill the oil for a cheap price and therefore make a tremendous profit. Mosaddeq wanted to drill for the oil, sell it, and use the money to pay for the promises he was elected on. As you can imagine, Great Britain and America don't like this very much. So in 1953, American CIA along with the British secret services team up in operation Ajax- which was a coup, where we trained and supplied Iranian rebels to over throw Mosaddeq. Yes, the Mohammad Mosaddeq that was DEMOCRATICALLY elected. The reason we claim, is that he is a communist. Not that he was allied with the Soviets- But because he wanted to nationalize the oil and share the profits with the Iranian people. We saw that as communist, as do many conservatives today- Unless you're Sarah Palin- Then of course you are the extremely popular governor of Alaska for that very reason. So we decide that "fighting communism" is more important than supporting democratically elected leaders (funny right?) and use that coup to over throw Mosaddeq. We replace him with the Shah of Iran- his family was the traditional rulers of Iran. We install him as a constitutional monarch- But lets get real- He's a dictator. We see him as anti- communist and give him unlimited supplies financially in term of training to maintain his rule for 20 or so years. Now, he treats his people horribly- He steals from them, enriches himself greatly at their expense, and commits atrocities. In 1977, Iranians have had enough of them and start a rebellion. This revolution is based on Shiite Muslim principles and soon breaks out in a civil war. By 1979 they over throw the Shah. He actually fled in 1978, and tries to come to America. President Carter tells him no, so he goes to Mexico. While in Mexico, the Shah has life threatening cancer and asks to be treated in the U.S. Jimmy Carter allows him to. This enrages the Iranian people because they see him as a great war criminal- which he was. So Iranian students storm the embassy and take 52 American diplomats hostage. Carter tries the last year of his presidency to get the hostages released, but fails. When Reagan won and while he was taking office, the Iranian students released the hostages as a f*ck off the Carter. Reagan will then install Saddam Hussein as dictator in Iraq on the condition that they wage war on Iran- Because they are now seen as the great enemy. At the same time as he is installing Hussein as the military dictator in Iraq and propping them up for war with Iran- He is secretly selling arms to Iran to prop them up in the war. Through out the 1980's Iran and Iraq fight this long, bloody war where we are providing the weapons to both sides (at least the defense contractors are getting rich!).
So now that the media and our politicians are beating the war drums- Maybe we should ask ourselves what the real source of the tension is.
What do you all think?
