4/22/2010

All the Shah's men was a very revealing book to read. I cannot to wait until 50 years later when the American people will be able to view the hidden policy reasons for invading Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S and Britian both showed great greed in wanting to take control of Iran. Oil was the reason on the surface of policy endavors in Iran. Because both countries wanted a greater uncompromised access to its oil, they developed policies in which they could better ascertain it. One of the most notable slipups was the British wanting to seek help from the U.S in order to overthrow the Shah from power in Iran. The CIA coup was not formed of CIA members or clandestine forces from the U.S but from Iran itself. They paid the opposition groups against the Shah, to overthrow him. The book is very adamate in saying that that was the wrong thing to do because the Shah was pro- western, and sought to modernize Iran, and was successfully modernizing it until the CIA coup. Then it argues that the biggest mistake of them all was his overthrowal with someone who believes in Arab identity first, and utterly condemns western identity, values, and traditions. This was consequently a huge problem for the America of today because had we coordinated better, we would end up with an Iran which we could form diplomatic relations, instead of a hostile unpleasant Iran eager to emerge as a threat to Israel, and a bearer of nuclear arms.