Letters to the editor

Editor,

Keith Kreitman’s column "About Iran and Aug. 19, 1953” blames the United States for the radical Islamic government now ruling Iran, while at the same time denies both the threat that Iran poses to the world and the oppression of its own people.

Blaming the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq on the United States is incorrect. Mossadeq’s overthrow is convincingly explained in a new book, "The Persian Night: Iran Under the Khomeinist Revolution” by Amir Taheri, former editor of Iran’s largest newspaper. Taheri’s book shows how the CIA tried to get rid of Mossadeq — and failed. Mr. Taheri explains the many factors involved in this episode including acts by Mossadeq himself.

Mr. Kreitman claims that "… Iran still operates as a republic ... .” In reality, candidates are selected by the rulers and no one can run for office who does not fully support the ruling clique. There are no "moderate political figures” running in the June 12 election.

Since the overthrow of the Shah, the Khomeinist government has supported Islamic Jihad worldwide. Hezbollah is an Iranian creation and Hezbollah groups are active in countries from Lebanon to Latin America. Iranians have suffered far more under the Khomeinist regime than under the Shah with all of his misdeeds.

As for "mutual respect,” our president has reached out to the leaders in Iran who replied by holding a one day trial and sentencing an Iran-American journalist, Roxana Saberi, to an eight-year prison term.

David B. Goldenson

Carmel

Two different causes of Iranian enmity

Editor,

Keith Kreitman ("About Iran and Aug. 19, 1953” in the April 18-19 edition of the Daily Journal) confuses two different causes of Iranian enmity for America. One, was the reinstallation of the Shah and the dissolution of the Mosaddeq administration in 1953. The Iranian opposition to this was not led by the Mullahs and Khomeini was not involved with the Iranian opposition. Mehdi Bazargan, who served as the first Iranian head of National Iranian Oil Company under Prime Minister Mosaddeq, led this Iranian opposition. In February 1979, after the revolution forced the Shah to leave Iran, the liberal Bazargan was appointed prime minister of Iran. For the nine months that he led the government, Iranian life was very liberal with no religious female dress codes or other controls on civilian life. Bazargan resigned, in protest, in November following the U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage.

The second cause was U.S. support of the Shah’s secular westernizing policies. In January 1963, Khomeini, who previously had not been politically active, issued a strongly worded declaration denouncing the Shah and his plans. During November 1964, Khomeini denounced both the Shah and the United States, in response to the diplomatic immunity granted to American military personnel in Iran. This led to Khomeini’s arrest and then exile.

Thus it was the events of 1963-64 that led to Khomeini’s alienation and leadership of the anti-western cause, not the government change in 1953. The first (non-verbal) demonstration of his Islamic Jihad policy for the Caliphate takeover of the world was the autumn 1979 takeover and hostage of the U.S. Embassy.

Arthur Cohn

Portola Valley

Kreitman’s right

Editor,

Keith Kreitman’s column ("About Iran and Aug. 19, 1953” in the April 18-19 edition of the Daily Journal) on the "why” of Islamic Iran is right on the button. It’s unusual for many Americans to be self critical enough to be able to see how others see them, and Kreitman has shown his masterful journalistic abilities in turning on the light here.

Most, if not all, wars are driven at some level by greed in one way or another. The prospect of losing control over the Iranian oilfields in the 1950s must have shaken the West to the core.

I’m sure there’s another side to the story, though, and I hope someone out there can present it as clearly as Kreitman did, with one exception. Iran was not the first true democracy in the Middle East as Kreitman says, Israel was.

I do think that the current grip of Islamic extremism is not something that can be explained away and resolved by scholarly discussion. I’m not sure how the genie can be put back in the bottle, but wishful thinking and back-slapping isn’t going to stop the mad Mullahs. If they threaten their regional neighbors with nuclear weapons, I only hope they understand the chances of being stopped even more crudely than Mossadegh was, and they won’t be as blameless this time around because they do have a choice.

Desmond Tuck

San Mateo