On the insanity plea, as a fellow motori I readily admit to being slightly insane too!
Now, you are putting too much into arms sales. I answered you with dollars and figures and so did Bi-Honar but you don't seem to be too impressed. Iran is a $50B+ market just for US goods. Every year. There are not enough F-16 in the world to cover that. Weapons WILL be sold no matter who is in power. During Shah's time, Saudis were so scared that they were snapping up arms left and right and he wasn't even an Islamist. In fact, the American foothold in the kingdom mostly happened in the 70s. Ironically, now that the wave of Islamist is washing over the shores America is gone. How is that for you theory?
Doost e Aziz,
The “Grand Plan” for US was defeating USSR and wining the cold war and you are talking about Mc Donalds and KFC? USSR was an existential threat to entire Capitalist world.
Let’s put a $ value for the commerce which could be conducted if Shah remained in power for the past 35 years. Is a $trillion a fair number? How about $2 trillion?
Either number would be peanuts compared to defeating USSR and wining the cold war. The “Grand Plan” was to drag USSR into Afghanistan and defeat them in their own game which they and China played against US in Vietnam. Plan worked, USSR fell and US ended up being the sole superpower of the world.
In late 1970s Davoud Khan the first president of Afghanistan was overthrown and executed by Afghanestan communists and Noor Mohammad Taraki the head of communist party claimed the leadership of the nation. He was pro-Soviet and was receiving plenty of assistance from north, overt or covert. That is when the islamists took arms and started war against the central communist government. They were immediately named “Mojahedin” by US, the title means the people who conduct holy war the “Jehaad”. Even though they were being overtly and covertly supported by US and some other nations in the West they were not big or influential enough to compel USSR to take evasive action for preventing its southern republics from joining the Jihadists and creating a massive headache for USSR. Southern republics of former USSR like Tajiks, Kazaks, Turkmen, Azaris, Uzbeks and kirghiz are ethnically, linguistically and religiously hold strong kinship and are far more related to Iran, Pakestan and Afghanestan than pale skinned, blue eyed and amber haired Russians.
During the whole cold war period, Afghnestan did not participate in western sponsored alliance due to one or more reasons. Soviet Union wanted that Afghanestan should continue to remain outside of the Western orbit and its territory should not be used against USSR security interest. For this reason since early 1950s USSR had contributed to Afghanetan’s development programs by extending financial and technical assistance on large scale. The purpose of this assistance would have been wasted had Afghanestan drifted away from USSR’s sphere.
So if the Mojaahedin could strike a victory and take over Afghanestaan they could officially request assistance from US and other NATO nations and let them pour in massive military and industrial personnel and equipment inside Afghanestaan. So Mojahedin had to be crushed regardless of cost. USSR knew they are walking into a US planed trap but they counted on the decisive victory over the islamists. Should this had taken place USSR could have established permanent military bases in Afghanestaan and get one huge step closer for establishing a naval port/s in warm waters of Indian Ocean and/or Persian Gulf. It could cost $trillions if US had to stop Ruskies from achieving the final objectives by brute military force, even then it was not certain if it could win such a war against formidable military might of USSR. It is then that US decided to look for her longtime friends and call them for the rescue “The anti- communist Islamic Jehaad”. The best candidates to implement the “grand containment plan” were Iran and Pakestaan.
Although friends of the US, the leaders of these2 nations were charismatic, open minded and secular they wouldn’t be able nor they would want to mobilize the religious populace against communism expansion through religious war in the region, mounting an authoritative religious leader in these nations could almost guaranty achieving those very vital objectives, which were a) stop USSR from moving farther south if Afghanestaan falls in their hand, b) militarily assist Mojaahedin to defeat Soviet troops in Afghanestaan.
Well we know exactly what happened in Iran. Also don’t forget IRR assistance to Northern Alliance in Afghanestaan right after Soviets put foot in there.
All of a sudden In Pakestaan where they have been enjoying their first civilian and very popular government of Zulfeghaar Ali Bhutto a group called PNA (Pakestaan National Alliance) emerged and started mobilizing, propagating and protesting against the secular and progressive Gov. of Ali Bhutto, mysteriously they had all the money, all the communication equipment and fairly large number of crowd they needed. Long story short in span of less than a year Bhutto was politically and socially weakened to a point when ultra-religious Zia al Haghgh (high ranking member of Jammaa’t al islam of Pakestaan, in other word a mulla in military uniform) conducted a coup and toppled Bhutto there was not much voice in opposition to the illegal take over. Bhutto was arrested, tried and hanged.
Note which should be considered:
US officially recognized new Iranian government in less than 24 hours of its establishment. Why the hurry?
There was a 58 years old treaty between Iran and USSR who guarantied Iran its independence and territorial integrity. In this treaty it was also decided that Soviet Union would help Iran in case of any outside aggression. This treaty was always a concern to and bothered US. Shah, with all those pro-American policies and constant pressure from US never cancelled the treaty, Bazargan did it in a flash without any provocation from USSR.
In one of his speeches this is what exactly Carter said regarding new Iranian gov. “The ayatollah Khomeini government has made it clear evr since it came into power, through our direct negotiation with Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan and our Ambassador and through their emissaries who have even today talked to Secretary Vance that they desire a working and friendly relationship with the United States….I don’t know of anything we could have done to prevent the very complicated social, religious and political interrelationship from occurring in Iran in the change of the government. And we’ll just have to make he best of change”
When Ali Bhutto was sentenced to death there was not much effort from US to prevent the execution but they did it for Hoveydaa.
Yes nowadays islamist are nuisance to the interest of western world but the glorious victory over cold war and ultimately dismantling the entire infrastructure of Soviet Union from the surface of the earth and ending up being the sole superpower in the world outweighs all those inconvenience of islamist being a pest, buzzing around like a mosquito and interrupting a full night sleep. Even now knowingly or unknowingly they are still acting in the interest of the US (West) who else could replace the old Loo Loo Khorkhoreh called Communism? They are the new threat and must be defeated. Hale WOT (War On terror).
