Blind ambition
Reza Pahlavi is so eager to have a place in history and in Persia that he pleads with warmongers to make the innocent Iranian people suffer

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
December 6, 2006
iranian.com

In response to Reza Pahlavi's "Talking to Iran":

Mr. Pahlavi,

Perhaps the only merit I see in your letter is the fact that you have found yourself a better  writer; your letter reflects improved articulation and clarity of style, something lacking in your previous addresses.  However, the message you convey remains the same: ambition and betrayal.

You write “I have repeatedly opposed any form of military action against  my country as unjust and counterproductive”.  I assume you mean Iran?  In which case, you either have a short memory, or you delibertately lie hoping that the rest of us have a short memory.   After the 9/11 terrorist attacks when the Unites States was bombing Afghanistan in retaliation for the tragedy that had befallen it, you had this to say:

“[T]errorism is like an octopus whose weakness is the eyes –in Tehran.  [I]f the U.S. wants to kill this octopus, it should start in Tehran.”

You must have been very disappointed when the US chose to invade Iraq instead of Iran; the Peacock throne must have seemed just a bomb away to you at that time.  But you must have also read that Patrick Clawson and other like minded people thought that the road to Iran was through Baghdad.  Perhaps now that your chances seem so close, you are threatened by the competition, above all, the MEK.     

You speak of ‘self-preservation’ - this is something that you should be familiar with.  After all, it is no secret that you received C.I.A. funding for a number of years until the Iran-Contra scandal put an end to it.  This is the same CIA who trained  your father’s SAVAK on  how to torture Iranians --  the same Iranians you feign to have compassion for – and who held your strings once you acceded to become their kept boy.  

Of late, their rendition practices around the world with at least 600 flights through Europe to torture destinations have come to light.  You, Mr. Pahlavi, have been on their pay roll, ready for the string to be pulled, just like your father who was a master torturer. Do you really think that you are in a position to speak compassionately of  “prisoners of conscience” in Iran and “dissidents who were murdered in their homes or forced to flee”?

As for Mr. Bush’s promise of promoting democracy in Iraq – it was never his intention to promote democracy.  If you recall, he lied to the American people.  The reason for invading sovereign Iraq was the threat of WMD and the link to al-Qaeda;  something that YOU tried to convince the Americans to do after 9/11 by categorically stating that Iran is the master of all terrorism.  

If your words were a true reflection of your concern for Iranians, you would encourage dialogue, the only alternative to sanctions and military action.  But you are so blinded by ambition, so eager to have a place in history and in Persia that you plead with warmongers to make the innocent Iranian people suffer. 

You write: “George W Bush has repeatedly pledged to support Iranians in their struggle for freedom and democracy.”  It should come as no surprise that a man whose father’s reign was imposed by a CIA coup should now grovel to a warmonger to ‘bring democracy and freedom’ to Iran.  What an irony that your father held his coronation at Persepolis – the hypocrisy of it.  Mr. Pahlavi, Iranians can gain their own freedom and democracy once they weed out traitors within them and enemies without.

All the Iranians in exile and indeed those within her boarders who fight for Iran’s integrity, do so not because their ideology is compatible with the regime’s (although indeed some may be), but because they are patriots.  You on the other hand, are keener on your self preservation, and you have realized that by stroking Israeli’s interest, you may find your way back to Tehran.  While you are surrounded by a few loyal well-wishers, I must remind you that Iran’s population is 70 million.   On average, they are far more educated than you are.  After all the hardship they have been through, do you really think they will accept someone who has sold them out? Comment

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
Salt Lake City - Utah