Persian Realm

'amirparvizforsecularmonarchy'

Everything that I have said in my comments below are pretty well-documented - Plus, I witnessed all of that first hand while living in London, and following the events in Real-Time, day by day - Not reading them in history books -

As Mike Wallace said in his interview with the Shah, the CIA's profile of the Shah had deemed him an "Uncertain Ally" - Also, remember that back then there was the threat of Soviet Union - Who better than a bunch of Islamists (ie. Khomeini, etc.), in the eyes of the Americans, to stand up to the spread of Communism -

There is no question in my mind that the Shah was undermined by the West - To this day, I do not believe that the '79 Revolution was a "True Revolution" - As I said earlier, it was pretty well-orchestrated by the West - Unfortunately, unbeknownst to most of our beloved Brothers and Sisters in Iran ..... !

R D

r2d2 not sure you know what you said, if yes, well said.

The Shah was ultimately betrayed by Carter, not because of oil... though big oil multinationals were used to play a major part in undoing the shah once a decision had been made for other reasons, but because the USA had been convinced that the shah was an uncertain ally. (that was terrible advice).

Shah's actions and how he behaved from 1977 to 1980 proved at least to the USA, that they had been 100% wrong. But it was too late for the USA to change its policy).

Unfortunately the Shahs demised was orchestrated as early as 1974, when he, his personal doctor, head of parliament and prime minister all mysteriously contracted a lethal blood cancer.

The only funny thing about it, is that iran would never be in a position to exact any justice from America after what it did to iranians and the peoples monarchy at the hands of unaware iranians. 

And Yet 40 years later America would have to face the call of justice not from Iranians, but from each and every major power in the world, who as a result of 1979 are actively treating America as Enemy #1, though they don't say it publicly. 

America really has no ally at this point, not the EU, not Russia, not China, not India.  All are growing in cooperation with each other and competition to the USA.  And if USA's ability to keep and develop alliances hinges on its ability to maintain and mend relations with its old allies, which it obviously does, I'd say the US Empire is going to face a cold and painful future.

P.S. when shah said, "We Are Not Toys Of Any Country", he didn't mean mullahs, he meant Iranians in his camp, under his banner and that still remains true.

Interesting reading

You are a true well of information, DK.

A creation and a victim of the cold war

That is what shah mohamad reza pahlavi was. I doubt if he knew it himself, otherwise he would not be visiting breznev in moscow...

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

"Uncertain Ally" .....

That was the key issue back in 1978, Guadalupe Conference, attended by Giscard (France), Helmut Schmidt (Germany), Callahan (UK), and Jimmy Carter (U.S.) that sealed the Shah's fate -

I was in London back then, witnessing the whole thing, on a daily basis, from Khomeini's coming to Paris, with Ghotbzadeh, their daily press conferences on BBC, and their subsequent trip to Iran  -

The entire '79 so-called Revolution was well-orchestrated by the West - From familiarizing Khomeini, and making him acceptable to both Iranians and the rest of the World, by daily press conferences on BBC and the rest of the World media, right through to the undermining of the Shah -

It's sad to say this, but our beloved brothers and sisters in Iran played nothing but  the parts of inadvertent pawns in this Shakespearean Tragedy ..... !

R D

Shah's Rebuttal to Wallace's CIA Report & Nixon Anger over Shah

Mike Wallace On theCIA Psychological Profile of the Shah

Related Blog:

Shah to Nixon on "Revolutions" vs "Evolutions" in Middle East (1969)

Famous Last Words ;) ?

"We Are Not Toys Of Any Country" -

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi