Shah of Iran was abandoned by Carter, a darling of the Left. The international leftist media turned on him…?

Question

Khomeini unleashed the hybrid of Islam and Marxism…

As if a light were switched off, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, portrayed for 20 years as a progressive modern ruler by Islamic standards, was suddenly, in 1977-1978, turned into this foaming at the mouth monster by the international left media. Soon after becoming President in 1977, Jimmy Carter launched a deliberate campaign to undermine the Shah. The Soviets and their left-wing apparatchiks would coordinate with Carter by smearing the Shah in a campaign of lies meant to topple his throne. The result would be the establishment of a Marxist/Islamic state in Iran headed by the tyrannical Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The Iranian revolution, besides enthroning one of the world's most oppressive regimes, would greatly contribute to the creation of the Marxist/Islamic terror network challenging the free world today.

Answer 1

I know, I was in high school and we watched it play out on the news.  I remember, what was it, over 300 American hostages being taken in Tehran too.   Jimmy was and is a joke.

Answer 2

There are a few interesting facts missing and I have spent the last several minutes trying to locate the links that would have also showed that the Shah wasn't that bad of a guy.

Here goes from memory of the interview with I believe it was the head of Savak or someone close to him.

When the revolution was gaining strength the Shah had a cabinet meeting and asked what was to be done with the whole revolution to which he was told it could be brought to order in 2 weeks that the lists were already drawn up and the military along with Savak would begin on his order.

He then asked about casualties (strange for a Shah) to which the answer was over 100,000 dead and a like number in prison.

After he thought about it he told his staff to pack and the Shah abdicated rather than kill over 100,000 people.

Not that over the years a lot of people had been tortured and killed in his name but this was just a little too much for him.

His policies led to strong economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s but at the same time, opposition to his autocratic pro-Western rule increased. His good relations with Israel and the United States and his active support for women's rights were moreover a reason for Islamic fundamentalist groups to attack his policies.

On January 16, 1979 he and his wife left Iran at the behest of Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar (a long time opposition leader himself), who sought to calm down the situation. Bakhtiar dissolved SAVAK and freed all political prisoners, and allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran after years in exile, asking him to create a Vatican-like state in Qom, promised free elections and called upon the opposition to help preserve the constitution proposing a `national unity` including Khomeini's followers. Khomeini fiercely rejected Dr. Bakhtiar's demands and appointed his own interim government, with Mehdi Bazargan as prime minister, demanding `since I have appointed he must be obeyed." In February, pro-Khomeini Revolutionary guerrilla and rebel soldiers gained the upper hand in street fighting and the military announced their neutrality. On the evening of February 11 the dissolution of the monarchy was complete

My only thoughts about Carter picking The Ayatollah over the Shah was that Carter really harbors some sort of guilt complex against the US and any one that ever stood with us for any reason.  And he is nuttier than a fruit cake.

.

Answer 3

The fact is that the Iranians deposed him.  The media did not take the streets of Tehran from him and his Army, and Police.  The media did not commit the actions of the SAVAK.  He was thrown out because he lost too much popular support.  He supported very repressive measures against peasants that merely wanted a bit of justice and fairness.  He handed the running of the country over to a group of arrogant absentee landlords that treated the commoners as if they where dirt.  And he reaped the whirlwind of that action.   It had little to do with outside forces; he brought the revolution on by refusing to see that his people would not take anymore repression.  It was not just communists that hated the man.  The Mullahs hated him for trying to change up the social fabric of Iran. The moderates hated him, for being too heavy handed.  h**l even the aristocrats did not much like him.  He lost the support of too many factions and so he was thrown out.

Of course I do not like the idea of living in modern Iran--theocracy is not my ideal--but if the Iranians get too tired of that situation then they will toss this as well.

Answer 4

YOU NAILED IT.

Answer 5

My goodness ,you are still at your silliness.

The Shah of Iran was the US's murderous right wing dictator that was put in charge of Iran after the US destroyed the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED IRANIAN GOVERNMENT ALL OF COURSE BECAUSE OF OIL / PROFITS.

http://www.iranchamber.com/history/coup5...

In fact grasshopper , as this article attests to and the recently released CIA files on this issue also do ,the CIA / US HATED /HAD NO USE FOR the Shah of Iran right from the beginning so what is this stinking c**p of yours about Jimmy Carter launchung a "hate the Shah Campaign".

You never do let FACTS get in the way of your spewings do you ??

http://whohijackedourcountry.blogspot.co...

The Shah of Iran and his murderous Savaak secret police killed literally thousand of Iranians who dared resurrect the liberty and freedom and democracy that the US destroyed.

Throughout the years 1953-1979 the US FULLY supported this murderous despot economically,politically and militarily.

That you see this historically well evidenced history of the Shah and the Savaak as some sort of "leftist" apparatchiks is simply a testimony to your slander/libel and simply incidious lies that you spread on this board.

This attests to WHY Carter RIGHTLY abandonned this vile murderous dictator .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Re...

The overthrow of the vile Shah was inevitable and if the US had  used it's power to force the Shah to stop enraging Iranians with his atrocities,the Iranian moderates would never have had to turn to the Islamic extremists in a last desperate and JUSTIFIED attempt to throw out the vile Shah and his equally vile supporter ,the CIA .

I cannot wait for the day China becomes the world's only super power and it DOES UNTO THE US THAT WHICH THE US HAS DONE UNTO OTHERS and then MY COUNTRY RIGHT OR WRONG dangerous people like you will perhaps then understand why so many around this world HATE YOU .

  http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/CIAtimelin...

http://www.serendipity.li/cia/cia_terr.h...

http://www.angelfire.com/home/iran/savak...

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/I...

Answer 6

Saddam was considered a "progressive modern ruler by islamic standards" as well, initially.  

We see how that turned out.

What other islamic states allowed the consumption and sales of liquor and pornography prior to Saddam?  None.  

What other islamic states allowed women to attend college, work, drive cars, and be seen in public only wearing a shawl (and not a burka) prior to Saddam?  None.

The Shah was a US-installed Middle Eastern dictator, just like Saddam.  

Not good.....not bad, just the reality of the situation.

Answer 7

You are right. However, from Carter's actions today, it seems that he is doing his best to warn the US to avoid repeating those mistakes in other countries (Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, and maybe Iran again).