So what?

The US gave Tehran a nuclear reactor–in the 1960s. Michelle Pilecki, who calls this “a classic example of the US digging itself into another hole,” seems to think this is some kind of a gotcha moment. Doubtless George Bush was involved somehow.

Here’s the thing, just because we didn’t view Iran as a threat 40 years ago doesn’t mean Iran isn’t a threat now. The Shah may have been a sonofabitch, but he was most decidedly our sonofabitch. So it’s not surprising that the powers that be in the 1960s thought it was a good idea to buttress Iran’s power as a counterweight to Soviet-supported Egypt and Syria.

by Rachel

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Comments

  1. rbj wrote:

    Not to mention the Shah was a rational sumbitch, and not a(n external) terrorist supporting sumbitch.

    Posted 25 Aug 2006 at 3:59 pm

  2. Alon Levy wrote:

    On the other hand, the Shah was so fascist and unpopular that he caused the Iranians to back Khomeini in desperation. So overthrowing Mossadegh wasn’t such a good idea after all.

    Posted 26 Aug 2006 at 6:05 am

  3. rachel wrote:

    But that’s yesterday’s news. We have to deal with the situation as it is now.

    Posted 26 Aug 2006 at 8:01 am

  4. Alon Levy wrote:

    Oh, of course we do. I have little patience for the Chomskyite argument that an evil done 50 years ago implies that the US should be non-interventionist now. The story of Mossadegh/the Shah is relevant to Venezuela, not Iran.

    Posted 26 Aug 2006 at 5:37 pm

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