Abstract (eng)
The following dissertation and analysis represents a comprehensive investigation into the bilateral relationship between the US and Iran since 1953. The hypothesis focuses on the question: “Is US foreign policy preventing Iran from reaching its democratic potential?”
Using neo-colonial methods or indirect intervention, the United States altered the political development of Iran. Neo-colonial policies, as used by the US, and their long-term impact on Iran, are analysed carefully. The Volksgeist of the Iranian nation today has strong feelings regarding these events. I have defined the tripartite flow of this relationship as the Action, Reaction, and Counter-Reaction periods. The investigation begins with the post-World War II period, leading to the early 1950’s in Iran. The Action Period from 1953 - 1979 then becomes the first primary focus of the investigation, as I examine realities concerning the violent removal by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), of legally elected, popular Iranian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953.
Mosaddeq’s violent removal, strongly supported by the US in August 1953, began a wide range of on-going political developments and negative emotions between the people of Iran, its governments after Mosaddeq, and successive US administrations. The US supported Iranian regime that replaced Mosaddeq, led by Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was never accepted by Iran’s majority. As part of my larger investigation, I will examine whether or not the Iranian people could have chosen or been aware of other responses to the US removal of Mosaddeq, instead of the violent, negative emotions displayed against the US following his removal.
The Action Period analysis reveals the unpopularity of the Shah’s rule, led to Iran’s later support for regional and global terrorism, especially against the US, Israel, and their interests, with Iran being ruled by successive, fanatical Islamic regimes, governing poorly overall and disrespecting democratic development. My main conclusion for the Action period is US removal of Mosaddeq from power was a major foreign policy mistake by the United States, creating very negative, long-term consequences for Iran and the US. For Iran, the nation witnessed and still experiences continuation of ineffectual and poorly governing fanatical Islamic regimes, preventing Iran from reaching its much larger (democratic) potential.
The Reaction Period of Iran-US relations, 1979-2001, concludes Iran’s regime and its citizens, starting in 1979 and continuing for over two decades, would not have been able to realize other responses towards US administrations after 1979. The combined efforts of continued US hostility towards Iran after 1979, with greatly increasing hostility towards the US by Iran’s post 1979 fanatical Islamic regimes, offered no possibility for compromise. Among the strongest examples of increasing hostility towards the US by Iranians, was their anger at the US decision to support Iraq militarily when Saddam Hussein attacked Iran, leading to the wasteful and murderous eight year war between Iran and Iraq. This caused the Iranian public to rally behind anti-American Khomeini, who drove the country into an oligarchy of extremist clergy, and away from democracy.
The Counter-Reaction period of Iran-US relations, 2001 to the present, analyses how and why US policy under the US administration of George W. Bush, was very aggressive towards Iran. Following 9/11, Mr. Bush and his administration referred to Iran as a member of an “axis-of-evil”, meaning the Counter-Reaction period now has a new level of US hos-tility towards Iran, which I also show continues under current US President Obama. I con-clude by analysing why specific special interests inside the US find it convenient and believable Iran should be considered one of the greatest threats to US security beginning after 1979, continuing to the present and lasting well into the future. Neo-colonialism, as the primary, post-WWII policy choice by successive US administrations, has prevented Iran from achieving its potential political development