Cleanup in Aisle 4

October 31, 1952 — The World At A Glance


The Mossadegh Project | December 15, 2015                 


This saucy commentary is an excerpt from the newspaper column The World At A Glance.




MOSSADEGH’S MESS

Iran’s Premier Mossadegh has a remarkable knack of getting things into a mess. His decision to break off diplomatic relations with Britain illustrates the point. The situation was bad enough due to his recent ultimatum but there was still hope that he would yield to reason. All along, however, as efforts were made by Britain and the United States to find a reasonable basis for settlement, Mossadegh has repeatedly upset the apple cart with impossible and impertinent demands. [Says you]

This is not to say that every point in the Iranian oil dispute is on the side of the West. But it’s impossible to understand what he expects to gain by his tactics. His country is virtually bankrupt now. He can’t sell the oil abroad even though he has tried. (The New York Times reported that a deal is in the mind between Mossadegh and some American oil companies. This does not seem likely, however, since the oil companies would thereby be encouraging countries like Arabia [Saudi Arabia] and Venezuela to break their contracts with them.)

Before he chokes, the premier should realize that he is tightening the noose on his own neck more than on either Britain or ourselves.



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Related links:

Cutting Off His Nose | U.S. editorial, October 21, 1952

Iran Still Sitting Tight | The San Bernardino County Sun, March 24, 1953

Mossadegh’s Mistake | U.S. editorial, August 31, 1953



MOSSADEGH t-shirts — “If I sit silently, I have sinned”

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