How Mossadeq Makes Enemies of Our Neighbors

Inflammatory Anti-Mossadegh CIA Propaganda


Arash Norouzi

The Mossadegh Project | September 17, 2024                      


CIA Documents on Iran, Mossadegh, 1953 Coup | 1951-1954

In order to help mobilize unknowing Iranians of all stripes against the government, the CIA wrote propaganda pieces to be translated into Persian and published as editorials in Iranian newspapers. Packed with made-up accusations, they were literally “fake news”.

This undated piece from 1953 was aimed at angrying up the Muslims. The victim of their slander, Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, was portrayed as un-Islamic, pro-Zionist, and, by way of some inexplicable self-sabotage, anti-anti-imperialist! The irony, as usual, is excruciating.

CIA Documents on Iran, Mossadegh, 1953 Coup




HOW MOSSADEQ MAKES ENEMIES OF OUR NEIGHBORS


For one hundred and fifty years and more Iran has been oppressed by the great imperialist powers to the north and to the south. They have robbed us of Georgia, Armenia, and the Transcaucasia and they have tried to rob us of Kurdistan and Azerbaijan. They have stolen our oil and have pocketed huge profits that should have belonged to Iran. They have partitioned our country and have stirred the tribes against our government. They have bribed our leaders and have conspired with selfish landowners to corrupt our cabinets.

Every time Iran started down the road to progress the imperialists stopped us. When Morgan Shuster began taxing the landowners, stopping tribal looting and bringing prosperity to Iran the Russians sent an ultimatum demanding his dismissal. [Treasurer general to the Iranian government] When Dr. Millspaugh seemed to be solving many financial problems that had plagued Iran for years, imperialist agents made sure that he would leave Iran. [Arthur C. Millspaugh] And after the government had spent $600,000 preparing the Seven Year Plan to build a new and prosperous Iran, imperialist agents sabotaged the plan.

Two years ago the people of Iran decided that the time had come to destroy the imperialist control of our fatherland. We started with oil and the entire country rallied behind the banners of national liberation and followed Dr. Mossadeq in a holy battle to recover Iran’s oil for the people of Iran. At that time we won a great victory and threw the imperialists out of our oil fields. But we know very well that winning the first victory does not necessarily mean winning the war. Hitler Germany won the first victory and Imperial Japan won the first victory but they both met ultimate defeat. Iran’s war against imperialism has just begun.

If we are to win this titanic struggle with the imperialists we must have friends and allies. We do have many great and good friends who will help us in our struggle against imperialism. All Islam is fighting imperialism and all Islam wishes us well in our struggle. Dr. Mossadeq should do everything in his power to cement the friendship of Iran with its neighbors. But in his two years in power Dr. Mossadeq has forgotten his holy duty to Iran and to Islam. Instead of building closer friendship with all Islam, Dr. Mossadeq has antagonized our neighbors. The government-paid newspapers carry daily attacks against Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Dr. Mossadeq has ordered the army and tribesmen to raid our neighbor’s villages along our borders. Now our friends on our borders who have given us their loyal support in our great struggle are turning against us.

Let us look for example at what Khalil Ibrahim, the Deputy Director for Public Propaganda in Baghdad, has told correspondents about us.

“For the past few months several Iranian newspapers have been conducting a campaign of hatred and vituperation against Arabs and particularly against Iraq. Some of these papers are out and out Zionist papers, some are wire-pulled by the Jewish agency, but some seem to be inspired by governmental quarters. At a time when the Islamic Arab peoples are fighting a desparate [sic] battle with Zionism, government-paid papers in Islamic Iran have chosen to attack the Arabs. Yet the attitude of the Iraqi press, despite these attacks, has always been extremely friendly and has supported Iran in its life and death struggle with the imperialists.

“Notwithstanding the friendly stand taken by the Iraqi government in support of her neighbor Iran, a new series of outrages have, in recent times, been perpetrated against Iraq. Armed Iranian soldiers have begun to infiltrate Iraqi territory and armed tribesmen have been allowed to cross the border into Iraq. They have committed outrages on the inhabitants of peaceful villages contiguous to the frontier and have looted cattle and every thing they could lay their hands on. Then they returned to Iran with their loot.

“The Iraqi Foreign Office has lodged many protests with the Iranian government but for some unexplained reason, the outrages continue. A few days ago twenty Iranian soldiers and a number of tribesmen trespassed Iraq territory and looted 615 head of sheep belonging to the tribe of Jah in the village of Lele Beh and shot an innocent shepherd.

“Last week Iranian soldiers and tribesmen trespassed upon the Benasawa area and penetrated Iraqi territory to a depth of five kilometers. When they attempted to loot the sheep of the village, the owners of the sheep and the police resisted them end in the ensuing clash some casualties were inflicted. Eight Iranian soldiers and ten tribesmen were arrested within Iraqi territory and they were conveyed to Penjwin.

“By this time, a note of protest will have been delivered to the competent Iranian authority. The Iraqi government adhered to the bonds of friendship that bind her to her neighbors and seeks always to maintain and cement these bonds but Iraq must preserve the sanctity of her territory and the lives and property of her nationals and the Iraqi government will deal most severely with any future incursions from Iran into Iraq and will hold the government of Iran strictly accountable.”

So Dr. Mossadeq is busily destroying the friendship of our neighbors for Iran and eliminating any possibility of their support for Iran in its struggle with the imperialists. The strength of a democracy must reside in its friendly relations with all its neighbors. Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia have clearly stated their desires for good relations. Now we see them rebuffed and abused by Mossadeq. How can we reach our neighbors to show them that the true people of Iran have only friendship in their hearts?


How Mossadeq Makes Enemies of Our Neighbors was declassified by the Central Intelligence Agency on June 21, 2011. [Annotations by Arash Norouzi]






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Related links:

Our National Character | Anti-Mossadegh CIA Propaganda (1953)

Mossadegh Wants Money | August 18, 1952 editorial

Mossadegh Improves On The American Way | Troy Record, Dec. 8, 1951



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

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