Essay About Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh And United States

Bias or Fact
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Justin Windh
Mr. Robinson
English 2
4/30/07
Bias or Fact
America has buried itself in foreign government affairs many times in
history and for many reasons, claiming to civilize, liberate, or protect those we
occupy. We may not always have the most modest intentions, but is it possible that
our poking and prodding into affairs of other countries has gotten us where we are
today; faced with nations that literally hate and despise us? Stephen Kinzer seems
to believe so. In his book Overthrow: Americas Century of Regime Change from
Hawaii to Iraq he mentions several cases where he feels that our government has
stuck their nose in places it does not belong and as a result our country has been
knocked for it. But it is not hard to distinguish whether or not he is being factual
in his conclusions or merely speculating. He has some pretty hard evidence
supporting his feelings. However Kinzer does lead into speculation about our past
presidents and their favoritism towards dictators.
In one such case, in chapter 9 of his book, Kinzer expresses how he feels
that operation Ajax resulted in the attacks on 9/11. Operation Ajax was a coup that
was conceived by the British and proposed to the U.S. in 1953. Its purpose was to
remove Prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh and sort of exchange him with
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Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The reason Mossadegh was overthrown was because he
felt Iran should profit from its oil reserves. In 1951 he nationalised the oil industry
which previously was controlled solely by the Anglo-Iranian Oil company, which
was a monopoly. With Mossadegh out of the way Anglo-Iranian Oil would return
to being a monopoly, the british would receive 40 percent of its shares and so
would the United States.
The point Kinzer makes is very clear when he says, “The role of the
United States in overthrowing Mossadegh and its long embrace of the shah led to
the rise of Anti-Americanism, a new phenominon in Iran” (Kinzer 200). Kinzer
can back this statement with a statement made by Supreme Court Justice William
O. Douglas. “When Mossadegh and Persia started basic reforms, we became
alarmed. We united with the British to destroy him; we succeeded; and ever since
then, our name has not been an honored one in the middle east” (Kinzer 200). Not
only does Kinzer support his claim with a statement from a Supreme Court Justice,
but also with words from Historian James A. Bill, “The U.S. intervention alienated
important generations of Iranians from America, and was the first fundamental
step in the eventual rupture of Iranian-American relations in the revolution of
1978-79” (Kinzer 201). Not many times does Kinzer venture into speculation