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Direct quotes from the documents destroy once and for all illusions about the coming to power of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which are held not just by Islamists, but sections of the left, in Iran and worldwide. In case anyone is in any doubt, ayatollah Khomeini was not the ‘brave third world leader’ who defied and defeated US imperialism. On the contrary, he was the man who ended a revolutionary process, promising “calm” in return for US help in deposing shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi through a deal with his military commanders. We now know how he communicated with Carter, who persuaded the shah to leave Iran for an ‘extended holiday’ and how the US administration then informed Khomeini that Iran’s military leaders were unlikely to stand in his way if he took power.
In fact it is quite clear from these documents that the US arranged for the opening of a communication channel with Khomeini and his principal advisors before the shah left Iran. A rational explanation for this cooperation would be that the US was more fearful of other sections of the opposition forces - the working class, whose strikes had paralysed the country, and the left - than the Islamists and in true tradition of US foreign policy, particularly during the cold war, Washington decided to ally itself with the Islamists against the secular and leftwing forces.
full: http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1110/claims-exposed-once-and-for-all/ _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
