  |
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||
edge of darkness: iran coup d'etat plotters exposed by Alex Burns (alex@disinfo.com) - July 04, 2001 |
||||
| Since post-1989 geo-economic imperatives usurped realist geo-politics, spies are "coming in from the Cold War", but not by their own choice. When the prestigious New York Times newspaper published a detailed analysis of the CIA-engineered 1953 Iran coup d'etat (June 15, 2000) online, a technical glitch briefly leaked the plotters' names. In April, 2000, European newspapers uncovered online information about illegal British arms sales to Libya. These debacles signal a new Digital Age information warfare trend: disclosing long-suppressed identities. The 1953 coup overthrew Muhammed Mossadeq's natiotionalist government and established the Pahlavi monarchy. Iran was again vulnerable to domestic turmoil, and the constant threat of outside invasions. Alongside Saudi Arabia, Iran became a pillar of Middle East regional stability under the Nixon Doctrine (1970s). US-directed anti-Imperialist sentiment assisted religiopolitical leader Ayatollah Iman Rhullah Musavi Khomeini's rise to power in the wake of the Iranian Revolution (1979). It also fuelled the Tehran hostage crisis (1979-81) which brought down the Carter administration. Khomeini's religious universalism would battle Soviet Marxist-Leninism for regional control: the Soviets would use the regional power vacuum as a pretext to invade Afghanistan (1980). The Internet has caused intelligence agencies to re-evaluate past historical flash-points such as the 1953 coup. It has also changed the face of warfare forever as well. Cultural, economic, and religious links are now paramount. Wars are fought over resources such as proposed Central Asian gas/oil pipeline projects, rather than border or territorial disputes. Iran is no exception: Khomeini's will called for the use of Iranian embassies to spread Islam's message. An 'ancient Silk Road' nationalist mythology (a historic Islamic/Persian civilization to rival China and the Arabs) has been created and deployed as justification for closer economic ties with Soviet Central Asian states, and to mobilise bilateral relations and Islamic state blocs. Due to modernization, secularization, and increased social mobility, exporting Iran as the 'best model' for a true Muslim society has largely failed regionally. The 1953 coup changed the Middle East's balance of power, creating an historical wildcard. Its legacy is a country facing the breakdown of traditional societal structures and values. Divisions between private-sector and state control within Iran became evident throughout the mid-1990s. Continued disillusionment with Soviet Marxist and Western capitalist political systems means that Iranian backing of radical Islamic political movements remains a disturbing possibility. |
||||
|
||||
 |
||||
|
||||
|
IranMania The Iranian The CIA in Iran InfoWar Stratfor Middle East Intelligence: Iran Abuzz: The CIA in Iran Bulletin: Discussion Encyclopaedia Britannica: History Of Iran Foreign Affairs Iran: A Country Study CIA World Factbook: Iran Iran Special Weapons Guide National Security Archive: 20 Years After The Hostages National Security Archive: Secret CIA History Of The Iran Coup Central Intelligence Agency NYT Site Exposes CIA Agents Iran Clamps Down on Net Cafes Cybermania Takes Iran by Surprise Necessary Illusions Deterring Democracy Real History Archives Global Beat |
||||
|
||||
|
