Under the Shah of Iran, the CIA & Mossad shaped SAVAK into a torture & killing machine. One of its torture victims was current Iran Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Good comment, but then why at the close the swipe at me? Every article on Iran cannot take in the full history of Western, imperialistic intervention! I already was doubting my decision to only slightly mention the very important British role in the 1953 coup.
While I can't claim infallibility as to how I go about my work, I think I try to get the most relevant information included in most of my articles. In the case of this article, the main point was the key role of the Western intelligence services in creating and working with SAVAK, and the impact of the latter's crimes. IMO, this aspect of the post-1953 history is too often overlooked.
The problem is that every single article one reads on Iran mentions 1953. None, not one, that we've come across over years mentions 1941. Almost as if people don't know the first thing about it, when in fact it was far more consequential (a full invasion by two great powers) than a simple coup d'etat to depose a prime minister.
The endless repetition of 1953 in fact recycles the utterly dead discourse of Khomeini himself, who was at pains for foreigners to forget all of Iranian history but that.
Don't keep flogging the same tired Islamic Republic talking points is what we're saying.
On the contrary, the major reason for later events was the cataatrophe of 1941. The fact that no one in the West *ever* mentions the invasion shows there is in fact an extraordinary need to discuss it
By the way, the role of the British and Russia in that event was discussed recently by way of explaining part of the reason for the Iranian distrust of Russia in the context of Iran turning down Russia's offer of a security agreement akin to the one with North Korea.
I got more bad news. According to my fringe sources, Savak agents were rehired to be part of the Islamic Republic's spy agency. They just kept working both sides and sold their secrets to the Jews. Meanwhile the Basij beat up the students for protests. Now Islamic Republic can't tie their shoe laces without giving away their location.
I'm sorry you didn't choose to identify your "fringe" sources, especially when the evidence on both sides of the political divide must be critically assessed, as both "spin" and disinformation are common problems in these kinds of ongoing international conflicts.
There are claims that "many" or "some" former SAVAK agents were granted amnesty by the Islamic Revolutionary government, particularly to deal with counterintelligence issues during the Iraq-Iran War. I will assume that some of this did take place, as in nearly every instance I know of where a revolutionary government came to power (France, 1789; the victorious U.S. "Union" after the American Civil War, 1865; Russia, 1917; GDR, 1945-46; China, 1949, etc.) some officials of the previous police or military administrations did go to work for the new regime, as usually there was a lack of expertise in these areas by the new government. In all such cases, these former intel and military or police assets were firmly in control of the new revolutionary governments. That seems to have been the case with the former SAVAK agents, but this is only an assumption, really, based on flimsy secondary sources.
I, of course, cannot comment on how many years later any former SAVAK agents played into the conflict between Israel and Iran. Lacking any sources from you, I cannot really assess such a claim. But thanks for offering your perspective.
Thanks Jeff. Here is what the askashic records just told me about the future of America.
"2029-2033 is the real inflection point.
That’s when it’s not just little tech campuses with apartments —
it’s actual walled or gated urban pods run by corporate-security regimes, with internal rules, credit systems, on-site housing, their own schools, medical contracts.
By then, the “public” infrastructure is degraded enough that people start voluntarily migrating into these micro-fortresses, even if they hate the control, because it’s safer and cleaner."
👍
Excellent and important report. This is what real journalism looks like. Thank you!
Thank You Jeffrey
Foreign intervention in Iran did not mysteriously begin in 1953.
Soviet Russia and British India invaded in 1941, overthrowing Reza Khan's dictatorship.
The British backed Reza Khan's coup in 1921, setting him up as a pro-Western govt (they hoped)
In 1908 Russian Tsarists bombarded Iran's first Parliament, trying to suppress democracy in favor of royal absolutism
Throughout the 19th century the British and Russian empires propped up the incompetent and unpopular Qajar dynasty to keep Persia weak.
Why is your knowledge of Iran so limited?
Good comment, but then why at the close the swipe at me? Every article on Iran cannot take in the full history of Western, imperialistic intervention! I already was doubting my decision to only slightly mention the very important British role in the 1953 coup.
While I can't claim infallibility as to how I go about my work, I think I try to get the most relevant information included in most of my articles. In the case of this article, the main point was the key role of the Western intelligence services in creating and working with SAVAK, and the impact of the latter's crimes. IMO, this aspect of the post-1953 history is too often overlooked.
The problem is that every single article one reads on Iran mentions 1953. None, not one, that we've come across over years mentions 1941. Almost as if people don't know the first thing about it, when in fact it was far more consequential (a full invasion by two great powers) than a simple coup d'etat to depose a prime minister.
The endless repetition of 1953 in fact recycles the utterly dead discourse of Khomeini himself, who was at pains for foreigners to forget all of Iranian history but that.
Don't keep flogging the same tired Islamic Republic talking points is what we're saying.
This was an article on SAVAK and there was no need to discuss 1941.
On the contrary, the major reason for later events was the cataatrophe of 1941. The fact that no one in the West *ever* mentions the invasion shows there is in fact an extraordinary need to discuss it
Look who's flogging a dead horse ...
By the way, the role of the British and Russia in that event was discussed recently by way of explaining part of the reason for the Iranian distrust of Russia in the context of Iran turning down Russia's offer of a security agreement akin to the one with North Korea.
The horse has hardly been flogged, but it's out of the barn now, no matter what anyone thinks
If you want to know why Iranians stormed the American Embassy in Teheran in 1979, this is why.
Thanks for this huge piece, translated in French here : https://zanzibar.substack.com/p/comprendre-les-veritables-contours
Thank you so much!!
With a huge pleasure
OH 😱💀 SHIT
I got more bad news. According to my fringe sources, Savak agents were rehired to be part of the Islamic Republic's spy agency. They just kept working both sides and sold their secrets to the Jews. Meanwhile the Basij beat up the students for protests. Now Islamic Republic can't tie their shoe laces without giving away their location.
I'm sorry you didn't choose to identify your "fringe" sources, especially when the evidence on both sides of the political divide must be critically assessed, as both "spin" and disinformation are common problems in these kinds of ongoing international conflicts.
There are claims that "many" or "some" former SAVAK agents were granted amnesty by the Islamic Revolutionary government, particularly to deal with counterintelligence issues during the Iraq-Iran War. I will assume that some of this did take place, as in nearly every instance I know of where a revolutionary government came to power (France, 1789; the victorious U.S. "Union" after the American Civil War, 1865; Russia, 1917; GDR, 1945-46; China, 1949, etc.) some officials of the previous police or military administrations did go to work for the new regime, as usually there was a lack of expertise in these areas by the new government. In all such cases, these former intel and military or police assets were firmly in control of the new revolutionary governments. That seems to have been the case with the former SAVAK agents, but this is only an assumption, really, based on flimsy secondary sources.
I, of course, cannot comment on how many years later any former SAVAK agents played into the conflict between Israel and Iran. Lacking any sources from you, I cannot really assess such a claim. But thanks for offering your perspective.
I use psychic sources.
Ha ha! Well, good luck with that!
Thanks Jeff. Here is what the askashic records just told me about the future of America.
"2029-2033 is the real inflection point.
That’s when it’s not just little tech campuses with apartments —
it’s actual walled or gated urban pods run by corporate-security regimes, with internal rules, credit systems, on-site housing, their own schools, medical contracts.
By then, the “public” infrastructure is degraded enough that people start voluntarily migrating into these micro-fortresses, even if they hate the control, because it’s safer and cleaner."
Stay tuned for my latest post.
Dream on tRump