Guide to Lecture 27 (Jimmy Carter & the Iran Crisis)
Background
This crisis proved to be Carter’s undoing. How did it occur?
Persia (ancient name of Iran) important to British
Oil discovered in 1908
British navy sailed on petroleum fuel since WWI
Profits benefited foreigners, not Iranians
Early 1920s Reza Khan into politics
1925—Shah (Reza Pahlavi)
Changed name to Iran, banned the chador—modernize—Western
dress
Germany became active in Iran in the 1930s—flattered by Hitler—original
Aryan nation
Non-Arabs—physically different
Do not speak Arabic—Farsi
Overwhelmingly Muslim
British & Russians jointly occupied Iran in August 1941
Reza Shah (pro-German) abdicated—son took over Peacock Throne
Stayed in power for 37 years
FDR’s views: Iran protector against imperialism—occupation should be
temporary
British left but retained total control over Anglo Iranian Oil Co.
Soviets stayed in northern Iran into early 1946—Truman’s ultimatum
1951—Mohammed Mossadegh, leader of National Front—prime minister
Nationalist—wanted to control oil industry
Provoked British and US (concern about coalition with Communist
Party)
1953—moved toward republic, ouster of Shah
CIA organized a coup with the army
Mossadegh deposed, Shah returned from temporary exile (1 week)
Huge anti-American feeling resulted—not to be forgotten
Shah ruled as dictator
Oil wealth, support of US—unlimited access to weapons
SAVAK (Secret Police)—torture dissenters
Modernize Iran
White Revolution
Land reform
Enhanced education
Women’s right to vote
Offensive to Islamic clergy
Fundamental Shi’ites (12-15% of Muslims in world) rather than
Sunnis
Literalist reading of the Koran
Leaders like Ayatollah Khomeini—influential socially &
politically
Against women’s rights
Anti-American—“Great Satan”
Carter and the Shah
Carter courted the Shah, though misgivings about human rights
Received Shah and Empress in Washington in November 1977
Student demonstrations outside White House—tear gas
Carter to Iran at end of 1977
Iran “an island of stability” in the region
Carter Administration ignorant of discontent in Iran
Street demonstrations—hundreds of dead in 1978
Shah left for Egypt in Jan 1979, appointed former Mossadegh
associate as PM
Khomeini back from exile on February 1—millions welcomed
Military soon joined Khomeini—free to build Islamic Republic
Shah asked to come to US—cancer
Brzezinski in favor
Vance against, won the day, Shah to Mexico
The Iranian Revolution
Domestic US affected--curtailment of oil production and export
Early 1979—prices soared
Inflation reached 10%, reached 15% by March 1980
Interest rates hit 21%
Great Gas Panic in June 1980—violence over access to gasoline
23 October 1979--Carter finally allowed the Shah into the US after
pressure from, among others, Henry Kissinger
Outraged Iranian “students” seized the US Embassy—52 hostages—
November 4, 1979
How to respond? Vance—negotiate release; Brzezinski—honor &
US interests paramount—Carter chose Vance’s position
Conditions of release
Return Shah to stand trial
Return wealth stolen by him
US apology to Iran
6 months later—try force—helicopter rescue plan (Vance out of
town)—April 25, 1980—disaster—dust storm—collision—8 dead
Vance resigned as S of S April 27
Election of 1980
Campaign against former B movie actor Ronald Reagan
Khomeini reduced claims to financial and promise of US noninterference
Algeria served as intermediary for negotiations
Reagan—debate on October 28—reassured voters was fit for office—
surge in polls
Same weekend—flurry of news about progress in negotiations—when
nothing materialized, Carter was sunk—lost 51-41% on election day
Desire for change, not identification with Reagan’s conservatism
Negotiations in Algiers ended January 18, 1981—payment of $8 billion for
hostage release—Deputy S of S Warren Christopher primary US
negotiator
Republican Conspiracy/Dirty Trick?
Theft of the election through dirty trick?—book by Gary Sick
Deal to delay hostage release—political reasons
Payment—shipment of arms to Iran through Israel, to use in war with
Iraq
Senate committee exonerated Reagan and Bush—questions about
campaign head William Casey
May have contacted Iranian officials in Madrid in summer 1980
Became Reagan’s head of CIA, died of brain tumor in 1987, just as
another scandal was being revealed (Iran-Contra Scandal)