Carter/Khomeini

June 3, 2016 8:15 AM

BBC: "Two Weeks in January: America's secret engagement with Khomeini: On 27 January, 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - founder of Iran's Islamic Republic, the man who called the United States "the Great Satan" - sent a secret message to Washington. From his home in exile outside Paris, the defiant leader of the Iranian revolution effectively offered the Carter administration a deal: Iranian military leaders listen to you, he said, but the Iranian people follow my orders. If President Jimmy Carter could use his influence on the military to clear the way for his takeover, Khomeini suggested, he would calm the nation. Stability could be restored, America's interests and citizens in Iran would be protected."
posted by marienbad (6 comments total)

Fascinating. If I'm remembering correctly, Khomeini also promised the Iranian Marxists, moderate liberals (and the military? don't quite remember) that they would be respected part of the new democratic republic. Sounds like he told everybody exactly what they wanted to hear, and because so much of the communication was secret and everything happened so fast, he got away with it. Brilliant, ruthless, psychopathic, and lucky.
posted by clawsoon at 9:04 AM on June 3, 2016 [3 favorites]

While it's very clear that the Carter administration was out-manoeuvred by Khomeini, I read the article as saying that had not folks like Brzezinski insisted in supporting their known man Pahlavi, the transfer of power might have been more amicable.
posted by scruss at 9:43 AM on June 3, 2016

Tinfoil hats ready?
If you lift up Khomeini's beard,you will find Made In England written under his chin."
posted by adamvasco at 10:41 AM on June 3, 2016

How history would have changed if he had just said, "Pretty please."
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:41 AM on June 3, 2016

scruss: I read the article as saying that had not folks like Brzezinski insisted in supporting their known man Pahlavi, the transfer of power might have been more amicable.

The article reads that way, but... Khomeini started executing enemies quickly and strategically to consolidate his power. He proposed one constitution that gained secular and opposition support, then acted quickly to rewrite it and crush the opposition. It's hard not to conclude that he had planned at least some of the deception and betrayals in advance.

I say this as someone who would rather not see Iran invaded or its government overthrown in a coup.
posted by clawsoon at 11:26 AM on June 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

I read the article as saying that had not folks like Brzezinski insisted in supporting their known man Pahlavi, the transfer of power might have been more amicable.

And amicably transferring power to someone who would go on to persecute and execute thousands of dissidents, Bahai's, gays, Marxists and moderates....uh....would have been a good thing?
posted by storybored at 3:34 PM on June 3, 2016 [1 favorite]