Rep. McDermott: The Folly of Attacking Iran

These are remarks made as part of Just Foreign Policy's project, The Folly of Attacking Iran: Time for Real Diplomacy. They were given in Washington, DC March 6, 2008.

Good evening,

I've been looking forward to this evening and I am delighted to be here. The truth is, I brought my own copy of Stephen [Kinzer's] book, which I have read, and I believe it should be required reading by every Member of Congress.

I also brought with me a copy of Time Magazine. It is the January 7, 1952 issue. It was Time's Man of the Year issue and it is relevant to our discussion this evening. Time selected Mohammed Mossadegh; under his picture on the cover, Time added this subhead: "He oiled the wheels of chaos."

It was Mossadegh, of course, who coined the slogan Persia for the Persians and he incited a nationalistic fervor to take back Iran's oil industry from the British and kick out the west in the process, right down to the oil workers.

At the time, we liked to think that Mossadegh had cut off his nose to spite his face. The Iranian oil industry was in ruins, but instead of rioting against Mossadegh, the Iranian people embraced what they saw as their nation standing up to the West. Other nations in the Mideast, like Egypt, watched and then emulated Iran, because they saw the West, especially the U.S., as supporting colonialism by the British above all else.

In other words, Mossadegh and other leaders saw America as the architect of an international policy to treat the Mideast like it was the Midwest.

But Mossadegh saw things differently.

Backed by the popular support of the Iranian people, he proclaimed the end of colonialism and began to move Iran toward the beginnings of Democracy.

As we know from history, controlling the oil wealth of Iran mattered more to the West than anything else. Given the choice between watching Iran construct pillars of Democracy or finding a way for the West to construct - and control - oil drilling platforms, there was no hesitation.

In 1953, the United States and United Kingdom launched Operation Ajax. It was a covert CIA operation to destabilize and remove the democratically elected government of Iran, including Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh.

From provoking internal dissent to engineering an international financial crisis, the US and UK worked behind the scenes until they brought down the Iranian government and installed the Shah of Iran, who we propped up for decades.

It took 20 years, but the Shah of Iran fell and we all remember the painful images of blindfolded American diplomats held hostage by Iranian dissidents.

In my view, we have never recovered from that disturbing event. Let me be clear about this - I don't in any way diminish what happened to American diplomats. I condemn it. But, I also believe that we have to move beyond that terrible event and find a way to deal with Iran in the 21st century.

Unfortunately, it appears to me that our international policy toward Iran in 2008 looks a lot like our policy toward Iran in 1953.

Not long ago, ABC News reported that President Bush has authorized a new covert CIA plot to destabilize the current Iranian government. According to investigative reporter Brian Ross of ABC News: "The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community."

That's just the latest troubling news item about the intentions of this Administration with respect to Iran.

For those who may not know, I strongly opposed going to war in Iraq; in 2002, I said this President would mislead us into war, which turned out to be true. Well, the only thing dumber than going to war in Iraq would be for this President to go to war in Iran - and I live in constant fear that he intends to do just that.