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2500 years ago it was an empire ruling half the known world and you say 100 years ago it was same as the camel riders in Arabian desert !!!!!!!!. 200 to 300 Years ago it defeated Ottoman empire and resisted against Russian expansionism. Who says not. After the oil nationalization in 1953, Iranians took over their own oil industry and it it wasn't for illegal British naval blockage they would have been able to produce, transport and export too. Down with Britain or United Kingdom or whatever the **** they call themselves.

It would have been very unlikely that Mosaddegh would have lost any free elections because he was very popular as per his success to nationalize Iranian oil against the powerful thief the British. As for someone else would have staged a coup, we can't say this as a certainly. There have been dictatorships without a democratic traditions which turned to democracy (like Greece, South American countries, Eastern European countries, ....) and I think if it wasn't for the CIA coup Iran would have been among them as well. Don't consider Iran at the same level as other Middle Eastern countries. It is by far more advanced in political awareness, science and technology, sports, movies and human resources and has a rich history of civilization as compared to neighboring Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi A. Central Asian countries and even Egypt most of which were under Iran's (Persian) empire for centuries. More like Turkey I would say which has now a quasi democracy.

This 1000 page document released for first time in 64 years details the role that CIA and then US president played in 1953 coup wthout which it would have been impossible: Also how the British stole Iranian oil for decades and was unhappy with nationalism of Mosaddegh. http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/20/64-years-later-cia-finally-releases-details-of-iranian-coup-iran-tehran-oil/

Educate yourself. In its entire 2500 years history Iran was never a colony neither ruled by colonial rule. It was invaded by many but always got its independence back.

The law professor is not the God and his words are just his opinions not coming from the bible!!. You did not respond to the other parts of the post for example the fact that Afghanistan was already under occupation by invading Taliban from Pakistan and it was not a sovereign country or the fact that they were brutal and murderous and treated women like dirt and Afghan people wanted them removed and were liberated. The Russians invaded a sovereign country (by staging a coup against Zahir shah in 1973 and installing their puppet regime) and later invaded which you seem to say NOTHING about but American invasion was a liberation of a country already under occupation and suffering real bad under Taliban. As for the US negotiating with Taliban, they negotiated with many regimes under dictatorship. There are two way to handle brutal regimes and make them moderate one is to negotiate first and if it didn't work then remove them by force. And for God'd sake what business!!!! Afghanistan has nothing. No Oil no resources no infrastructure no nothing. You seem to be very biased in your posts against America and for Russia and Muslim extremists. For example you say Russia is only not perfect but better than US ignoring all their crimes I listed all over the world and also called forced hijab as a personal choice in your other post!!!!!!. A good political analyst is unbiased and fair and looks at both side and not making one-sided criticism of one entity while ignoring others.

The Afghanistan war legal or illegal is debatable. It was the Taliban who had given refuge to Ben Ladin who attacked the US first (the 9-11) similar to Japan's Pearl Harbour. The Taliban itself invaded Afghanistan from Pakistan and took over by force and terrorized and murdered Afghan population over many years and brutalized women and treated them like dirt. It was not a sovereign nation but rather a nation already under occupation which one may look at the invasion as liberation of that nation by US. They deserve what was coming to them. The US should have targeted the Taliban only as many innocent civilians got killed as well. As for Iraq invasion, it was not as justifiable but Saddam himself illegally invaded Iran in which over one million people were killed. He also illegally invaded Kuwait a sovereign nation. He also gassed the Kurds and purposely killed many innocent civilians. He was brutal. I would say he got what he deserved, though again civilians who got in cross fire is regrettable.

I guess you have no comments about the US action in Iran and Chile and dismiss it as ancient history even though I said both in Iran and Chile the two nations are STILL paying a heavy price for the US illegal action. Yes United Nations is under United States but I agree Taliban was brutal and I was very happy they were removed and some of them sent to hell. My post never mentioned a care for the damn Taliban or murderous Saddam but rather the civilians who were caught in cross fire and hundreds of thousands killed by Americans. But you knew that anyways.

What on earth are you talking about?? What was on its way out? Where there were scores of democracies that turned into dictatorships? In Iran? Yes I have already explained in details how the 1953 coup led to 1979 revolution No citizens have a say in how their society is run in a dictatorship. I thought by now you knew this already.

So I need a calculator too after 8 hours of intense work is expected...

You likely need a calculator to calculate. The 1953 CIA coup in Iran was 54 years ago not 70, but that nation is still paying a heavy price for it as it could have been a democracy now instead of theocracy if it wasn't for the coup. Americans killed democracy in Iran forever. As for Chile It was in 1973 and that makes it only 44 years ago not 50. So many people died or tortured or disappeared for decades after until Pinochet stepped aside (even though for years after he was still deciding as he had the army officers behind him) and still Chile is not a complete democracy. But plenty of recent examples too. Iraq invasion and devastation, Afghanistan killings of defenseless women and children ........and the list goes on.

Hear hear. We must support women's movements for equal rights and freedom all over the world especially in Middle East where they are suppressed the most. Well made statements.

It was the people in the US and around the world democracies who eventually rose up and took part in anti-Vietnam demonstrations and forced to end US atrocities in Vietnam. Yes the people in the west are politically illiterate is a fact. This is not for everyone of course but for many that as long as sex and bear is available for them then they don't care about the fact that some part of the world may be on fire. They have little knowledge of the world outside their country. Especially the US citizens who see the US as the world all alone.

Russia was Stalin and Stalin was Russia. I am certainly not defending the US as I have listed US atrocities many times in the past before but all I say is that Russians aren't saint either. We do have a lot of posts by many posters about US atrocities including my own but for some reasons it appears that we don't have much about Russian atrocities or at least not enough. I believe my post today was the very first which actually listed some Russian atrocities around the world. I think a good political analyst is the one who comments on both side of stories and one who is unbiased and fair.

Well not me. When you say everyone that includes me too and many others also who I have read have posted against the US on this forum and many others I know in my life. You should not paint everyone with same brush I think this is the problem. Russia hold on to captured territories like Poland, East Germany and other Easter European after the WWII but West Germany (who was helped by Americans to rebuild) and Italy liberated by Americans got their independence back. So who was the bandit here??

I give up!!!!

It was the CIA who funded and organized the coup without which it would have been impossible as Mosaddegh was enjoying widespread support and it wasn't only the army who participated but a whole bunch of thugs were recruited with CIA money to attack pro-Mossaddegh supporters and solidify the coup. They did not need to land any US army personal or CIA thug on Iranian soil to do the task for them as there were enough traitors and thugs there on land to be paid and do the dirty job for them.

Please don't misquote me. Nobody said Americans are good guys!!!! I NEVER said that. I said both America and Russia are evil but with a summary of Russian atrocities and the fact that they do NOT have democracy and free elections and free speech at home then I concluded that Russians are worse. Yes some Americans are racists but the majority are good people not same for Russians. I think there are good people in Russia too but since the system has been corrupt and they born and raised under various dictatorships they are a lot more bad people in Russia. I have encountered many Americans and Russians in my life. Can you imagine how many Russians would have been alive if they hadn't been killed by Stalin and many other dictators in Russia?

I explained to you earlier how Mossaddegh's colleagues played a major role in 1979 revolution. And the hate they created among the people by this coup led to people rising up when opportunity knocked on their door in 1979 some 25 years later when the Shah had little support as many remembered the dark old days when CIA staged the coup. Yes Iran is gradually taking over American interests. Iraq for example was invaded by the US. The US spent hundreds of billions in Iraq and suffered many casualties and guess what? Iraq is now an Iranian colony!!!!! and same story in many other places.

Whose numbers are dwindling every day and the educated and democracy seeker increasing every day.

You seem to be biased against America while flashing American atrocities (which I agree they did commit a lot off atrocities and still do) but don't say a word about Russian atrocities committed in the past (unlike you who counted American atrocities I lost count of Russian atrocities all over the world) and still committed as we speak. One thing is interesting that you NEVER responded to the fact that Russia do NOT have democracy at home and Americans do. And Russian people are racists and treat their own union from other parts (of former Soviet Union) real bad and they are bigots.

The Americans were tricked by the British into believing that the communists were about to take over in order to stage the coup as it was the British who were stealing Iranian oil for decades and Mosaddegh wanted to stop the robbery and preserve the oil income to improve the lives of Iranians. It was all about money (for British) and power for Americans. They did pay a heavy price for their actions as the 1953 coup led to Iranian revolution and a fierce anti-American government in 1979 and even today even they are paying the price as Iran is gradually taking over the American interests all over the Middle East and likely the world. The loser sides are the US and the poor defenseless Iranian people who paid the price in 1953 and are paying the price since then even today.

You have to go back further than the military invasion date when the Soviets staged a military coup in 1973 when they overthrow Zahir Shah. This date was the end of peace in Afghanistan. THIS was when the invasion started. The actual military invasion was a follow up as I mentioned they tried to keep their puppets in power after popular uprising by the nation and YES the CIA was indeed supplying arms to the Afghan fighters the SAME way that Russians and Chinese were supplying arms to Vietnamese in order to fight and weaken America. They are both the same. They stage coup, they send army to keep their puppets, they bomb civilians they kill women and children, they oppress the weak both America and Russia are the same evil but what makes America less evil is that at least they have democracy at home. And they on occasions (like Obama administration) support democratic movements and democratic transitions. They are true elections in the US when people's vote counts and if fraudulent then they force their president out (Nixon for example) but who dares to kick Putin out. The Russians do not have democracy and the nation are mostly racist and bigots.

It depends. Times were better for who? Maybe for the top 10% westernized and educated at that time (now in 2017 the figure is as high as 60% or likely higher even). I don't think collaborating with Israelis played a major role if any at all. Iran has historically many Arab enemies and as they say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I think it was the gap between rich and poor and rapid westernization faster than the nation could absorb then and likely most importantly the 1953 CIA coup as many former Mossadegh colleagues played a major role in revolution and persuading the US to abandon the Shah and help a transition to revolutionaries and even initially they formed the Islamic government.

I think that the Marxists help the mullahs to cease power as they were the military force fighting the armed forces backing the monarch but the mass mobilization of civilian population was organized by mullahs and it was the latter not the former which overthrew the shah as the army was a thousand times stronger than the armed Marxists. The Shah was quite ready to fight and kill the Marxists as he believed they were traitors and likely he was right but the Shah refused to fire on his own population mobilized by mullahs at the end and left abroad and that was what brought about the revolution as the civilians mobilized by mullahs attacked the garrisons and picked up the arms..

They collaborated with post revolutionary Islamic government but the Islamic government was smarter than Mosaddegh as they knew well the devil this Tudeh party is so as soon after they solidified their hold on power they started cracking down on this Soviet Puppet and traitor party. Not sure it is possible they may still have a few members in Russia but I hope they all exist in hell.