Long Knives Target Iran  In sections:  Long Knives Target Iran -
by Stephen Lendman  Some background:   In 1953, CIA operative
Kermit Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's grandson and Franklin's
cousin, engineered the Agency's first coup. Democratically
elected Mohammad Mossadeq was ousted. The New York Times called
him Iran's "most popular politician."  As late as 1977, Jimmy
Carter declared Iran an "oasis of stability." He ignored years
of brutal Shah repression. In January 1979, he fled the country.
Ayatollah Khomeini returned. He proclaimed the Islamic Republic
with overwhelming public support.  US officials thought they
could control him. They thought wrong. Iran was free from
Western dominance and didn't look back. Tensions escalated.
Washington planned regime change. It remains US policy.  In
1975, Iran and Iraq negotiated the Algiers Agreement. It settled
border disputes between the two countries. In March 1980, Saddam
Hussein unilaterally abrogated it. Carter officials encouraged
him.  Journalist/historia