Scott Horton on U.S. History of Intervention in Iran and Middle East

The 1953 Iranian Coup and its Aftermath

• 💡 The U.S. orchestrated Operation Ajax in 1953 to overthrow Prime Minister Mosaddegh, an event that coined the term "blowback".
• 🎯 The U.S. initially supported the 1979 Iranian revolution, passing intelligence to Ayatollah Khomeini and warning him of threats from the Soviet Union and Saddam Hussein.
• ⚠️ The accidental signal to reinstall the Shah by allowing him into the U.S. for cancer treatment triggered the hostage crisis.

The Carter Doctrine and Soviet-Afghan War

• 🚀 The Carter Doctrine was announced in response to the hostage crisis, primarily threatening the Soviet Union against invading Iran.
• 🌍 Simultaneously, the U.S. helped lure the Soviet Union into invading Afghanistan, a move that led to a devastating war and the rise of the Mujahideen.
• 🤝 The U.S. supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, providing him with chemical weapons and satellite targeting information.

The Iran-Iraq War and its Consequences

• 💥 The U.S. supported Saddam Hussein in the brutal Iran-Iraq War, which inadvertently solidified the Ayatollah's hold on power.
• 💰 After the war, Kuwait's aggressive debt collection prompted Saddam Hussein to invade, a move initially tacitly approved by the U.S. State Department.
• 🇺🇸 The U.S. intervened in the First Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) after Saddam Hussein overextended into Kuwait.

The Rise of Al-Qaeda and Blowback

• 💔 The U.S. abandoned the Iraqi Shiites and Kurds after they revolted against Saddam Hussein, leading to a massacre and the justification for continued U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia.
• 💣 The U.S. blockade of Iraq and continued bombing campaigns, enforced from Saudi Arabia, became a primary motive for Al-Qaeda's attacks.
• ✈️ Many 9/11 hijackers had fought with U.S.-backed Mujahideen in Bosnia and Chechnya, highlighting the concept of blowback from U.S. foreign policy.

Motives and Strategy of Islamist Militancy

• 🕋 Al-Qaeda's motives included the U.S. occupation of Saudi Arabia, support for Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, and support for regional dictatorships.
• 🔄 Their strategy was to provoke the U.S. into invading Afghanistan, aiming to replicate the Soviet experience and break the American empire.
• 🎯 The attacks on U.S. interests, including the USS Cole and embassy bombings, were attempts to bait the U.S. into a protracted conflict.