Yesterday's Ron Paul weekly article concentrated on Cuba and how relations between the island and the U.S. became so abnormal.
Below I'd like to draw some parallels to Dr. Paul's description of Cuba with U.S. interventions in Iran. You'll notice that the two interventions are really quite similar.
Let's start with Dr. Paul. He writes about Cuba:
The destruction of relations between the two countries was preceded by US intervention on behalf of a hated Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, which had turned the Cuban people against the United States and set the stage for the emergence of Fidel Castro.Now let's compare that to Iran ---- The destruction of relations between the U.S. and Iran was preceded by intervention on behalf of the Iranian Shah, which turned the Iranian people against the U.S. and set the stage for the emergence of Ayatollah Khomeini.
Dr. Paul continues:
In 1944, after Batista's first term as president of Cuba, he emigrated to the United States.In 1951, the Iranian Parliament elected Mohhamad Mossadegh as Prime Minister. The Shah (who mostly grew up in Europe) fled to the West.
When [Batista's] campaign to return to office in 1952 looked lost, he led a military coup, seized power, and declared himself president. The US government quickly recognized his military junta as the legitimate government of Cuba and began propping him up.In 1953, a CIA led coup against Mossadegh re-installed the Shah as Iran's leader. The Shah, who claimed to rule by divine right, would be propped up by the U.S.
The Cuban dictatorship was helped along by US assistance. The secret police was trained by the United States and was used to brutally suppress any political opposition. Almost all US aid to Cuba was in the form of military equipment used brutally against the Cuban people. The US was seen as the force behind Batista's dictatorship.With the help of Israel’s Mossad and the United States, the Shah formed SAVAK, a brutal secret service agency that suppressed any dissent in Iran.
US intervention in Cuban affairs really got a boost when Batista was overthrown by the young revolutionary Fidel Castro.U.S. intervention in Iranian affairs really got a boost when The Shah was overthrown by the revolutionary Ayatollah Khomeini.
When Washington realized it could not control Castro, it embargoed the island and began launching plots to overthrow and even kill him.Washington realized that it could not control Khomeini, and responded by unleashing Iraq's Saddam Hussein on Iran. The U.S. and the British financed and helped arm Iraq. Europe supplied Iraq with weapons, food and arms. A brutal 8 year war would ensue.
Crippling economic sanctions would be placed on both Cuba and Iran.
President Obama must be commended on his attempts to normalize relations with both countries. However, as Dr. Paul points out (and this is a big however):
A more free and prosperous Cuba will not emerge as long as US interventionism continues to turn Cubans against the United States.The same goes for Iran.
All of this could have been avoided (and can someday be repaired) with the following prescription: A U.S. foreign policy of non-intervention.
Chris Rossini is author of Set Money Free: What Every American Needs To Know About The Federal Reserve. Follow @chrisrossini on Twitter.
Rubbish. If the US had not intervened in Iran it would have be overtaken by the USSR.
ReplyDeleteAnd Castro was the brutal dictator who came to power by launching a revolutionary guerrilla movement to overthrow Batista; a brutal dictator who came to power by launching a revolutionary guerrilla against Machado; a brutal dictator who came to power by launching a revolutionary guerrilla movement against the Spanish colonial powers.