US should apologize for Operation TP-AJAX

With the nuclear deal and emerging diplomatic baby steps between the US and Iran, it might be useful for the US to officially apologize to Iran for Operation TP-AJAX. That was the joint US-British led coup that deposed Iran's legitimate ruler Dr. Mohammed Mosaddeq in August, 1953. The Brits conceived the coup in 1952 and presented it to 'Give 'Em Hell' Harry Truman, who told the Brits to go to Hell. A year later newbie Prez Ike greenlighted TP-AJAX to allow Britain to grab back its Iranian oil monopoly nationalized by elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq. For Ike, it was a chance to make his bones as a bonafide anti communist, due to Mosaddeq's unwillingness to crush Iranian communist influence. Leading this first official CIA coup against a foreign leader who wouldn't do our bidding was TR's grandson Kermit Roosevelt, following a family tradition of senseless and bellicose militarism. Our hand picked successor was Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, son of the first Pahlavi monarch Reza Shah Pahlavi. His reluctance and indecision almost wrecked Uncle Sam's best laid plans, but our CIA Iranian operatives, masquerading as commies, shed enough blood to turn the tide against Mosaddeq. The Shah ruled Iran for another 26 years, with his CIA trained secret police killing many thousands who dared speak out against his tyrannical rule.

The CIA, emboldened by their success, toppled the Guatemalan government a year later and were on a roll till their insane 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco led us down a torturous path of anti Cuba machinations which nearly got us all vaporized a year later.

The next time someone chirps Iran is our enemy because of the 1979 hostage crisis, tell them about 1953. And while at it, request they support a US apology to Iran for it as well.