Why the Middle East hates the West - Part I

I think it is not a huge overstatement to say that in the Middle East -- from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean to the Khyber Pass -- the West (read: the USA and its allies) and its people, are generally despised and loathed. Some of the region's governments -- Iraq and Pakistan, for instance -- make a show of co-operating with American policy, but that is out of fear and/or desire for the largesse of "foreign aid" (read: military aid).

Why is this? At the end of World War II, America was arguably the greatest power in the world, and generally respected (if not loved) for having saved the world for freedom and democracy. How could the rest of the world have won the war without John Wayne? But somehow, the huge reserve of goodwill built up by the USA was frittered away.

Squandered with the best of intentions, to be sure, but squandered all the same. Three incidents or phenomena come to Walt's mind.

Let's begin with Iran. This gentleman -- Mohammad Mosaddeq -- was the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 until 1953. Although a Muslim, he championed  secular democracy and resistance to foreign domination, until his government was overthrown in a coup d'état orchestrated by the British MI6 and the American CIA.

Why did they do that? The answer can be spelled out in just three letters: O-I-L. Mr. Mossadeq's most notable achievement was the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, which had been under British control since 1913 through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later British Petroleum or BP).

But Mr. Mossadeq was only the prime minister. Under a parliamentary system of government, he was answerable to the King (or Shah) of Iran (or Persia, as the country was formerly known).

That was Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who reigned -- with the support of both the UK and the USA -- from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Islamic Revolution on 11 February 1979.

He was on the Peacock Throne long before and long after the nationalization of the oil industry, and was not unhappy to see the return of foreign oil firms. Between the oil revenue and the American and British foreign aid, the Shah became one of the richest men in the world. He is said to have had a gold-plated toilet in his private jet, so that he could boast "I shit on gold!"

To be fair, it was Shah Pahlavi who introduced the White Revolution, a series of economic, social and political reforms with the proclaimed intention of transforming Iran into a global power and modernizing the nation by nationalizing certain industries -- not including oil! -- and granting women suffrage. These policies cost him the support of the Shi'a Muslim clergy, as well as the working and merchant classes.

The Shah's recognition of Israel didn't help either, nor did corruption issues surrounding himself, his family, and the ruling elite. Nor did the banning of the Communist Tudeh Party, and a general suppression of political dissent by Iran's notoriously brutal intelligence agency, SAVAK. According to official statistics, Iran had as many as 2,200 political prisoners in 1978.

The factor which contributed most to the opposition to the Shah was the American and British support for his regime. By 1979, political unrest had transformed into a revolution which forced him to leave Iran. Soon thereafter, the Iranian monarchy was formally abolished, and Iran was declared an Islamic republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini, the one who characterized the USA as "the Great Satan".

Note from Ed.: That's enough Mohammeds for one post. Scroll down to read Part II.