The latest on the nuclear stale-mate with Iran is a report suggesting that Iran's imminent and reform-minded administration may be interested in direct talks with the US. I am no fan of the Iranian regime but a much lesser fan of the American foreign policy. America has proven time and time again that it can not be trusted. It may fight its enemies but it stabs its friends in the back. Here are some notable figures who trusted America and paid a heavy price for it.
- In 1953 Mohammad Mosaddegh having established a fledgling democracy in Iran was overthrown by a CIA-backed coup that brought the Shah (Pahlavi dynasty) back to power and re-established western control (exploitation) of the Iranian oil. Mosaddegh eventually died under house arrest.
- In 1978 America abandoned the same Shah (whom had been called a close ally) allowing the cleric-inspired revolution to establish a new regime in Iran. While on the run or his life from the revolutionaries this close friend was allowed in the US for only a short period and was subsequently forced out of the country. The Shah eventually died in Egypt where a true friend (Sadat) became his host.
- Manuel Noriega of Panama, a CIA collaborator for many years, was captured after the US invasion of Panama and was imprisoned in Florida. He was eventually returned to Panama and is serving what is tantamount to a life sentence there.
- Saddam Hussein of Iraq was once a strong ally of the US. He was visited by many American politicians such as Donald Rumsfeld and was financially and militarily aided by the US during the Iran-Iraq war. A few years later the US invaded Iraq, killed his sons, and captured him. He was subsequently hanged.
- Muammar Qaddafi of Libya was once an enemy of the US. He eventually made peace with the US destroying his arsenal of chemical weapons as a peaceful gesture. His high hopes were dashed however when American planes began to bomb Libya and the American-backed Libyan rebels captured and killed him during the Libyan civil war.
- Hosni Mubarak, a staunch US ally was deposed by the Egyptian revolutionaries in 2011. America turned its back on its ally by remaining silent even when Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison.
Going by history, it seems safer to be an American enemy than to be its friend. Khomeini of Iran, Kim of North Korea, Chavez of Venezuela, and Castro of Cuba were only removed from power by the forces of nature, proving that keeping the US at a safe distance can extend one's life. Iran should consider its options with the US very carefully. It is after-all a perilous path with proven disastrous results for those who may be tempted to trust the US.
