Quote:

Pariah said:
I repeat: No. It wasn't known.

They knew he was friendly with the west. But that's all they knew at the time. They didn't have knowledge of our hand in the matter until later.



It was common knowledge in 1979. The Shah had been installed by a CIA sponsered coup de tete. Everyone knew it. The elected government of Mohammad Mosadeqq was removed and replaced by an absolute monarch, Reza Shah, who abdicated in favour of his son, Mohammad Reza Palavi later known as the Shah of Iran circa 1950. The Shah suppressed dissent through his secret police, SAVAK. A popular uprising in 1978 - 79 forced Palavi and his family to flee Iran and he became, persona non grata, unnacceptable for permanent residence in any state.

The Ayatolla was hailed as a liberator upon his return to Tehran. The hostage crises began when the USA agreed to allow Palavi and his family to enter the country for 'humanitarian purposes', seeking treatment for the cancer that would soon kill him.

I remember the story. I was in my 20s at the time and an avid reader of newspapers and magazines when I wasn't out sport-fucking or getting loaded. Believe me, EVERYONE KNEW.