Foreign policy

The US government’s foreign policy is set for short-term. The case in point is Iran. In 1953, the democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, was overthrown and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, was reinstalled as the King. Reportedly, the coup was carried out ‘under CIA direction’ and ‘in accordance with the US foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest levels of government’. The Shah governed Iran with the support of the US government till he was forced to go into exile in 1979 because of popular uprising against his dictatorial rule. Since then, all Iranian governments have been anti-US mainly for its unlimited support to the Shah.

Had the US government not interfered in the internal affairs of Iran, the country would have been an even more democratic country, having friendly terms with the US. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia would have been much better than they are now. The Sunni and Shia divide would not have been so wide. The Pakistani nation should keep this idiosyncrasy of the US foreign policy in mind when dealing with the US government and should learn to stand on its own feet instead of relying on other nations.     

Syed Hussein El-Edroos

Islamabad