SOVIET INFLUENCE ON THE UPSWING IN POST-SHAH IRAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150117-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 117
• Publication Date: March 12, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150117-9
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THE WASHINGTON POST
12 March 1982
, Two months later, the shah was Persian-speaking KGB.officials who
S ovie I'nl 1 enCe gone and Ayatollah Ruhbllah Kha were invited by Khomeini to beef up
meini was the new Iranian strong- his security forces last October. After
On the U nSwing man. The Soviets were not pleased uncovering' a .bomb planted in their
c j with the holy-man at, first; he' de- digs at the Tehran Hilton, the KGB
In Post-Sh h lran . nounced the Soviets as imperialists experts moved their school for spiee
second only to the united States. to Saltanatabad; a Tehran suburb
But -the-- Soviets, recognizing the that was once-the headquarters o?
The. Russian presence in Iran has reality of Khomeini's power, have= SAVAK, the "shah's secret police
come, a long way since the, day a ;=subsequently made their accommo- Western intelligence analysts sus:
Tehran mob stormed the Soviet Emdation with. the mullah, on the sur- Pect the Soviets are working deter-`
bassy and slaughtered '38 diplomats face at least. At the same time,`in mmedly to gain control;.of.the Iran-
and three Armenians.who had taken the Soviet tradition of playing both ian intelligence' and-:sectirity- forces'
refuge there. ends against thei middle, hard-core against the day` when 'the ayatollah'
That happened in 1829, and `re- communist elements went under- . dies: That would put them in 'the
lations between the two neighbors ground and became part of the left cat-bird seat for-the ens uing' power
have fluctuated ever since. Now, ist guerrillas responsible for asses struggle.
American intelligence analysts be- ? sinating dozens of Khomeini's
lieve, the Russians are. enjoying more, henchmen. "
influence in Iran than- at any time A secret CIA report shown to my
since World War II. ,.^ associate Dale : Van Atta notes that
In fact; a secret CIA. cable from, ..:..the Soviets have-been skillfully ex
Tehran in November, 1978,_ warned'-- ploiting ' Iran's isolation from the
that., the Soviets, were * working ' 'beWest. Members of the- Tudeh Party,- .
hind the scenes for the shah's over- ? which is estimated to number
throw, which occurred a few weeks 10,000, have- attained 'influential
later. A middle-level.: positions in the Kho- ,
Thee cable m6ntioned?a Czech meini government,; and. have begun
offer of arms to the shah's opposi- infiltrating. at the higher levels
as .
tion and noted that the communist well.
.,Tudeh'Party was quite, willing 'toy The, communists may hold-
""cooperate with Iranian religious many as'one=third of the top jobs in
leaders in overt1 rowing the -shah, if., . communications,.the.banking and oil?
the opposition called. for_ the shah's." industries and some key ministries,
resignation and the legalization of all ' according.to intelligence reports. political parties, and advocated wag- _ Tudeh's stalwarts have been aug-
ing an armed struggle if the shah dicL.., mented by anywhere from 2,000 to
not 5,000 , Soviet advisers, including ? 36?
resign."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150117-9