While revealing new details about one of the most famed CIA operations of all times — the spiriting out of six American diplomats who escaped the 1979 U.S. Embassy seizure in Iran — the intelligence agency for the first time has acknowledged something else as well.

The CIA now officially describes the 1953 coup it backed in Iran that overthrew its prime minister and cemented the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as undemocratic.

Other American officials have made similar remarks in the past, but the CIA’s acknowledgment in a podcast about the agency’s history comes as much of its official history of the coup remains classified 70 years after the putsch. That complicates the public’s understanding of an event that still resonates, as tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington over the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, its aiding of militia groups across the Mideast and as it cracks down on dissent.

The “CIA’s leadership is committed to being as open with the public as possible,” the agency said in a statement responding to questions from The Associated Press. “The agency’s podcast is part of that effort — and we knew that if we wanted to tell this incredible story, it was important to be transparent about the historical context surrounding these events, and CIA’s role in it.”

  • @SasquatchBanana
    link
    121 year ago

    I hope you are at least consistent and feel the same way about capitalism.

    • @SaakoPaahtaa
      link
      -171 year ago

      Define capitalism for me please. You’ll find it to be quite an extensive term, useless for these conversations. Prefer terms such as fascism, as fascism always leads to atrocities, regardless of the economic model, whereas there are of course plenty of capitalist countries with near-perfect human rights situations.

      It’s like saying I don’t like scarves and you come in and ask me to be consistent and feel the same way about all clothing.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        11
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Can you define communism in the same way for me, please?

        I think you’ll find that your understanding of the subject, which, for the record, is just as vast as ‘capitalism’ is flawed.

        Communism and capitalism are economic systems.

        Fascism is a political ideology.

        You’re literally doing the arguing for me.

        • @SaakoPaahtaa
          link
          -121 year ago

          Can you define communism in the same way for me, please?

          Mass murder of minorities, for example sexual minorities. Genocide of ethnic minorities. Scared of those rich people with money, consolidates power and money to a closer set of people. Apparently also seizing the means of production plays a part in the lore but it’s really a secondary thing, it’s mostly mass murder.

          Communism and capitalism are economic systems.

          “Communism (from Latin communis, ‘common, universal’)[1][2] is a left-wing to far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology

          If you’re going on the semantic route of arguing, make sure you’re even just a little bit right.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            71 year ago

            Sorry, guess I should’ve used the term socialism to specifically refer to the economic system.

            The definition you gave of communism is just plainly incorrect tho… care to try again?

            • @SaakoPaahtaa
              link
              -91 year ago

              Sorry, guess I should’ve used the term socialism to specifically refer to the economic system.

              So essentially you just learned that in order to take the smartass route, you actually have to be smart. Lmao

              My definition on communism is based off of reality and historical facts. What some bearded fuck said 150 years ago is a really nice pubquiz question, but totally irrelevant to the millions of innocent people dead because of the totalitarian policies of communists.

              That is actually something a lot of commies online have a problem with, and honestly I don’t blame them. Reality is a fleeting concept when you haven’t touched grass in a while and only indulge in what is essentially fanfiction on communism, like Das Capitals etc. Good for recreational purposes I guess, if you’re into delusion, but awful in reality. Keyword; reality. I only operate in, analyze and critique reality.

              • @[email protected]
                link
                fedilink
                71 year ago

                Sadly words have definitions. If you look at those societies that claim to have been communist, you’ll find that almost none of them have been.

                It’s like saying democracy is terrible because of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea…

                • @SuddenlyBlowGreen
                  link
                  01 year ago

                  If you look at those societies that claim to have been communist, you’ll find that almost none of them have been.

                  So which countries have been?

                • @SaakoPaahtaa
                  link
                  -81 year ago

                  Sadly words have definitions.

                  Surely. But if something looks like fascism, talks like fascism, acts like fascism, you’re not gonna tell me it’s not fascism because a definition you made up said it’s not. I mean, you just did, but it’s quite fruitless. I guess hitler too thought nazism was actually peaceful and all that good stuff.