Iran considers lawsuit against US over 1953 coup

Conscious Life News

The Guardian | Aug 29 2013

Iran’s parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill requiring the government to sue the US for its involvement in the 1953 coup that overthrew the country’s democratically elected prime minister.

The bill follows the release of formerly classified documents offering more details of the CIA’s role in orchestrating the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh 60 years ago.

It calls for the creation of a committee to study the issue and provide a report within six months before legal action is launched against the US government in an international court.

Of the 196 MPs attending the session of parliament, which was broadcast live on state radio, 167 voted in favour of the bill and five opposed it.

The MP Mahdi Mousavinejad said Iran should take legal action to ensure the US take responsibility for its actions. “America’s oppressive behaviour [in 1953] shows that the Iranian nation has to stand up and pursue its trampled rights,” he said.

But Mohammad Mahdi Rahbari, another MP, opposed the bill, saying it would not bring anything tangible for Iran. “Pursuing this bill has no benefits for our country. It will waste the parliament’s time,” he said.

The coup restored the despotic regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was later overthrown in the 1979 Iranian revolution.

MPs said the documents proved that the US had a history of malevolent intervention in Iran and that the admission was sufficient evidence to demand compensation.

In a document revealed this month entitled The Battle for Iran, the CIA reveals the coup plan was called Operation TPAJAX.

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