Year 1951: It said that he was “supported by the majority of
Citations (1)
- All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror whole source · open book
It said that he was “supported by the majority of the population” and described him as “witty,” “affable,” “honest,” and “well informed.” This could not have been more different from the British view, in which, according to various diplomatic cables and memoranda, Mossadegh was a “wild,” “erratic,” “eccentric,” “crazy,” “gangster-like,” “fanatical,” “absurd,” “dictatorial,” “demagogic,” “inflammatory,” “cunning,” “slippery,” “completely unscrupulous,” and “clearly imbalanced” “wily Oriental” who “looks like a cab horse” and “diffuses a slight reek of opium.” Mossadegh’s arrival at Union Station in Washington on October 23, 1951, was unforgettable. He stepped off the train with great difficulty, supported on one side by his cane and on the other by his son’s steadying grasp. To all appearances, he was ready to collapse on the spot.
chapter: Chapter 8: An Immensely Shrewd Old Man