359. Information Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency1
SUBJECT
- Situation in the Tudeh Party
SOURCE
- [1 line not declassified]
On 21 December 1953 the responsible of a Tudeh Bakhsh Committee told Source:
a. that the imperialists spare no efforts to blow up the Tudeh Party from the inside. A gap has been created between the Central Committee and the Tehran Provincial Committee. The Party is presently being directed by the Tehran Provincial Committee;
b. that, because of developments following the events of 19 August 1953, the Party has been divided into several groups. The dissension is so deep that everyone suspects his fellow-comrades; however, the Party is exerting efforts to conceal this situation;
c. that ordinary Party comrades, who are unaware of this situation, expect the Party to organize a revolt. The self-teaching of comrades should be strengthened so that they may understand that under existing conditions it is impossible for the Party to seize power. Any revolt requires conditions which do not exist at present. The Party ought to have influence among the peasants, but it does not. Talk among members concerning a sufficient number of arms which are supposed to be at the disposal of the Party is not correct. The Party had started to collect arms only shortly before the events of 19 August 1953 took place.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDI Files, Job 80–00810A, Box 33, Folder 28, CS Information Reports 28870–28879. Secret; Security Information.↩