I have the honor to transmit a copy of a communication received May 19
from a responsible Iranian who had seen General Zahedi and who, after talking with him,
outlined at the request of the General a tentative program which he
would try to follow in the event he became Prime Minister.
The General has a tentative suggestion upon the oil problem. He also
believes that it will be necessary for the United States Government to
intervene in Iranian affairs, asserting that it is impossible for
Iranians to remove the present Government by their own efforts. Lastly,
the General expresses willingness to collaborate with any other Iranian
who as Prime Minister can successfully implement the program he has
described.
Attachment
Excellency:
General Zahedi asked me to
meet him yesterday evening in the Parliament Buildings.
He wanted me to deliver to Your Excellency a message stating what
would be his policy if and when he comes to power.
1. His first and most immediate order will be to restore order,
discipline and security. From the first day, he will crush the Tudeh
and puppet communist organizations. He feels sure that after three
months, there will be no Tudeh in the streets of cities in Iran and
as there are no communists in the country (this means among the
peasantry) the present confused position will come to an end. Most
of it comes from Government presently encouraging and intriguing
with the communists.
2. Once the order restored and the communists completely crushed, he
will turn to economic and social reforms as follows:
a. Increase in agricultural production by small loans to peasants (up
to 5,000 rials per head); increase in the purchase price of wheat
and barley by bringing those in line with world prices (present
internal prices are 1/3 of world prices) by Government purchases and
sale of Iranian cereals to such countries as Pakistan, India, Japan,
which are in need of same.
This would increase the purchasing power of the peasantry which
represents 80% of the population of Iran.
b. Equalization of wealth, by imposing higher taxes on luxury goods
and property.
c. Land reform and improvement of bad or waterless lands.
d. Quick and massive program of public works—this will need financial
help from World Bank, Export-Import Bank or better U.S.
Government.
3. The oil problem will be solved by an international committee of
three Iranian members, three British, and two neutrals, one of which
will be chairman of the committee. The decision of such committee
will be approved by Parliament of Iran.
4. He will begin on the first day a ceaseless fight against bribery
by appointing Cabinet members well known for their integrity and a
thorough purge of bad public officers. Position of present
Government—he says that deputies are prepared to sign a
non-confidence motion bearing signatures of half plus one of the
deputies; this may be done at any moment now. Deputies are afraid
Shah will not act on this motion without strong pressure by U.S. and
British. He feels that sooner or [Page 578] later America will have to take action with
Shah because Iranians cannot save themselves. As the present
position has arisen as a result of foreign interference, it is
impossible for Iranians to oust the present Government by
themselves.
The sooner this action is taken, the easier it will be to restore
order and start re-establishing the economic and social position.
General Zahedi adds that in
case the U.S. Government does not trust him for carrying out this
program, he is ready to support and collaborate with any other
person who can carry out with success these reforms and abandon his
efforts to become Prime Minister in favor of the former.
