139.

   Amira slumped in a chair. “Sit with me, Oliver." The story is long and sad.” She pulled off the scarf covering her head. “How I hate this thing! When the British laughed at Mossadegh’s offer we threw them out on their ass! They embargoed our oil and blockaded the Gulf but we stood strong. With parliament behind him, Mossadegh accepted the Shah’s appointment to Prime Minister. He managed to form an alliance with the communists in the country and the radical Muslim factions. We were finally independent from the British but the British ran crying to the Americans with the promise of splitting 80% of our oil if the Americans helped them overthrow Mossadegh. The remaining 20% was no bone to toss us. It was to go to the Dutch and the French. Thus was launched Operation Ajax and the 28 Mordad Coup. And what a show it was to be. Let’s start with the cast. Dr. Donald Wilber was the CIA’s point man. He was an expert on Persian architecture and liked to dress up like Lawrence of Arabia, but any resemblance ended there. The British MI6 sent a senior operative fluent in Farsi with connections to street thugs, disgruntled army officers and Islamic fanatics. His name was Norman Matthew Darbyshire. The two met in Nicosia to plan the coup. Then one Kermit Roosevelt arrived.”
   “The grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt.”, announced Pat.
   “Another CIA thug,”, continued Amira, “who was brought in to organize and lead the coup. Then came General Norman Schwarzkopf.”
   “Father of General Norman H. Schwarzkopf!”, chimed Nanette.
   Amira sighed. “He was drafted to convince the cowardly Shah that the coup would be successful. He was an old friend of the Shah and after all, what are friends for?”