A COLD WAR

Today we interview Andrea Balis & Elizabeth Levy, co-authors of the book "Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare", a cutting-edge look into a pivotal moment in US history: McCarthy's infamous "witch hunt" for communists during the 1950's Red Scare.

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The reasons the CIA got involved in Tibet are complicated. But they seem to have had nothing to do really with protecting the Dalai Lama or any sort of ideological belief in Tibetan independence. It had more to do with weakening China once it became a communist country. The covert goal of the United States National Security Council was to "Discredit the prestige and ideology of International Communism" by using "black" propaganda - manufactured lies about fabricated atrocities which were disseminated through credible sources.

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For nearly two decades, the CIA ran a covert operation designed to train Tibetan insurgents and gather intelligence about the Chinese, while smuggling weapons and money into Tibet, pushing Tibetan supporters of the Dalai Lama to launch violent uprisings, and using "black propaganda" to spread lies about Chinese atrocities in the region. But the U.S. never supported Tibetan independence. They were just another pawn in the Cold War. 

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During the 1950s, social unrest rocked Tibet, partly because of power struggles at the top level of the government and partly because the poor masses wanted a revolution like the one in China. Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama actually began to support the idea of Marxism. 

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There's nothing hotter than Tibetan-on-Tibetan violence, especially when it's the two top government officials having a civil war over the new Dalai Lama, as happened in Tibet in 1947. But don't let anyone ever tell you that making a child the head of a religion and government isn't a sensational idea. It's NEVER gone badly. EVER. And did you know that the Dalai Lama was responsible for the first CIA officer ever to get killed in the line of duty? Good luck with that next reincarnation, fella.

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In 1904, the British sent an army into Tibet to secure it for Britain. It resulted in a massacre when the British opened fire with their new Maxim machine guns on Tibetans holding spears. The Dalai Lama was forced to flee the country. Over the next few decades, Tibet was oppressed by the British and China (also controlled by Britain, especially after the "Boxer Rebellion") who sent in "the Butcher of Kham" to control Tibetan uprisings. When the 13th Dalai Lama finally died, he was replaced by Lhamo Dhondup, the current Dalai Lama, who was ratified by China's new Kuomintang Government.

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We all know that Tibet and China have a history, and that the U.S.A. is always in the middle of it. But you may not know that The United States recognizes Tibet to be part of the People’s Republic of China or that the UK and the U.S.A. have spent over a century trying to wrest control over Tibet away from China. This is part one of that story.

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The CIA's second attempt at a coup succeeds. Mossadegh is driven into hiding and General Zahedi declares himself the new leader of the country. The CIA celebrates wth champagne.

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It's the middle of 1953, and the CIA is ready to execute their coup against the democratically elected government of Iran. The plan? Spend a bucket load of money hiring thugs to cause riots in the streets. Blame it on Mossadegh and then bribe a corrupt member of the Iranian military to go and arrest him. Unfortunately for the CIA, it didn't go to plan.

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In early 1953, Churchill initiated a plan with the CIA to overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh, involving key figures like General Sahedi and the Rashidian brothers. Aided by disinformation campaigns, the Shah fled Iran, stirring public outcry. Despite initial resistance from Eisenhower, pressure from the Dulles brothers and ongoing chaos in Iran convinced him to approve the coup. The CIA allocated significant funds to destabilize Mossadegh’s government, ultimately leading to Mossadegh realizing the U.S. would not support him against British interference. The situation escalated with organized turmoil, political bribery, and strategic assassinations, culminating in Mossadegh's political isolation by mid-1953.

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