CIA Admits Role in Iran Coup

Well that only took six decades. The CIA has finally admitted its participation in a 1953 coup that ousted Iran's prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. The U.S.- and British-orchestrated coup influenced years of anti-American sentiment. Now, almost 60 years to the day later, the CIA released a version of "The Battle for Iran" internal report to a Freedom of Information Act request. Under the section titled "Covert Action" it reads: "[T]he military coup that overthrew Mosadeq and his National Front cabinet was carried out under CIA direction as an act of U.S. foreign policy," to avoid leaving Iran "open to Soviet aggression." The American role has long been common knowledge, but the CIA had refused to confirm that aspect of the operation.