Barkan,En,Hernandez,Kaplan,Yannix1

ProcessPaper

WeinitiallychosetofocusontheDullesbrothersleadershipinandlegacythroughthe
IraniancoupbecausetheysetaprecedentinAmericanhistoryofviolentforeignregimechange.
WeinitiallythoughtourfindingswouldsupporttheassertionthattheDullesbrothers
leadershipledtoasecretwaragainstcommunism.Werealized,however,thattheissuewas
muchmorecomplexwithnostrong,clear,leaders.WewereabletoaccessrecentlyreleasedCIA
document,suchasreportsbyDonaldWilber,whichhelpedelucidatetheCIAspositive
perspectiveofthecoup.Manyoftheseprimarysourcedocumentswereonlyreleasedvery
recentlyduetoFreedomofInformationActrequestsdeliveredtotheCIA,sowefoundmany
primarysourcedocumentsfromtheFOIAwebsiteandotherarchives.TheCIAdocumentswe
foundandKermitRooseveltsmemoircontrastedsharplywiththecriticalassessmentof
academicErvandAbrahamian,who,duringourinterviewwithhim,statedthatthecoupwas
motivatedbyselfishandrealpolitikreasons.AfterlocatingthenolongerlostBruceLovett
reporttotheCIA,whichdetailsthefailuresoftheCIAduringtheperiodofthecoup,wewere
abletoformastrongargumentabouttheweakleadershipoftheDullesbrothers.Wehave
coupledthisinformationwithseveralsuccessfulinterviewswithexperts,includingprofessor
MarkGasiorowski,DeputyDirectoroftheNationalSecurityArchiveMalcolmByrne,anda
directdescendentofMossadeqslawyer,whowereabletofillingapsinourunderstandingof
theeventandtheleaders.
Wechoseawebsiteasourpresentationmediumbecauseitwasthemostefficientwayfor
ourlargegrouptoworkcollaboratively,andbecauseweenjoyedtheinteractivityandaesthetic
presentationofferedbyawebsite.
TherigidbeliefsofSecretaryofStateJohnFosterDullesandCIADirectorAllenDulles,
theleaderswhomastermindedthe1953Iraniancoup,ledtoanegativelegacywhichwould
reverberateintothemodernday.Thebrothersignoredaccurateinformation,didnot
communicateeffectivelywiththeirsubordinatesorpeers,andwerenotheldaccountableby
properchecksandbalances,preventingthemfrommakingprudentdecisions.Thisseta
precedentinAmericanforeignpolicywherecovertviolentregimechangebecameatoolof
diplomacy,andcreatedamodelofwillfulblindnessforAmericanleaders.TheDullesbrothers
heldthemostconcentratedpowerofanycloserelativesinAmericanhistory,andinthisway
createdanechochamberforeachothersideasandpolicies.Thisledtothe1953coup,thefirst
timetheUnitedStatesperpetratedcovertregimeoverthrow,andthusmarkinganewchapterin
ColdWar,andmodernworldhistory.(434)