In the Name of God, the Khomeini decade
Robin Wright
Simon & Schuste
"Robin Wright has captured the turmoil and chaos of the first ten years of the Iranian revolution in a vivid and highly readable account. Laced with firsthand observations from her own reporting trips to Tehran and her meetings with key revolutionary leaders, this book provides a wealth of information and insights into one of the landmark political events of this century."
—Gary Sick, former National Security Council staff member and author of All Fall Down: America's Tragic Encounter with Iran
Robin Wright is a three-time nominee for the Pulitzer Prize and is the winner of the 1989 National Magazine Award for her reportage from Iran for The New Yorker. A veteran international correspondent, she has reported from over sixty nations for The Sunday Times of London, CBS News, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor and the Los Angeles Times. The winner of the Overseas Press Club’s Bob Considine Award for “best reporting in any medium requiring exceptional courage and initiative,” she is also the author of Sacred Rage.
Contents
Cast of Characters / 15
Prologue / 19
Chapter one The Khomeini Revolution / 35
Chapter two Hostages and Purges / 60
Chapter three God Against the Infidels / 82
Chapter four The Islamic Crusade / 108
Chapter five The Road to Tehran / 130
Chapter six The Final Offensive / 154
Chapter seven The Reckoning / 179
Epilogue / 203
Chronology / 216
Source Notes / 259
Selected Bibliography / 269
Index / 277
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In the Name of God was written largely due to the assistance of two fine institutions and five tolerant men. Thomas Hughes, Larry Fabian and Mike O’Hare at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington provided me with two marvelously tranquil years between 1986 and 1988 to reflect on the broader political trends of the Middle East as well as on the role of religion in politics in the late twentieth century and the genesis of modern terrorism. They also generously provided the time and resources to visit Iran in 1987. After leaving Carnegie, I decided there should be a more permanent record of my research and adventures in a land so off-limits to most Americans. Robert Gottlieb, editor of The New Yorker, and John Bennett, a New Yorker editor as funny as he is thoughtful, twice endorsed my ventures to Tehran in 1988 to complete the cycle of a study that, by propitious accident, had begun in 1973. This book would have been impossible without the encouragement of all five.
For endless advice and editing suggestions, I am deeply indebted to four very special colleagues: Pauline Baker and Geoffrey Kemp at Carnegie, and David Ottaway and Caryle Murphy of The Washington Post. I also owe special thanks to several mentors who educated and encouraged me along the way: Lt. Col. Augustus Richard Norton of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; Professor R. K. Ramazani at the University of Virginia; Professor Roy Mottahe-deh, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University; Professor Shaul Bakhash of George Mason University; Jerrold Green, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Arizona; and Professor Nikkie Keddie of the University of California at Los Angeles. I drew heavily on their scholarship and expertise, and I am grateful for their contributions in reading parts or all of the manuscript. Eric Hooglund, an Iran specialist formerly with the National Security Archive, was of enormous assistance in providing historic perspective and reading over the manuscript for inaccuracies, big and small. Anthony Cordesman, whose books constitute the bible on the Gulf war, was particularly helpful in correcting my course whenever I veered in the wrong direction on the Middle East’s longest modern conflict. And Brian Jenkins of the Rand Corporation has offered endless advice about the trends and tactics of Middle East terrorism. And, as always, special thanks to William Royce of the Voice of America’s Farsi Service for his linguistic expertise and helpful reflections.
Several participants in various crises during the first decade of Iran’s revolution also read the manuscript or were prepared to discuss the historic moments in which they were involved. Gary Sick, who served as the Iran specialist on the National Security Council during the early stages of the revolution and the hostage crisis, generously provided insight on the revolution’s first decade. I also appreciate the help of former hostages Bruce Laingen, Mike Me-trinko and Colonel Leland Holland for assistance with information on the 1979-81 hostage crisis. On the Reagan administration’s Iran initiative in 1985-86 and its aftermath, I owe special thanks to former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane and to two former senior staff directors for the Middle East on the National Security Council, Ambassador Robert Oakley and Howard Teicher. Gerald F. Seib of The Wall Street Journal helped with the period covering his 1987 detention in Iran.
Several U.S. military, intelligence and State Department officials, who all asked to remain anonymous, were also generous with their time and their knowledge. The same applies to many of their counterparts in the Middle East and Europe. They deserve so much more than this simple line.
Needless to say, this book could not have been written without access to or assistance from hundreds of Iranians whom I have met over the past fifteen years. They came from all walks of life, and many defied official policy toward the United States to help me better understand Iran, not only its revolution. Because of the controversial nature of this book, I have unilaterally decided against naming any of them; I would not want any to suffer because of my interpretations of events or my conclusions—with which some would certainly disagree. Again, my silent thanks will, unfortunately, have to suffice.
Several researchers also provided invaluable help. In their spare time, librarians Jane Lowenthal and John McHarris at Carnegie, Aleta Embrey at The Los Angeles Times and Betsy Folkins of the Middle East Institute managed to come up with the data that I needed to complete this book. Three interns at Carnegie—Mona Yacoubian, Mona Ghali and Keith Bickel—were also diligent and tolerant of my need for minutiae on a place about which there is limited accurate information.
Two wonderful editors are ultimately responsible for helping me give shape and substance to this book. Alice Mayhew’s support and encouragement were a constant source of inspiration, and George Hodgman deserves sainthood for tolerating the temperament of a writer working under tight deadlines.
Last but never least has been the inexhaustible love and encouragement of my mother.
Cast of Characters*
Ali, Imam: Son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet Mohammad, after whom Shi’ism was named; the Shi’a—or, as originally known, Shi’at Ali—means followers of Ali. The dispute over leadership of the new Islamic world after the Prophet’s death in the seventh century led to the biggest schism ever within Islam.
Bahonar, Mohammad Javad: Third prime minister of the Islamic Republic; killed in a 1981 bombing.
Bahramani, Ali Hashemi: Nephew of Rafsanjani and the “second channel” in the arms-for-hostages negotiations.
Bakhtiar, Shapour: Appointed prime minister of a caretaker government before the exile of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi; forced out eleven days after Ayatollah Khomeini’s return in 1979; fled to exile in Paris.
Bani-Sadr, Abolhassan: First president of the Islamic Republic; ousted in 1981; fled to exile in Paris.
Bazargan, Mehdi: First prime minister of the Islamic Republic; resigned after nine months because of the seizure of the United States embassy.
Beheshti, Mohammad: Supreme Court Chief Justice and Islamic Republican Party ideologue; killed in a 1981 bombing.
…..
* Iranian names are spelled according to phonetic transliterations of Farsi, or Persian. Readers may be confused by different spellings of similar names, Hussein, for example, is the same name as Hosain; Hussein is the Arabic transliteration; Hosain is Farsi. Although the two languages use the same alphabet, the pronunciation is different. The Prophet's name in Arabic is most often spelled Muhammed or Mohammed; in Farsi, it is Mohammad.
Robin Wright
In the Name of God
The Khomeini decade
Simon &. Schuster
Simon &. Schuster Inc.
In the Name of God
The Khomeini decade
Robin Wright
Published by Simon &. Schuster Inc.
New York London Toronto Sydney Tokyo Singapore
Touchstone
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Copyright © 1989 by Robin Wright
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First Touchstone Edition, 1990
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Wright, Robin B.
In the name of God: the Khomeini decade/Robin Wright,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Iran—Politics and government— 1979- / I. Title.
DS318.825.W75 1989
955.05'4—dc20 / 89-21632
CIP
ISBN 0-671-67235-5
ISBN 0-671-72511-4 Pbk.
Cover design by Julie Metz
