104. Minutes of Director of Central Intelligence Smith’s Meeting1
PRESENT
- General Smith, Messrs. Dulles, Wisner, Becker, Hedden, Col. White, Mr. Long
[Omitted here is discussion of matters unrelated to Iran.]
[Mr. Dulles:] c. Referred to a memorandum prepared by DD/I on the British attitude on the Iran situation, noting that our intelligence people feel that the British attitude is a bit too defeatist and that in fact there is some nationalism left in the National Front.2 Mr. Becker observed that in his view Mossadeq, far from being unbalanced, is “crazy like a fox”. The Director noted that Mossadeq and the National Front are the only anti-Communist forces left in Iran. In his view, given the lack of a strong military figure around whom a coup might be engineered, the only real chance for forestalling Communist moves lay in a change in dynasty, something which might be brought about by letting the stronger tribal leaders have a whack at the royal power.
[Omitted here is discussion of matters unrelated to Iran.]