788.55/9–2953: Telegram
No. 370
The Ambassador in Iran (Henderson) to the Department of State1
[Received 2:39 p.m.]
783. 1. Shah today described to me at length his perplexities re future Iranian Army. He said point had been reached where it now essential he know views US and UK re uses for which Iranian Army to be prepared. Did US and UK desire that army be used exclusively for maintaining domestic law and order? Did they desire army which in case of attack from Soviet Union could engage in delaying action by falling back successively from holding point to holding point? One kind army needed for mere police force; another kind needed to cope even for relatively short period with invasion from North. At present army was unwieldy and maintaining useless weapons if it was to serve as police force. It did not have proper organization or weapons if it was to carry on delaying action. If police force desired there should be sharp reduction in expenditures and abandonment certain types weapons. If potentiality for delaying action desired until help could come to Iran or at least under defenses ME could be strengthened, there must be reorganization and different kind weapons.
2. Shah said he hoped questions which he had put to me could be studied by highest agencies US Government. He supposed that answer could be given only by decision National Security Council approved by President after discussion with UK. It seemed to him important that policy UK and US in this respect should be identical. It had been his feeling that UK in past years had not been sympathetic to creation Iran Army strong enough to offer even temporary resistance to invader. On other hand British had not appeared to object to steps taken by US to strengthen military power Turkey. He still could not see any sense in building strong Turkish Army which Russians could easily out-flank through Iran. If decision should be in favor of police force army, Iran would have no choice except to bow to it since obviously it not in position without US or UK aid to build even third-class army. Decision would probably have considerable effect on morale Iranians. It would not be easy for Iranian people to take strong stand in supporting [combatting] inroads Communism once they realized they were to be given no chance holding even portion country until help could arrive. [Page 806] Army morale would also tumble. Nevertheless, it preferable that there be clean-cut decision in this respect; precious funds should not be wasted on useless armament and military salaries.
3. Mosadeq had taken position army should be merely police force. After he had taken control army, however, he had been afraid to put his ideas into force for fear of what effects on army attitude towards himself would be. Result was that military matters continued to drift.
4. Shah went into considerable detail re what might be needed in case decision should be made that army should be enabled to engage in delayed action. I shall not try repeat them in this telegram. He mentioned particularly tanks of kind that could meet on even terms best Soviet medium weight tanks, light anti-aircraft guns, tank destroyers, ammunition dump sets. He insisted that cost would not be excessive in light of what US had spent in Korea and was spending in Indochina. Nevertheless, they would be larger than recent US expenditures for Iran army equipment.
5. I promised report our conversation to Washington. He said he hoped for answer soon as possible so that business-like plans could be made re future Iranian Army.2
- Also sent to London.↩
- On Oct. 1 Byroade informed the Embassy in Tehran that the substance of telegram 783 from Tehran had been given to the British Embassy in Washington with the indication that the United States felt that the Iranians should not be told that they should consider their Army merely to be a police force. Moreover, the British were told that the United States hoped that the British would authorize the United States to inform the Iranians that the British Government was of the same view. (Telegram 916; 788.55/9–2953)↩