BACKGROUND THE SITUATION IN IRAN STATUS OF COMMUNIST PENETRATION OF IRANIAN MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80R01443R000200080010-2
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 9, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 3, 1998
Sequence Number: 
10
Case Number: 
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP80R01443R000200080010-2.pdf77.29 KB
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Approved For Release 2000/08/ P80R01443 OQO 6080010 TH$ SITUATION IN IRAN Status of Communist penetration of Iranian military establishments 1. In April 1953 a commission of high-ranking Iranian officers estimated 1,600 Tudeh members in armgd forces, 900 in the Army, 300 in the Air Force and 200 each in the Military College and Military High School. II. Iranian army intelligence has long shown awareness of Tudeh activity in army and is familiar with Tudeh army officers organiza- tion and has identified various individuals involved. III. Iranian G-2, Colonel Pakravan, has been in charge of ferreting out Tudeh in the Army. Several hundred army officers, non-corns and soldiers have been arrested. In G-2's office four officers out of a total of sixty, and 20 non-corns out of a total of 25 to 30 have been removed for suspected Tudeh sympathies. Of those arrested around 250 non-commissioned officers have reportedly been summarily dismissed from the service after their arrest, others have been exiled. At least sixty officers who were under arrest, presented a problem because the documentary proof of their complicity in the Tudeh party was "mysteriously missing" from G-2 files. Approved For Release 2000/08/n 'M RDP80RO1443R000200080010-2 SECRET - Approved For Release 2000/08/30 : CIA-RDP80RO1443R000200080010-2 `IV. Attention was drawn padticularly to Tudeh infiltration of the Air Force on 22 September when Communist sympathizers succeeded in temporatily sabotaging 13 planes. 25X1X6 V. The Iranian Chief of Staff, in October, asked 25X1X6 for a list of Communists known to by 25X1X6 - to be in the Iranian army. He said that he cod not locate his own list. VI. In early November 1953 Iranian G-2 remarked that only a small proportion of Party members or sympathizers in the army hate been known or apprehended. In later statements he has been more optimistic, although there is no convincing evidence that the situation has changed markedly. VII. It probably is true that current Iranian army efforts to remove Communist sympathizers are more widespread and more suceessful than during tkn Mossadeq's regime. However, the army has neither the the experience knowledge,nor the organization to do an effective job. Approved For Release 2000/08/30 : CIA-RDP80RO1443R000200080010-2 -2- SECRET.