General Huyser to the Shah of Iran - 'When are you leaving, Sir?'
When demonstrations in Iran were at their height, the Shah of Iran learnt that US General Huyser had been in Tehran on some suspicious activities. He immediately had him summoned but as soon as they met the General asked the Shahinshah Aryamehr 'When are you leaving, Sir?'
The Shah later wrote that he was astonished when he learned that U.S. Air Force General Robert Huyser, then Deputy Commander in Chief of American forces in Europe, had been in Tehran for several days. "General Huyser's movements were normally laid down in advance. But this time nothing ... I questioned my generals. They, too, knew nothing. What, then, was this American general doing in Iran?"
The Shah believes that Huyser's mission was to "neutralize the Iranian army" when demonstrations turned violent. Encouraged by Huyser and U.S. Ambassador William Sullivan, the Shah went into exile. "General Huyser remained in Iran for several days after my departure. Having arranged for the generals to abandon Dr. Shahpour Bakhtiar, head of the coalition government formed to see the country through its hour of crisis, all that remained for the fulfillment of his mission was the decapitation of Iran's army.
"He was quickly to be satisfied. One by one they were executed ... Before the parody of a trial which preceded his execution, General Amir Hussein Rabii, commander in chief of the Iranian air force, was questioned about the role played by General Huyser. He replied to his judges: 'General Huyser threw the emperor out of the country like a dead mouse.' "
General Huyser to the Shah of Iran - 'When are you leaving, Sir?'
When demonstrations in Iran were at their height, the Shah of Iran learnt that US General Huyser had been in Tehran on some suspicious activities. He immediately had him summoned but as soon as they met the General asked the Shahinshah Aryamehr 'When are you leaving, Sir?'
The Shah later wrote that he was astonished when he learned that U.S. Air Force General Robert Huyser, then Deputy Commander in Chief of American forces in Europe, had been in Tehran for several days. "General Huyser's movements were normally laid down in advance. But this time nothing ... I questioned my generals. They, too, knew nothing. What, then, was this American general doing in Iran?"
The Shah believes that Huyser's mission was to "neutralize the Iranian army" when demonstrations turned violent. Encouraged by Huyser and U.S. Ambassador William Sullivan, the Shah went into exile. "General Huyser remained in Iran for several days after my departure. Having arranged for the generals to abandon Dr. Shahpour Bakhtiar, head of the coalition government formed to see the country through its hour of crisis, all that remained for the fulfillment of his mission was the decapitation of Iran's army.
"He was quickly to be satisfied. One by one they were executed ... Before the parody of a trial which preceded his execution, General Amir Hussein Rabii, commander in chief of the Iranian air force, was questioned about the role played by General Huyser. He replied to his judges: 'General Huyser threw the emperor out of the country like a dead mouse.' "