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    The SAVAK and the Cold War: Counter-Intelligence and Foreign Intelligence (1957-1968)

    Kaveh Moravej

    [Thesis].The University of Manchester;2011.

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    Abstract

    This research investigates Iran’s geopolitical importance in the context of the Cold War in the years 1957-1968 that made it a key target for Soviet intelligence and a crucial intelligence battleground with all states that held an interest in Iran. For Iran and the non-Soviet Bloc powers, Iran’s newly established intelligence and national security organisation (SAVAK) had become an entity whose counter-intelligence capabilities were crucial in curtailing the activities of Soviet and Soviet-aligned intelligence officers within Iran. The intelligence agencies of the Soviet Union, the KGB and GRU, were highly active within Iran in both seeking to gather intelligence and to undermine the Pahlavi regime and it was left to the SAVAK’s counter-intelligence directorate to pursue the difficult task of combating these efforts. This Cold War battle extended to Iraq where Iraqi governments were viewed by the SAVAK as being proxies for Soviet interests. As a result of such concerns the SAVAK’s foreign intelligence structure sought not only to gather intelligence but also to directly influence events within Iraq. Iran's counter-intelligence and foreign-intelligence structures therefore played a critical national security role during the Cold War years 1957-1968. This research will firstly explore how the SAVAK’s foreign intelligence activities ultimately led to the establishment and expansion of Iranian intelligence collection and analysis capabilities in its regional sphere of interest. Intelligence theory is also used to examine the SAVAK's counter-intelligence and foreign intelligence structures and operations during the stated period of investigation, together with the influence of Cold War thinking on its activities.The main strands of inquiry in this research will at the outset involve the question of why Iran felt it necessary to establish professional foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities. The structure and operational methods of these capabilities will then be examined along with the reasons for why the USSR and Iraq were targeted by Iranian foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence. The important relationship between intelligence and policy formulation and execution will also be analysed in this specific period of the Cold War.

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    Type of resource:
    Content type:
    Type of thesis:
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    Degree type:
    Doctor of Philosophy
    Publication date:
    Total pages:
    197
    Table of contents:
    1 Introduction 81.1 Hypothesis 81.1.1 Reasons for the Establishment of Foreign Intelligence and Counter Intelligence Capabilities 111.1.2 Established Structures and Operational Methods 111.1.3 Choice of Targets 121.1.4 The SAVAK and Policy-Making 131.2 Literature Review and Discussion of Sources 151.3 Methodology 231.4 Theoretical Framework 261.4.1 What is ‘intelligence’? 271.4.2 Covert Action: A definition 331.4.3 Two Key Analytical Features: Classification and Organisational Security 352 Background: The Cold War Context in Iran’s relations with the Soviet Union and Iraq 382.1 Soviet – Iranian relations 382.2 Iran-Iraq relations 543 Background and Circumstances of the Creation of an Iranian Foreign Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence Capability 653.1 Historical overview 653.2 The Cold War context 683.3 The Soviet Union and the Tudeh Party 713.4 The SAVAK’s establishment 744 Administrative Structure and Operational Methods of the SAVAK’s Foreign Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence Directorates 774.1 The Foreign Intelligence Directorates 784.2 Counter-Intelligence 865 Case Study A: The Iran-Soviet Rapprochement 955.1 Directorate 8: Unease and Vigilance Amidst an Iran-Soviet Rapprochement 955.1.1 Diplomatic and Political Intelligence 955.1.2 Open Source Intelligence 1065.1.3 Public Opinion 1085.1.4 Directorate 8 and US Intelligence 1115.2 Directorate 8: Continued Mistrust (1964-1969) 1125.2.1 Impact of the New Brezhnev-Kosygin Leadership in the USSR 1125.2.2 Soviet Human Intelligence Activities 1145.2.3 Surveillance 1175.2.4 Iranian-Soviet Border 1205.2.5 The Trading and Business Community 1265.2.6 Industry 1286 Case Study B: Iraq 1958-1968 1316.1 1958-1963: Foreign Intelligence on the Qasim Republic 1316.1.1 Iraq as an Operational Base for Iranian Communists 1316.1.2 SAVAK Attempts at Undermining the Qasim Government 1356.1.3 Foreign Intelligence Measures Against Iraqi Diplomats in Tehran 1476.2 1963-1968: Continued Expansion of Capabilities 1496.2.1 The SAVAK’s Assessment of the Outcome of the 1963 Coup 1496.2.2 The Consequences of the Persecution of Iraq’s Communists 1516.2.3 Observing Pan-Arabism and monitoring Iraq’s relations with Nasser in an unstable Iraq under Abdul Salam Arif 1546.3 Coinciding Interests and a Strengthening Intelligence Relationship: The SAVAK and MOSSAD Cooperating ON Iraq 1666.4 Abdul Rahman Arif 1697 Conclusion 1737.1 Reasons for Establishment 1737.2 Structures and Operational Methods 1777.2.1 Collection Methods 1777.2.2 Covert Action 1807.2.3 Prioritisation 1817.3 The Choice of Targets for the Savak’s Counter-intelligence and Foreign Intelligence Activities 1827.4 Policy-making 1837.4.1 Analysis and Cold War Thinking 1858 Bibliography 190
    Abstract:
    This research investigates Iran’s geopolitical importance in the context of the Cold War in the years 1957-1968 that made it a key target for Soviet intelligence and a crucial intelligence battleground with all states that held an interest in Iran. For Iran and the non-Soviet Bloc powers, Iran’s newly established intelligence and national security organisation (SAVAK) had become an entity whose counter-intelligence capabilities were crucial in curtailing the activities of Soviet and Soviet-aligned intelligence officers within Iran. The intelligence agencies of the Soviet Union, the KGB and GRU, were highly active within Iran in both seeking to gather intelligence and to undermine the Pahlavi regime and it was left to the SAVAK’s counter-intelligence directorate to pursue the difficult task of combating these efforts. This Cold War battle extended to Iraq where Iraqi governments were viewed by the SAVAK as being proxies for Soviet interests. As a result of such concerns the SAVAK’s foreign intelligence structure sought not only to gather intelligence but also to directly influence events within Iraq. Iran's counter-intelligence and foreign-intelligence structures therefore played a critical national security role during the Cold War years 1957-1968. This research will firstly explore how the SAVAK’s foreign intelligence activities ultimately led to the establishment and expansion of Iranian intelligence collection and analysis capabilities in its regional sphere of interest. Intelligence theory is also used to examine the SAVAK's counter-intelligence and foreign intelligence structures and operations during the stated period of investigation, together with the influence of Cold War thinking on its activities.The main strands of inquiry in this research will at the outset involve the question of why Iran felt it necessary to establish professional foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities. The structure and operational methods of these capabilities will then be examined along with the reasons for why the USSR and Iraq were targeted by Iranian foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence. The important relationship between intelligence and policy formulation and execution will also be analysed in this specific period of the Cold War.

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    Record metadata

    Manchester eScholar ID:
    uk-ac-man-scw:138424
    Created by:
    Moravej, Kaveh
    Created:
    2nd December, 2011, 15:55:04
    Last modified by:
    Moravej, Kaveh
    Last modified:
    2nd December, 2011, 19:22:23

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