Were the wheels for 9/11 put in motion back in 1952?

The details surrounding Operation Ajax came to light, when for the first time in history and, at the prompting of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the United States openly overthrew a democratically elected government in Iran led by Mohammad Mossadegh. In an excerpt from a website that is dedicated to the former Iranian Prime Minister, who is quoted as saying “If I sit silently, I have sinned” the following concerning his vision for the country was shared: Mossadegh envisioned an Iran that was independent, free and democratic. He believed no country could be politically independent and free unless it first achieved economic independence. As he put it, “The moral aspect of oil nationalization is more important than its economic aspect.” He sought to renegotiate and reach an equitable and fair restitution of rights of Iran but was faced with intransigence by the company. To put an end to 150 years of British political interference, economic exploitation and plundering of Iran’s national resources, Mossadegh engineered the nationalization of the oil industry. In reading the above, one cannot help but be reminded of the American Revolution in which the forefathers of the greatest country on earth also sought to free themselves from British rule and the unwelcome involvement in an emerging nation’s affairs. Where would the country be today, if that patriotic revolution had been quashed? What are even more compelling and complex questions center on the fact that with the success of Operation Ajax in 1952, did America forever undermine it’s ability to legitimately champion democracy in the Middle East and as an unintended consequence set into motion the events that eventually led to 9/11 and the current crisis in Egypt? This evening we will attempt to answer these, as well as other questions on what is likely to be a memorable 49th Parallel Forum.