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- [00:01]
Luke Lamanna
My name is Luke Lamanna, and you may be asking yourself, what is this guy doing on my feed? Well, not too long ago, my YouTube series got the attention of Ballin Studios, the team behind Mr. Balin podcast, Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories, and so many other great podcasts. And together we decided to launch a brand new podcast. It's called Declassified Mysteries, and in this show we dive deep into astonishing true stories of secrets, lies and deception inside the world's most powerful institutions. You see, history has shown us one thing when you try too hard to hide something, it only makes people more curious. After exhaustively researching how governments and military operations have cloaked their actions in secrecy, it's time to bring these stories out of the shadows. Trust me when I tell you the stories are real and the secrets are shocking. I'm about to play you a clip from Declassified Mysteries. While you listen, make sure to follow the show on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:11]
Narrator
On July 19, 1953, Kermit Roosevelt stood at the border crossing between Iraq and Iran, enjoying a cigarette outside of the cement Border Patrol building that marked the entry point into Iran. Semi trucks rumbled along the highway while Border Patrol agents checked papers and cargo trailers before granting them entry into the country. Kermit took a final drag on the cigarette, then stomped it out and walked into the dull beige painted Iranian government building. His driver was already inside, standing at a Border Patrol agent's desk. The agent was going over their paperwork with a fine tooth comb. By the time Kermit reached his driver, the agent was already looking over Kermit's passport. He asked Kermit a few questions about his reasons for visiting Iran and scribbled down his answers on a beat up clipboard that had seen better days. Kermit smiled to himself, amused by the thought that government buildings were dingy and miserable no matter what country you were in. He watched as the agent read over the description box on his passport and clearly misunderstood what the information meant. On the entry paperwork, Kermit saw The agent write Mr. Scar on right forehead.
- [02:22]
Luke Lamanna
As if that was his name.
- [02:24]
Narrator
Kermit smirked and decided it was a good omen, a sign that he would enter this country the same way he planned to leave it, unidentified and unaccounted for. Kermit wasn't planning on using his real name anyway. He was a CIA operative here on a covert mission. That bunk passport named him as James Lockridge, the pseudonym he'd been using while he was in Iran. The CIA had assigned Kermit an enormous task to covertly orchestrate the overthrow of the Iranian government and oust their new prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh. Kermit saw this as a grand adventure and one he was excited to undertake. Kermit descended from a long line of adventurous men. His grandfather, Theodore Roosevelt, was world famous for his big game hunting expeditions and his exploits leading a volunteer cavalry unit called the Rough Riders in the Spanish American War. Now it was finally Kermit's turn to seize greatness, to do the impossible and take his place alongside his famous grandfather. Kermit had spent the past few days brushing up on the assignment. He was only mildly surprised to learn that the coup was initially proposed by British Intelligence, also known as MI6. But once he thought about it, MI6's involvement made a lot of sense. It turned out that British agents had already been in Iran for several years, working on something called Operation Boot, which was a ploy to oust Mossadegh from power and install a prime minister more aligned with the west and, more importantly, Western business interests. For decades, the west had profited from Iranian oil, essentially becoming shareholders in the world's most profitable oil fields. But Mossadegh was changing that. Ever since he came to power two years ago, he'd been nationalizing Iranian oil, keeping that money for Iran instead of letting the west siphon its resources. This new policy threatened American interests and put a real dent in the Western economy. So the British coup plan was put in motion. But there was a snag. Somehow Prime Minister Mossadegh had found out about the couple and kicked all the British diplomats out of Iran about nine months ago, in October 1952. That set off a chain reaction of events, culminating in the CIA getting involved. Which is why Kermit Roosevelt was standing before a Border Patrol agent's desk, craving another cigarette. He fished the pack of Iraqi branded Marlboros out of his pocket. As he lit a cigarette, he watched two Border Patrol agents search the back of a livestock truck. He took a drag of the cigarette.
- [05:02]
Luke Lamanna
And reviewed his assignment in his head.
- [05:04]
Narrator
Going over the details he'd painstakingly digested. This mission had come directly from President Dwight Eisenhower, the new American president. At some point in the first half of 1953, MI6 had approached Eisenhower and convinced him that a coup in Iran was in America's best interest. A few phone calls later, and Kermit.
- [05:23]
Luke Lamanna
Found himself in the backseat of a.
- [05:25]
Narrator
Car driving toward this remote border crossing 300 miles west of Tehran. He was trying to enter Iran with the express purpose of overthrowing its government. Kermit's boss had said the coup was necessary to squelch Mosaddegh's supposed communist leanings and secure democracy and the blessings of liberty in the Middle east and blah blah blah. Kermit didn't believe a word of it, but Kermit knew that his opinion didn't matter. He did what his superiors told him to do. Ten minutes later, the Iranian border agent let Kermit enter the country and Kermit and his driver were back into their dust coated car and headed for Tehran. They drove all afternoon, speeding through vast deserts and farms in rural communities, until finally, just as dusk fell over the desert, the high rise buildings and soaring minarets of Tehran appeared on the horizon. Kermit felt a rush of excitement course through him. His great adventure was about to begin.
- [06:25]
Luke Lamanna
Follow Declassified Mysteries with me, Luke Lamanna on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts you can listen to redacted early and ad free right now on Wondery plus.