Who were the SAVAK? Explain the role of SAVK in Ruhollah Khomeini's rise to power in Iran

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• The SAVAK refers to Mohammed Pahlavi's secret police empowered after the 1953 downfall of the democratic government.
• The shah used a fairly effective strategy to employ SAVAK.
• Rather than taking on all his enemies at once, he became selective.
• He allied with one group to attack another group. SAVAK's enthusiasm for the torture and murder of political opponents complemented the policy.
• After 1953 the shah found it convenient to ally with the Shiite holy men, who welcomed the shah's support and turned a blind eye to SAVAK's activities.
• As the clergy organized demonstrations among theology students in Qom and marches of the faithful in Tehran, the shah unleashed his forces.
• SAVAK infiltrated Shiite opposition groups in Tehran, and the army attacked Qom.
• There were thousands of arrests, and demonstrators were ruthlessly beaten or, in some cases, shot in the streets.
• Khomeini was promoted to the rank of ayatollah and ran a campaign against the shah from Iraq.
• Under his leadership, the mosque came to be perceived as the only opposition to the shah and the hated SAVAK.
• Revolutionaries gained momentum after the election of Jimmy Carter as president of the United States in 1976
• Carter pressured the shah to end SAVAK's human rights abuses.
• Fearful of a loss of American aid, the shah ordered SAVAK to ease off the opposition, increasing the ability of revolutionaries to operate inside Iran.