Page:Documents from the Den of Espionage.djvu/360



CONFIDENTIALA-12

TO: DEPARTMENT OF STATE

INFO: AMCONSULS ISFAHAN AND TABRIZ (VIA INTERNAL POUCH)

FROM:AMCONSUL SHIRAZ

DATE 4/27/78

E.O 11652: GDS

TAGS: PGOV, IR

REF:

over the last several months the post has attempted to sound out a number of individuals in Southern Iran regarding their views of the Amouzegar government's performance since taking office last summer. Responses from many, particularly government officials and those with political ambitions, have been standard incantations about Iran's continuing march toward the Great Civilization. However, the franker comments have indicated a fairly widespread sense of disappointment. This disappointment seems to have resulted less from tangible mistakes the government has made than from a commonly held perception that it has not done much of anything.

Among possible reasons for this perception are:

For years the Iranian people have been conditioned by official rhetoric to look to the central government for answers to all manner of problems. Amouzegar himself has sometimes stressed that magic solutions do not exist in every instance, something most impartial observers would view as a healthy dose of realism. However, even the Prime Minister has not been completely free from the politician's passion for grandiose claims. the consequence has been that his audience has been receiving confusing signals; one day it is told to lower its expectations, and the next that it has never had it so good.

CONFIDENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION

DRAFTED BY: PO:VLTomseth;vlt

DRAFTED DATE 4/27/78