U.S. general ‘forced Shah out of Iran’

Press, 10 April 1979, Page 8

U.S. general ‘forced Shah out of Iran’

NZPA-Reuter Teheran A United States general sent by President Jimmy I Carter forced the Shah of Iran into exile, one of the Shah’s top men has told a Teheran court. General Robert Huyser, deputy commander of United States’ forces in Europe, “took him (the Shah) by the tail and threw him out of the country’,” said Air Force General Amir Housein Rabii. He made the charge as he, an Army general, and another of the Shah’s Ministers went on trial for their lives before a revolutionary court. Later the three men, plus a police constable accused of murder, were executed, bringing the revolutionary court’s death toll to 80 including 17 generals. His statement gave a new twist to the mystery surrounding a long stay in Teheran by General Huyser in January and February. He was there when the beleaguered Shah left on “holiday” on January 16.

Last month the then Defence Minister. General Ahmad Madani, said General Huyser had tried to organise a pro-Shah coup d’etat. General Rabii told the court that he had not realised what was going on in

Iran because of his lack of political awareness. He said he was sorry to have served the Shah “about whose absurdity I onlv realised when Huyser took him by the tail and threw him out of the country.” The trial of General Rabn, General Khajeh Nuri and the former Labour and Social Affairs Minister, Manouchahr Azmon, came one day after the secret trial and execution of Amir Abbas Hoveyda, the Shah’s Prime Minister for 13 years. The three could face firing squads during the night.