Crash 2
“... Iran controlled the biggest and best-trained army in the Middle
East, the largest, most sophisticated air force, a modern navy...
guided smart bomb. To man all this equipment, Iran had an army of 460,000 men (including reserves) , reputed o be the most efficient fighting force in the Middle East (with the exception of Israel), thanks in part to the training provided by over 1,000 American military personnel who were sent to Iran in the early 1970’s for that purpose. (The total military hardware that was at Iran’s disposal is shown in the inventory list on this page.) All the Iranians lacked was a nuclear capability. And they would even have that, provided the shah pulled off his final deal in St. Moritz. The penultimate one had to be with the Russians. That was scheduled for the following day.
Around 1O AM. on the morning of February 19, 1976, another limousine came through the Maloja Pass, which connects the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, Ticino, with the Engadin Valley in the Grisons. This time it was a Fiat, the driver an Italian, and the two passengers Russians—the minister of defense of the Soviet Union. Marshal Andrei Grechko, and his interpreter.The trip had originated in Turin, here Grechko had been spending the week as the guest of Fiat. The Russians knew that the huge truck plant which Fiat built in Togliattigrad in the early 1970’s was also eminently suitable for manufacturing such items as tanks, armored personnel carriers, even aircraft frames in a pinch. It required only a conversion job costing around a billion dollars, and a contractor that had the know-how and the spare engineering capacity. Fiat had both, thanks to the fact that for decades it had been one of the major suppliers of arms to NATO, and the further fact that as a result of Italy’s disastrous economic situation, half of Fiat’s capacity lay idle.
So Fiat had tendered a bid that at best would cover its overhead. The Russians knew this, and Grechko had been fully prepared to sign the deal the very first day in Turin. But Russians never sign anything the first day. So the five-day visit. This Thursday had been scheduled as Grechko’s day off, a day to be spent privately. enjoying the unique beauty the Alps in winter.
The Fiat entered the grounds of the Suvretta House. and headed directly for the shah’s villa. The two Russians had barely emerged from the car when General Khatami and Commander Fereydoun Shahandeh appeared. Four handshakes, a dozen words, and they disappeared inside. The shah was standing in front of the fireplace in the library when they entered. He extended a hand to each Russian, and indicated that they would be seated on the sofa behind a massive wooden coffee table. He himself chose an armchair on the opposite side. The two Iranian military men remained standing to the shah’s rear. "We shall speak English,” were his first words. Marshal Grechko nodded his agreement, so the shahanshah continued. "I do appreciate your agreeing to this rather unusual arrangement. You understand that it would have been impossible for me to come to Moscow, and very awkward to receive you in Teheran.” “We fully understand, Your Majesty , replied Grechko through his interpreter and both nodded their heads slightly as the words were beingrepeated. Russians are as much in awe of royalty as are Americans.
“The subject I wish to discuss is Iraq.It is not the first time that that country has come up in our talks over the years.” Silence from the sofa. “You are, of course, aware that Iraq has attacked Iran at least a dozen times during the past five years. It is preparing to attack again, this time on a massive scale,” Still silence.“We further believe that the Americans will use this military conflict as an.....
(to be continued)
|
Iran’s Military Inventory, 1976
Type Characteristics Number
80
F-4 -The Phantom (McDonnell Douglas) is, next tothe F-14. the U.S.A’s best missile-armed aircraft,
170
F-5 Supplied by Northrop. A highly maneuverable
221 RT-33 Another American product. Used for tactical reconnaissance.
15 Helicopters
UH-IH2I4A Carries 16 armed personnel; cruise speed, 150 m.p.h.; gross weight, 13,000 pounds. Very successful as attack helicopter in Vietnam.
AH-I I The ‘Sea Cobra.” which started to come off American assembly lines in 1974, is noted as the world’s only fully integrated helicopter gunship with a stabilized multisensor fire-controlsystem for day and night delivery of weapons. The U.S. Army will not have any until 1978. ----------------------------------------------------------
Tanks 400 M-60 The main battle tank of the U.S. Army with 105-mm high-velocity gun; speed of 30 mph. It can cross water up to 13 feet in depth. has night-vision equipment. 460 |
|