THIS FAR AND NO FURTHER
A Timeline of Events Surrounding the Radical Right's Attempt to Subvert American Democracy
Written and Compiled by Black Max
1961-1970:
Early 1960s
- During the early 1960s, the CIA begins receiving anonymous reports through the US Embassy in Riyadh arguing for the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula to America. The reports, dubbed the "Dynasty Reports" after the "Dynasty" moniker of the source, are so perceptive and influential that they help shape American foreign policy towards the region. It is later determined that the reports are produced by billionaire Iranian financier Adnan Khashoggi and his staff of lawyers, economists, and political scientists. One of Khashoggi's most influential efforts is a "White Paper" advocating that the US begin a Marshall Plan-like economic intervention in the Middle East that will help stabilize the region and bring it peacefully under the American aegis. For a time, Khashoggi's plan is a key element of Ronald Reagan's Mideast peace plan, though it is never fully implemented. It doesn't help Khashoggi's credibility that he is considered by the CIA, in the words of legendary spymaster Miles Copeland, to be essentially a covert operative for the Saudi royal family. Khashoggi establishes a reputation as a canny businessman and a peacemaker, and will spearhead efforts during the 1960s to establish peaceful relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. (Larry Kolb)
