New Documents Show Iran's Nuclear Program Predates the Current Regime

This article, along with others that expose well-kept secrets, is excerpted from Newsweek's Special Edition, Declassified.

While the Islamic Republic's quest for nuclear power (and the U.S.. efforts to thwart it) have dominated headlines in recent years, the nation's desire to harness atomic energy spans back decades. Documents obtained by the National Security Archive show the Shah of Iran making the same arguments as the Islamic government that would eventually replace him concerning the country's right to peaceful nuclear power. These records below also show while the U.S. was much friendlier to the Shah than the present-day government, it still firmly opposed the proliferation of nuclear technology in the Middle East. Official documents are shown below.

This was excerpted from Newsweek's Special Edition, Declassified: Exposing the Secrets, by Issue Editor James Ellis. For more declassified information, pick up a copy today.