Khosrow Qashqai ( fa, خسرو قشقایی; 1921 – 1982) was an Iranian politician and a Qashqai tribal leader. Qashqai was a secular nationalist, and an opponent of Pahlavi dynasty. Historian Mark J. Gasiorowski describes him as "very pro-American".

Career

Qashqai joined Democrat Party of

Ahmad Qavam Ahmad Qavam (2 January 1873 – 23 July 1955; fa, احمد قوام), also known as Qavam os-Saltaneh ( fa, قوام السلطنه), was a politician who served as Prime Minister of Iran five times. Early life Qavam was born in 1873 to a p ...

upon establishment, and was elected to the parliament in 1947 election. In the next term, he was elected to the parliament as an independent. and during the 17th term, he joined the National Movement fraction after 1952 election. After 1953 coup d'état took place, he was forced into an exile that lasted from 1954 to 1979, when the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

happened. Qashqai had close ties to the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

(CIA) during the 1950s, and his

cryptonym A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...

was "SDROTTER/4". He re-established connections with the American agency in 1978 again and in January 1979, he visited the Department of State. Following his return to Iran, Qashqai regularly met with CIA officers in Tehran. He requested them to help him establish a newspaper, but the CIA saw no use in this matter and apparently refused the offer. Instead, the urged Qashqai to continue ‘full-scale political activity’ and strengthening his ties to various players in order to gather intelligence and influencing them. In 1980 parliamentary election, Qashqai won a ticket supported by the National Front. However, his credentials were rejected due to his American connections.

Prosecution and execution

Qashqai was arrested after the 1980 presidential election, when the

Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line The Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line ( fa, دانشجویان مسلمان پیرو خط امام ''Dânešjuyân-e Mosalmân-e peyrov-e Xatt-e Emâm''), also called the Muslim Students of the Imam Khomeini Line, was an Iranian student g ...

released documents regarding his involvement with the Americans. He escaped from prison and fled to Fars Province to organize armed tribesmen for an insurgency. They were suppressed by the

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...

, and he was arrested in April 1982. He was executed on 1 October 1982.

References

1921 births 1982 deaths Qashqai people People from Firuzabad, Fars National Front (Iran) MPs Democrat Party of Iran politicians Iranian elected officials who did not take office Members of the 15th Iranian Majlis Members of the 16th Iranian Majlis Members of the 17th Iranian Majlis People convicted of espionage in Iran People convicted of spying for the United States 20th-century executions by Iran Executed spies {{Iran-politician-stub