It is unfortunate that things like SAVAK abuses and persecutions of Iranians took place and gave the extremists legitimacy (among many reasons) to many against the Shah's regime. It is unfortunate that things like SAVAK abuses and persecutions of Iranians took place and gave the extremists legitimacy (among many reasons) to many against the Shah's regime.SAVAK was no worse then the secret police of “pick-any-Muslim-country-in-the-Middle-East”! Its bad only in comparison with the West.
The Shah was very anti-Communist. The Russians were trying to infiltrate Iran. The main targets of SAVAK were communists & communist sympathizers.