Richard Cottom who was a well-known and old American politician during the period of the CIA coup against Dr. Mossadeq in 1332 was the U.S.'s embassy employee in Iran. During the Carter administration although he was one of the U.S. foreign policy advisors he did not have an official position. He had an earlier appointment and that was arranged through Dr. Yazdi. He came to see Imam. In that visit Imam pointing to the Shah's crimes and the U.S.'s unfailing support of Iran explicitly declared that our people believe that the American government is directly the main factor behind the Shah's crimes against humanity. Due to the impact of the Shah's dependence on the U.S. and their support of him cultural and economic demolition of Iran has occurred. Our people because of the maltreatment of despotism and the dependency of the rulers on foreign nations are wailing and they are monolithic and are asking for cancellation of monarchy the founding of a rule based on Islamic teachings and freedom regarding counseling of affairs; and they will not be satisfied if they get less than that. If the U.S. thinks that it can put down that monolithic uprising and through using the army and bloody suppression keep the former apparatus it is very much mistaken. Cottam asks: what is the kind of rule that his Ayatollah excellency wants? In response Imam possibly says what follows: the rule that we have in mind is a republican system based on the views of the people. All of the rule's organs will be directly based on the will of the people and will be established based on their views. Like those republics that are now prevalent in Europe. The difference is this that most of the people are Muslims and believe that that freedom and independence will be reached and its continuation will be guaranteed under the banner of Islam. And meanwhile social morality and justice in their real meaning will be reached only according to Islamic orders- the real Islam and one that is based on the Quran teachings and the dear prophet's and the innocent leaders procedure- and not today you see in some Islamic countries and the Islamthat the king of Saudi Arabia or the king of Iran are its representative.
In that area questions were asked and answers were given and then Cottam asked about the dominant policy of Iran's foreign policy. We will regulate our relationship with all of the countries based on the principle of independence and national sovereignty, territorial entirety and mutual respect except with the usurper Israel and rules like the rule of South Africa and they are racist and they are against humanity regimes; and he added this that of course our people will not forget the role of the governments in supporting the Shah particularly during the period in which the people was monolithic and rose up against him.
Richard Cottam asked some questions about religious and cultural minorities and Imam said that the rights of all of them like all of the people are protected vis-à-vis the law and they are completely free with respect to performing their religious duties and their customs. Regarding defensive subjects Imam said: we do not want to fight with anyone and thus we will put to order our defensive policy against foreigners’ military attack based on the country's need. We do not have a territorial claim with respect to any country and it is natural that we will not continue the Shah's arms policy.
After that meeting Richard Cottam came to Tehran and he saw the heads of the regime and also the heads of the Islamic movement and some of the clergies who later became members of the revolution's council. Cottam had a mission to prepare a report regarding the regime's condition and the people's fights and their wants for Carter. Also he participated in a meeting having been invited by the Iranian organization of defending human rights and that was conducted through efforts made by some of the political people who had a nationalist-religious orientation and he became aware of their view and that was that the U.S. administration should definitely stop supporting the monarchy regime and the Shah's unlawful governments. At that time the U.S. still was hopeful about the survival of the regime and even later when Bakhtiar became the prime minister and in the absence of the Shah the monarchy council took shape they sent a message to Imam saying that they want to support Bakhtiar government until the circumstances become quiet.
A section of Dr. Sadegh tabatabaee's political and social memories; volume 3, pp.128-130; third edition (1392); publisher: Oruj printing and publishing