Iranians historically scarred by Russian aggression

Washington Times - TEHRAN | Ahmad Tajadod makes his early morning tea in a samovar, drives an old Lada car to work, wears a Russian fur hat with ear flaps during cold Tehran winters and serves guests bootleg vodka at parties.

But Mr. Tajadod, an electrician who fixes wires in old houses, is not surprised by Russia's recent behavior in Georgia and two breakaway provinces in the Caucasus.

A native of the Iranian province of Azerbaijan, Mr. Tajadod remembers the period after World War II when a Soviet-backed communist party declared Iranian Azerbaijan an autonomous state. Intervention by Britain and the United States helped local forces make the Russians withdraw.

"We do not trust the Russians," he said.

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