8 Shocking Crimes That Were Secretly Committed By Governments

3. Operation Ajax

In 1953, British and US intelligence agencies conceived of a plan to overthrow Iranian leader Mohammed Mossadegh - who'd been elected fairly in what was then a democracy - and install a Shah who was far more in favour of ties with the United States. With Iran firming up its plans to nationalise its oil industry, Britain eventually convinced its United States counterparts to support to a series of clandestine operations designed to destabilise the entire country.

From protests, to riots, even staging a bombing at the home of a notable Muslim cleric, Operation Ajax turned the general population against their leader. Iranians, secretly working for the CIA, infiltrated Mossadegh-supporting communist groups and began threatening politicians and religious leaders. With some 500 people dead, the Operation eventually bore fruit when the Shah was reinstated to deal with the perceived unrest in the country.

In exchange for their help in dealing with the situation, the Shah handed over control of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to the British - a company now known the world over as British Petroleum, or BP. Were it not for a series of CIA documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, it's likely this coup would have remained a secret.