Middle East Mystery: One of the mysteries of foreign affairs is how the Shah of Iran is able to manipulate the United States. It has become the watch-word in Washington that whatever the Shah wants, the Shah gets.

The Shah wanted to transform Iran into a modern military power. The United States immediately began shipping military equipment to Iran faster than the Shah’s armed forces could assimilate them.

For five years, sophisticated weapons have been pouring into Iran at the rate of $2 billion worth a year. Three months ago, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger discussed another $10 billion arms pact with the Shah.

Government auditors, according to a secret report, have complained that we have sent so many military advisors to Iran that technical skills are in “critically short supply in U.S. military units.”

The Shah also wanted to crack down on Iranian dissidents who embarrass him here in the United States. So our Central Intelligence Agency arranged for the Shah’s secret police to operate with impunity in this country.

There is evidence that the Shah’s agents violate our laws. We have obtained secret papers from their files. One, for example, contains instructions on copying keys for illegal break-ins.

In return, the CIA is permitted to operate in Iran. The CIA is so close to the Shah, according to our sources, that he has actually paid for CIA projects out of the Iranian treasury when the CIA’s own budget has run dry.

The Shah also wanted higher prices for his oil. In fact, none of the oil-producing countries clamored louder for higher prices than did Iran. The United States could have silenced the Shah merely by shutting off his military supplies. But no one in Washington would talk back to the Shah.

Meanwhile, the love affair between the Shah and Washington officials continues. Kissinger and the Shah exchange frequent warm messages. And the U.S. embassy in Iran sends cables to Washington that are positively lyrical.

One classified cable, for example, refers to Iran euphorically as “this friendly and progressive country of considerable strategic importance to the U.S.”

Everybody seems to love the Shah. The multi-million-dollar question is, “Why?”