1 9 8 8 ) ▁p . ▁ 3 6 7 . ▁Hel ms ▁remembered , ▁" De an ▁Rus k ▁used ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁[ the ▁Shah ] ▁was ▁the ▁best - in formed ▁man ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁save ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁President . ▁Maybe ▁that ' s ▁a ▁slight ▁ex agger ation ." ▁ ▁British ▁author ▁and ▁journalist ▁William ▁Shaw cross ▁several ▁times ▁makes ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁the ▁sh ah ▁prohib ited ▁foreign ▁govern ments ▁from ▁any ▁contact ▁with ▁his ▁domestic ▁political ▁opposition . ▁Rep lying ▁to ▁one ▁such ▁request ▁for ▁access , ▁by ▁the ▁Secretary - General ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations , ▁an ▁' ir rit ated ' ▁sh ah ▁replied ▁" I ▁will ▁not ▁have ▁any ▁guest ▁of ▁mine ▁waste ▁a ▁moment ▁on ▁these ▁rid icul ous ▁people ." ▁As ▁with ▁other ▁amb ass adors ▁before ▁and ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁Hel ms ▁was ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁sh ah ▁on ▁this ▁point ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁fear ▁of ▁" be ing ▁P NG ' ed ▁( made ▁persona ▁non ▁gr ata ). " ▁For ▁any ▁amb assador ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁" w ould ▁at ▁the ▁very ▁least ▁have ▁je op ard ized ▁his ▁country ' s ▁export ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁Iran ." ▁Con sequently , ▁" American ▁and ▁other ▁diplom ats ▁sw am ▁in ▁a ▁shall ow ▁pool ▁of ▁cour ti ers , ▁industrial ists , ▁law y ers , ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁were ▁somehow ▁benef iting ▁from ▁the ▁material ▁success ▁of ▁the