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Avg. Customer Rating:(based on 15 reviews) Sales Rank: 1418 Category: Book
Author:Robert Baer Publisher:Crown Studio:Crown Manufacturer:Crown Label:Crown Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Hardcover Edition: 1 Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 288 Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1 Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2
Product Description Over the past thirty years, while the United States has turned either a blind or dismissive eye, Iran has emerged as a nation every bit as capable of altering America?s destiny as traditional superpowers Russia and China. Indeed, one of this book?s central arguments is that, in some ways, Iran?s grip on America?s future is even tighter.
As ex?CIA operative Robert Baer masterfully shows, Iran has maneuvered itself into the elite superpower ranks by exploiting Americans? false perceptions of what Iran is?by letting us believe it is a country run by scowling religious fanatics, too preoccupied with theocratic jostling and terrorist agendas to strengthen its political and economic foundations.
The reality is much more frightening?and yet contained in the potential catastrophe is an implicit political response that, if we?re bold enough to adopt it, could avert disaster.
Baer?s on-the-ground sleuthing and interviews with key Middle East players?everyone from an Iranian ayatollah to the king of Bahrain to the head of Israel?s internal security?paint a picture of the centuries-old Shia nation that is starkly the opposite of the one normally drawn. For example, Iran?s hate-spouting President Ahmadinejad is by no means the true spokesman for Iranian foreign policy, nor is Iran making it the highest priority to become a nuclear player.
Even so, Baer has discovered that Iran is currently engaged in a soft takeover of the Middle East, that the proxy method of war-making and co-option it perfected with Hezbollah in Lebanon is being exported throughout the region, that Iran now controls a significant portion of Iraq, that it is extending its influence over Jordan and Egypt, that the Arab Emirates and other Gulf States are being pulled into its sphere, and that it will shortly have a firm hold on the world?s oil spigot.
By mixing anecdotes with information gleaned from clandestine sources, Baer superbly demonstrates that Iran, far from being a wild-eyed rogue state, is a rational actor?one skilled in the game of nations and so effective at thwarting perceived Western colonialism that even rival Sunnis relish fighting under its banner.
For U.S. policy makers, the choices have narrowed: either cede the world?s most important energy corridors to a nation that can match us militarily with its asymmetric capabilities (which include the use of suicide bombers)?or deal with the devil we know. We might just find that in allying with Iran, we?ll have increased not just our own security but that of all Middle East nations.The alternative?to continue goading Iran into establishing hegemony over the Muslim world?is too chilling to contemplate.
Fundamentally Flawed November 22, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Baer raises a few interesting points here, but the logic and over-the-top conclusions make the book a fatally flawed one. While Iran and it's proxies have adroitly exploited the mistakes of their adversaries, you can't bank or build an empire on waiting for your enemies to blunder.
The US stumbled badly in invading Iraq and in doing so handed a great deal gain to Iran. That Iran took what was handed to them is hardly indicative of some type of Iranian political genius. Similarly, Baer repeatedly sites Hezbollah "victories" over Israel as the basis for a number of his arguments. While the conflicts in question (Israel quitting Lebanon after 18 years of occupation and the 2006 war) may constitute victories in an Arab/Muslim world that has known few, by any objective standard, neither "victory" was anything to write home about. Like the US invasion of Iraq, both spoke more about Israeli blundering than Iranian competence.
To his credit, Baer concedes that Iran is willing and able to start blowing up shopping malls if and when needed. He then offers the bizarre consolation that they would only use terror for specific political ends. Unlike the Sunnis, whom he pronounces "deranged", the Iranian Shia are quite rational. Thanks for the clarification. If I get blown to shreds at Ikea, it will be good to know it was a calculated political murder and not just some crazy guys.
As for his suggestion that we sack the King of Jordan, he doesn't provide any details or say who is going to serve the eviction notice.
Iran has collected the spoils of US and Israeli bungling. That doesn't make them an empire or even particularly clever.
Understanding Other Cultures November 5, 2008 This is an excellent book. It gives insight as to why certain people that we really don't understand act the way they do.
Almost Great November 4, 2008 First let me say that I was really excited when I saw that Baer was writing on Iran. I was not dissapointed either. The problem is he seems to be too much in Iran's camp. One outright falsehood is his complete disregard for Al-Sistani: the Iraq shia religious leader, now is he as powerful as Iran? No, but he (according to Iraqis I have talked to while being stationed there) is not just sitting in his house in Najaf waiting to be taken out as Mr. Baer implies: according to my Iraq friends Maliki seeks him out. Now about the negotiations, I agree we should talk to and even negotiate with Iran, but is it much better that they do terrorism for realist purposes as opposed to the Takfiri way of terrorism for pure chaos sake? And who in there right mind thinks the Shia could hold Saudia Arabia? Why because Hezbollah fought the Israelis? That seems to be his rationale, I know he knows the Shia are less than 20% of the Muslim population. Still I would recommend this book as something new and original to any one interested in foreign affairs.
Very Important for America to consider November 2, 2008 This guy knows what he is talking about and the books well written. I was fortunate to catch Robert Baer's interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air" October 2 episode (available for download/podcast) and was astonished. I consider myself somewhere in the middle or higher than average as far as being informed about what goes on in this world, but found that interview astonishing!. I immediately had to run out and get the book. I've now read all three, and am better informed about what is REALLY going on in this country and the world- to the point of nausea, sometimes. Shame on us, shame on them. Our country's leaders have really let us down over the years. It's not too much to expect our leaders, and the leaders of this world, to act with honesty and integrety- rather than acting out of corrupted self-interest. Thank you, Mr. Baer, for sharing your experiences and insight. It's time for things to change- way past time.
Questions for Mr. Baer October 29, 2008 I couldn't find any contact information for Mr. Baer so I post my question here. I watched Mr. Baer's interview with Stephen Colbert ( [...] ) He says some strange and wrong things about Iran in this interview, such as Iran was involved in 9/11 and those Al-Qaida members were trained in Iran and USA should have attacked Iran instead of Iraq. Then I watched his interview with BBC Hard Talk here: [...] What he says in this more recent interview totally contradicts with what he says in interview with Stephen Colbert, He says that Iran has done nothing to USA and we should negotiate with them and Iran is helping USA in Iraq, etc. I want to know what is the reason of this substantial change ? Are all CIA agents so ignorant and change their opinions so fast and substantial? If that's the case and CIA operations are based on the intelligence reports that people like Baer provide, then I am really sorry for CIA and USA. I am just wondering what was revealed to Mr. Baer between his interview with Stephen Colbert and the BBC Hard Talk interview that so fundamentally changed his view on Iran? My email is payams79@yahoo.com in case Mr. Baer wants to reply to this.
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