The Secret History of America’s Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran

Some interesting nuggets of new information from a new book written by a former member of the military on the shadow war between the US and Iran since the revolution of 1979.

The George W. Bush administration considered cooperating with Iran over removing the regime of Saddam Hussein in 2003, but opposition from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his top civilian aides, as well as Vice President Dick Cheney, torpedoed a draft proposal by then national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. Instead, Rumsfeld’s office advocated getting rid of the Iranian government, too, in part by supporting an “Iranian National Congress” of exiles on the model of Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress. At loggerheads internally, the Bush administration failed to approve any policy toward Iran in its first term. Iraq became a quagmire and Iran-backed militias killed hundreds of Americans.

This coincides with the grand bargain offered by the Iranians at the time to co-operate over Al-Qaeda and Afghanistan, Iraq, which was rejected out of hand by The Bush administration.

In Bush’s second term, Cheney’s daughter, Elizabeth, a deputy assistant secretary of State, lectured US Foreign Service officers “including those fluent in Farsi” about “the nature of Iranian society and its government” even though she “had no background on Iran,” Crist writes. The lectures were delivered to the “Iran-Syria Working Group, an interagency body co-chaired by Cheney and Elliott Abrams, a neoconservative in the Bush White House. The working group produced an “Iran Action Plan” in 2005 that sought “to drive a wedge between the Iranian population and its government” even as Rice, who was Secretary of State, offered to join European talks with Iran. Rice also set preconditions — Iranian suspension of uranium enrichment — that Iran would not accept. The two-headed policy went nowhere.

Weird that Cheney's daughter was so involved in all of this.

Prior to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, “no Red Team was established to explore the ramifications of the removal of Iran’s arch rival,” Crist notes, using US military lingo for a group created to explore the motivations and likely behavior of one’s adversary. “CENTCOM never war-gamed how Iran would react to another American invasion on its borders,” he adds.

I thought the American military pretty much war-gamed everything? The whole rush to war with Iraq seems to me like a clear case of "Groupthink", where no serious alternatives or all the repercussions were considered.

www.al-monitor.com...

Thoughts?

What I fiid interesting is when many here will quote Gen Wesley Clark about how there is a five year plan to invade or overthrow 7 countries Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Lybia, Somalia, and Sudan. The Deal there is that in his book he claims that he argued against invading "Iraq" and advocated focusing more attention on "Iran"


Here is the now infamous video.



Here is an excerpt from his book.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK: Well, in a way. But, you know, history doesn’t repeat itself exactly twice. What I did warn about when I testified in front of Congress in 2002, I said if you want to worry about a state, it shouldn’t be Iraq, it should be Iran. But this government, our administration, wanted to worry about Iraq, not Iran.

Now, Why would a former Gen who seems to be attempting to expose the truth also come right out and say that "Iran" should be the focus of attention?

What does he know that we don't know about the Iranian question?

reply to post by SLAYER69


Iran has been a target since the overthrow of the American puppet, the Shah in 79. As the saying goes

Anyone can go to Baghdad. Real men go to Tehran." Senior Bush Official, May 2003

www.counterpunch.org...

The Shi'ite revolutionary theory and practice as espoused by Iran/Hezbollah is very dangerous to the hegemony of the American/Israeli & Sunni axis in the middle east. It appeals to the hardships faced by normal people and highlights hypocrisy of the Gulf leaders, in particular over their lack of help for the Palestinians and humiliation at the hands of Israel.

Syria is on the way to Somalisation as has happened to Iraq, weakening them as potential future adversaries to the US/Israel/Saudi Arabia axis. The same will be unleashed on Iran at some point, when an opportunity of crises presents itself.

If Pentagon tries to Nuke Iran in 1979....Now there is no problem about Iran...we won't discuss about is a Matter that causes world economic and lives

I think I will just ignore the "commentary" above, as is my right as thread creator.

It would be interesting as a "What If?", what Iranian & American relations would be today if the grand bargain had been accepted and there had been co-operation over security issues post 9-11. Would relations have continued to improve? No nuclear "crises"?

Shall I go into the secret History of Shia Iran's 1,300 years conflict with the Sunni Arab world, right up to even today?

Many around the world were not aware in the past, but guess with the general awakening of humankind, such secrets cannot be hidden away anymore, or deflected away.

Seems like the persian apostate leader's bootlickers are working overtime to re-write history here.

If there is anyone to be blame, it falls squarely on Persia's leader head.

It is comprehensible for him to feel threatened - being surrounded by Sunni muslims for centuries. But it is highly despicable to use Israel as a shield to protect himself and his power, as well as manipulating Sunni fools such as Hamas, Taliban, arab brigands and espacially militants to destabalize the world.

Worse is his support for the HumanSlayer Assad whom had mass murdered and slaughtered his own citizens, men, woman and children, with knives, bullets, artillery shells, tanks, gunships, jet bombers, by the tens of thousands. Goes to show the cruelty and inhumanity in those leaders.

It is of no surprise he is hated by the world, and through him, our innocent fellow human brothers and sisters of Iranian citizenship as well, for they have little choice in the matter, and held in check by repressive security dogs everywhere.

Today, that Persian apostate leader will pay the price for his atrocious selfishness.

It is not some axis or ally game being played. It is not some US/Israel/Sunni Muslims group that targets Iran.

It is the Free World's humanity, whom are sick and tired of the strife continously carried out by the persian apostate leader, to keep the world busy fighting fires in their backyard to notice his devious moves to seize power and domination through might such as nukes.

To the persian apostate lovers, do take heed. Covering up for him, deflecting blame or distraction to realities is not going to help the Shia believers.

No one wants war, for bullets and bombs have no name. The world has progressed from the 7th Century. Today, majority of nation protects Human Rights, which includes a human's right to worship. Those baggages of religious wars of the past can end, so that the innocent next generations need not be burdened by it.

In our ancient past, our ancestors had been kept in stupidity, divisions and had never stood up for smaller nations that were bullied. Today, it will not ever be allowed to happen again.

The Free World will stand by for all nations, one way or another, to prevent innocents from being harmed. Bosnia, the ex-soviet states, Somali, Paupa New Guinea, Eygpt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, etc are the recent examples, not because of resources as the few bigots believed, but upon the rights for every equal Human born on Earth.

Shia, Sunni, Judism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and any other religion that does NOT hurt or harm humankind is the right of the individual human. Live and let live, not live and let die or humanity will end fast. Let us all live at least in peace, if not in harmony.

No religion tells its believers to slay innocents. When the prophet Muhammad begin teaching Islam, he did not start with a sword, but use his feet and the power of his sincerity to move others to join him. Only those who had hurt and harm, behaved like animals, were treated as animals in a declared war or jihad, by the community, and not by the deluded voice of one man alone. Same for all other mainstream religion whom love and respect our common Creator.

Seek for the truth, and it will set us free, free to acknowledge unconditionaly the errors made and then to correct the mistakes of the past, so that all mankind can progress and evolve.

Alone, the insignificant nobody me is powerless. But with you and me combined, through sharing, discussions, debates to find solutions with our families, relatives and friends, whom makes up societies and our world, change is possible, for we are the many, against the few who had sought to hurt and harm humanity.

Let us be the people who are what we all commonly strive for, instead of being those who could have been, but never were - become the epitaph for our generation.

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


The vast majority of the shiites are in Iran. There are much smaller pockets in Iraq and Syria. [Which propaganda was then and is now being spread by Iran] that if Iraq didn't become a Shiite State that the Shiites there would be slaughtered [which never happened once the new Government took hold] by the Sunni. So this was the major justification from Tehran to fund, supply, equip and train fighters who went out into Iraq and fought Iraqi forces and blew up Sunni masques, Markets and schools etc etc etc

So, in Iraq we had the Saudis supplying one side Sunni extremists and Iran supplying the other Shiite extremists with Iraqi/US/Allie forces caught in the middle of this ancient sectarian rivalry

Now, I'm hearing the same regurgitated BS about how if Syria falls the Shiites there will be massacred etc etc etc. And whose hands do we see in the mix again? Iran's!. Which by the way, Syria has a small elite ruling Shiite party with ties to Tehran spreading the same story.

Sound familiar?

reply to post by SLAYER69

There are much smaller pockets in Iraq and Syria. [Which propaganda was then and is now being spread by Iran] that if Iraq didn't become a Shiite State that the Shiites there would be slaughtered [which never happened once the new Government took hold] by the Sunni.

Hmmm, not sure about some of this. Iraq was inevitably going to be mainly Shiite run, following the removal of Saddam's Sunni regime. due their overwhelming majority in population terms. The propaganda if employed, meant little in the Iraqi context. It is perhaps more prevalent today, with the power sharing agreement between the Shiite, Sunni & Kurdish blocs hardly going swimmingly, with propaganda flying from all sides. The Sunni VP is still wanted for trial for alleged involvement in bombings and assassinations and is currently holed up in the Kurdish north of the country.

Iraqi authorities issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Muslim Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi on Monday for suspected ties to assassinations and bombings, a decision likely to fuel sectarian tensions after the U.S. troop withdrawal.

www.reuters.com...

So this was the major justification from Tehran to fund, supply, equip and train fighters who went out into Iraq and fought Iraqi forces and blew up Sunni masques, M.arkets and schools etc etc etc

I think you are a bit confused or claiming false flag in these instances. The bombings you talk of were and are of SHIITE mosques, Markets & Schools by Sunni extremists along with Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Iran certainly supplied and has a massive influence over the Mahdi army, under the command of Moqtada Al-Sadr, but they themselves are Shiites, who were opponents of the American & British occupation and the Iraqi government (once it was formed) co-operation with them. They operated in conventional terms in taking on the American/British/Iraqi forces in guerrilla warfare. Other Shiite/security forces have been involved in death squads (targeting Sunnis), operating mainly in Baghdad

Info on the death squads.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Some info on the Mahdi

news.bbc.co.uk...

The author makes some sensible points on Iran and the potential blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Their prime means of exporting oil is through the Strait,” said Crist, author of “The Twilight War: The Secret History of America’s Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran”, in an interview. “If they mine, it means their oil is not coming out, either. So ultimately it either cuts off their nose to spite their face” or it would be an attempt to pressure the international community to resolve a crisis. “I’ve always viewed that the Iranians see that as an option of last resort if all else fails,” Crist told an audience August 1 at the International Spy Museum in Washington.

www.businessweek.com...

Makes sense to me, clearly a course of last resort, similar to say an American mining of the Gulf of Mexico if an attack were headed through there.

Despite claims to the contrary I think the Iranian leaders are mostly rational, whose primary concern is staying in power. I think the US & Israeli leaders know this, but attempt to portray (with the help of some admittedly firebrand speeches) that the Iranians are unstable and run by the "mad mullahs", to make them appear more of a target and an easier sell to their public.

Originally posted by Peruvianmonk
I think you are a bit confused or claiming false flag in these instances. The bombings you talk of were and are of SHIITE mosques, Markets & Schools by Sunni extremists along with Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

1. Many hold firm on their beliefs of Occam's Razor law - 'one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything'

Thus, when dealing with complex issues, more so devious ones, they just look at the issue and form their opinions.

Even Einstein had once commented over OR law, that "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

May those who believe OR Law best avoid playing chess, or they will be stripped off their pants within minutes playing with Chess players, for nothing is as simple as what it seems on the chess board.

And that persian apostate infidel leader is a chess player, using live human pawns to be sacrificed as bait on the chess board of life.


2. Some had attributed to and accused mythical american alphabetical agencies as the ones stirring the pot in the middle east. Thing is, there is something call ' motivation'. What's the sense for USA to stir the pot?

Domination? For goodness sake, USA is not tyranny. None exist more than 8 years on the throne, to enjoy the fruits of conquest passed on to their own sons, unlike dictatorships,and plenty of those in our current world. Resources? America has excess resources of its own, and don't need more.

US greedy corporations? With globalization welcomed by other nations to rob their own citizens blind, and put american workers out of work, no alphabet agency will be motivated to stir the pot on the greedy's behalf.

Other Sunni M.E. states? They have enough power , security, peace and wealth and worries over the current economic crises effect on their own unemployed citizens to want more headaches by absorbing their neighbours. Democracy? Sure don't need USA to whisper to fellow humans about it. It is only a natural desire.


3. So WHO gains with an unstable Shia gov led Iraq?
For the answer, just look at a map on who boders Iraq.

a. When more Shias are murdered, and blamed upon Sunni militants, even the world will one day blame the sunnis govs around Iraq. When that happens, Iran moves in with their troops, at the invitation of the Iraq PM, who had only proven himself the lapdog of that persian apostate leader many times, humankind who accepts OR Law will be silent.

The Iraqi Sunnis will be repressed, as they had been in Syria, and slaughtered if they dare protest.


b. That Persian apostate infidel leader had proven himself capable of mass murder, by telling the world he supports terrrorism - the butchery of innocent men, women and children, and now, supporting the HumanSlayer Assad whom had slaughtered tens of thousands for 17 months, while the world talked trash such as peace talks or negotiations with the mass murderer instead of lynching him on the spot.

Thus, who are the Shia believers, locals and foreigners, to that persian monster? He cares nothing about human lives, except his own, and his deluded ambitions of god-hood on Earth, and will as usual, shed crocodile tears, talk soothingly, lulling all, while his knives keep slashing away at humans.

c. The saddest part are the sunni militants who had been paid by that apostate and fooled into killing shias innocents and sunni security men, thinking they are helping Allah. When that Persian apostate leader wins the game, he will pull the rug upon these Sunni men, and repress them worse than the rest, for they had been identified.

They will be made to 'disappear' into the night like dissidents in China, and that apostate leader hailed as a miracle of ending terrorism in Iraq without even drones or armies. Easy when one is the instigator of it all.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101

persian apostate infidel leader

You obviously have a massive racial problem with both Ahmadinejad and the Iranian people themselves.

Thus, when dealing with complex issues, more so devious ones, they just look at the issue and form their opinions.

Form opinions based upon reports on what is actually going on.

The rest of your submission although interesting has no evidence to support it. e.g; Iran supplying arms and support for Sunni extremists in Iraq.

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


Racial problem with the puppet Ahmed and my fellow human brothers and sisters in Iran? Far from it. No need to use the racial card allegation to press down my views of that presumptous 'spiritual leader' of Iran when the good prophet Muhammad himself warned that he is the last messenger, last prophet sent to Earth.

Evidences? No more the same to your claims that America war gamed everything, or Syria on the way to Somalisation to be weaken by your proclaimination of the mythical 'US/Israel/Saudi Arabia' alliance.

But on the whole, thanks for finding my post interesting, and my hope is that it may open your narrow mind to a broader perspective than that of a simple 'snake and ladders' game you have for perceptions and world view.

reply to post by SeekerofTruth101

Racial problem with the puppet Ahmed and my fellow human brothers and sisters in Iran? Far from it.

Why do you keep referring to Ahmadinejads heritage in such a pejorative way then?

persian apostate infidel leader

Evidences? No more the same to your claims that America war gamed everything, or Syria on the way to Somalisation to be weaken by your proclaimination of the mythical 'US/Israel/Saudi Arabia' alliance.

So your argument is because I did not provide evidence (which I did earlier in the thread) you don't have to?

From a reported conversation between Netanyahu & Putin on the Somalisation of Syria.

www.counterpunch.org...

American war games, www.globalresearch.ca...

The Saudi/American/Israeli alliance.

www.arabist.net...
www.ynetnews.com...

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


You thought I meant that puppet Ahmed as the persian apostate infidel leader???

No one can be that stupid here...there's only one top DOG in Iran today, and its that hashish drug addict Ay to the lah lah land Khamenei. So STOP playing games with me. Or are you already praying to him as god-on-Earth and dare not impunge upon his unholy title???

A reported conversation between Netanyahu & Putin and an opinion piece from globalresearch.com are your evidences???? Do you take me for a fool?

How about someone close to Iraq and with first hand knowledge as MY evidences:-

Iraq's Ayad Allawi Tells CNN Iran Funds, Directs Terrorism in Middle East

Iran is trying to destabilize Iraq and its neighbors, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said

or from the lah lah land's of the supreme council drug fueled mullahs very own dung filled mouths:-

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, indicated to his close associates that he saw a mandate for the final glorification of Allah to overthrow the Shah, establish an Islamic state and then pass the flag of Islam to the last Islamic Messiah.

When asked if he would be the one to pass the flag, he responded that “the one after me will be the one” who will create the circumstances for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi, the Shiites’ 12th Imam.

Many in the Islamic regime believe that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who became the Iranian supreme leader after Khomeini’s death, is the chosen one to pass the flag of Islam to Imam Mahdi. In fact, statements made by close associates of Khamenei indicate that the supreme leader himself is convinced that he is the one who will trigger the coming.

The Mahdi was NEVER mentioned in the Holy Koran. It came from the Sunnah-a biography of the prophet. written by later scholar generations and not in the time of the prophet Muhammad. The Holy Koran will always be the first to be referred to for any issues posed, before consulting the Sunnah.

The Koran specifies only Allah alone knows the hour and the day, none other knows of the end times.

All that the good prophet Muhammad was qouted by others as saying was that the Mahdi will be an intelligent man endowed by Allah that no mortal man will deny. He will be someone whom will other mortal men will willingly, on their own free will, accept his authority and knowledge.

Some later muslims generations had claimed he had already came and went, attributed as someone else. Sunnis and many other muslims from all sects place not much importance to the Mahdi, but rather, more adherence to the Koran's central themes, which are common in all mainstream religions whom love and worshipped our common Creator.

The prophet Muhammad is the last messenger of Allah. Anyone who claims to hear the voice of Allah and compells or force any other to believe his own words, worse, to hurt and harm innocent men, women and children is an apostate. He and his followers will face the wrath of Allah, if not from man.

Ayatollah Khomanei is already dead. May Allah have mercy on Khamenei, the funder of terrorists and destabilizer of humankind societies.





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reply to post by SeekerofTruth101


Whoever you were going on about is irrelevant, your hatred for his being Persian is clear. As for the rest of your inane and angry ramblings, whatever.

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


Hatred for Persia? Nah..I did not live during the Persian empire's era, and therefore have not enough info to formulate love or hatred for it. But I do love Iran the country and many of its warm hospitable common people, whom follow the central themes of the Koran and humanity.

My only concern about Iran is the deluded supreme council and their bootlickers, harkening and still dreaming of an ancient glory that had lost its aura, purpose and shine in this modern era, but only as an example for new generations not to make the mistakes of world conquering insane ambitions of hubric delusions it had, by domination and repression of free mankind to serve the priviledge few.

And my sadness is that you are still hell bent on playing snakes and ladders game as the sole manner in which you perceive our ever changing world, perhaps a longing to remain in the comfort zone, which is meant for children and not for courageous adults to confront and face the world with realities and make the necessary corrections to progress?

It is your free will and choice. Anyway, I trust ATS readers to be discerning. Cheers.