The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War [BOOK REVIEW]
“The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War” is a book authored by Gareth Porter and John Kiriakou. It provides an in-depth analysis of the historical and contemporary issues surrounding the United States’ relationship with Iran. The book delves into the history of CIA operations in Iran, starting with the 1953 coup that overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, and examines how these events have shaped the current geopolitical tensions between the two countries. The authors, both experts with significant backgrounds in international affairs and intelligence, aim to shed light on the often covert actions and decisions that have brought the U.S. and Iran to the edge of conflict.
About the Authors:
Gareth Porter is an investigative journalist, historian, and author specializing in U.S. foreign and military policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies from Cornell University. Porter has written extensively on international conflicts, including the Vietnam War and the Middle East. He is known for his critical stance on U.S. foreign policy and has published works in various reputable publications. One of his notable books is “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” which challenges the narrative around Iran’s nuclear program.
John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and whistleblower. He worked as an intelligence officer specializing in counterterrorism and was involved in operations related to al-Qaeda. Kiriakou gained prominence for his public disclosure of the CIA’s use of waterboarding and other torture techniques during interrogations, sparking significant debates on the ethics and legality of such practices. He has written several books, including “The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA’s War on Terror” and “Doing Time Like a Spy: How the CIA Taught Me to Survive and Thrive in Prison,” detailing his experiences in the CIA and his subsequent imprisonment.
The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War [BOOK SUMMARY]
“The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War,” authored by Gareth Porter and John Kiriakou, provides a comprehensive analysis of the tumultuous relationship between the United States and Iran. The book delves into historical events and contemporary issues, revealing the covert operations, political machinations, and strategic blunders that have shaped decades of conflict and tension.
The book begins by recounting the 1953 CIA-engineered coup that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. This pivotal event, orchestrated to protect Western oil interests, established a pattern of U.S. intervention in Iran. The coup restored the Shah to power, fostering a period of autocratic rule supported by the U.S., which sowed deep-seated resentment among Iranians and set the stage for future hostilities.
The 1979 Iranian Revolution dramatically transformed the landscape, toppling the Shah and leading to the establishment of the Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. This revolution was a direct backlash against the Shah’s oppressive regime and its association with American imperialism. The book examines how the hostage crisis, where 52 American diplomats and citizens were held for 444 days, further deteriorated relations and solidified mutual animosity.
Porter and Kiriakou delve into the complexities of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), highlighting U.S. support for Saddam Hussein’s Iraq despite its brutal tactics, including the use of chemical weapons. The authors argue that this support was part of a broader strategy to contain Iran’s influence, which paradoxically ended up strengthening hardline elements within Iran.
One of the central themes of the book is the contentious issue of Iran’s nuclear program. Porter and Kiriakou trace the origins of Iran’s nuclear ambitions to the era of the Shah, noting how it was initially supported by the U.S. under the Atoms for Peace program. Post-revolution, however, the program became a focal point of international tension. The authors critically analyze the intelligence assessments and political decisions that fueled fears of an Iranian nuclear weapon, often challenging the mainstream narrative and emphasizing the lack of concrete evidence for such claims.
The book provides an insider’s look at the array of covert operations and sanctions employed by the U.S. to undermine the Iranian regime. From cyber-attacks like Stuxnet to assassinations of nuclear scientists, the authors detail the clandestine efforts to disrupt Iran’s nuclear capabilities and destabilize its government. These actions, coupled with severe economic sanctions, aimed to pressure Iran into compliance but often had the opposite effect, entrenching resistance and nationalism within the country.
Porter and Kiriakou highlight various diplomatic efforts and missed opportunities for rapprochement. They scrutinize the Iran-Contra affair, where secret negotiations during the Reagan administration led to a scandal, and the more recent negotiations leading to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The authors commend the JCPOA as a significant diplomatic achievement that curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but criticize its subsequent abandonment by the Trump administration, which reignited tensions and escalated the risk of conflict.
The narrative extends to contemporary issues, including the targeted killing of General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. The authors argue that such actions brought the two nations perilously close to war, highlighting the unpredictability and danger of the current U.S. strategy towards Iran. They emphasize that the combination of maximum pressure tactics and lack of diplomatic engagement has only deepened hostilities.
Key Takeaways from “The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War”
“The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis” provides a meticulously researched and compelling account of the fraught U.S.-Iran relationship. Porter and Kiriakou combine historical narrative with insider perspectives to challenge conventional wisdom and propose a more nuanced and pragmatic approach to resolving one of the most enduring and dangerous conflicts in modern geopolitics. The book is a crucial read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of U.S.-Iran relations and the urgent need for a new direction in policy.
- Historical Roots of Tension:
The 1953 CIA-engineered coup that overthrew Iran’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh marked the beginning of long-standing animosity between the U.S. and Iran. This event, aimed at safeguarding Western oil interests, established a pattern of American intervention that has deeply influenced Iranian distrust and resentment towards the U.S. - Impact of the Iranian Revolution:
The 1979 Iranian Revolution was a direct response to the oppressive regime of the Shah, who was supported by the U.S. This revolution not only transformed Iran’s political landscape but also intensified the hostility between Iran and the United States, exemplified by the hostage crisis where American diplomats were held for 444 days. - Nuclear Program Controversy:
Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which date back to the era of the Shah and were initially supported by the U.S., have been a major source of international tension. The authors challenge the mainstream narrative, highlighting the lack of concrete evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons and criticizing the intelligence assessments that have fueled these fears. - Covert Operations and Sanctions:
The U.S. has employed a range of covert operations and severe economic sanctions to undermine Iran’s government and its nuclear program. These actions, including cyber-attacks and assassinations, aimed to pressure Iran into compliance but often strengthened internal resistance and nationalism, proving counterproductive. - Need for Diplomatic Engagement:
Porter and Kiriakou advocate for a fundamental reassessment of U.S. policy towards Iran, emphasizing the importance of genuine diplomatic engagement. They highlight missed opportunities for rapprochement and argue that the current strategy of maximum pressure and coercion has failed to achieve stability. The authors recommend addressing mutual security concerns through respectful and pragmatic diplomacy to reduce tensions and avoid further conflict.
Conclusion
Throughout the book, Porter and Kiriakou offer a critical analysis of U.S. foreign policy towards Iran, arguing that a pattern of intervention, coercion, and misjudgment has consistently failed to achieve stability or security. They advocate for a fundamental reassessment of U.S. policy, recommending a shift towards genuine diplomatic engagement, mutual respect, and addressing the legitimate security concerns of both nations.
Related Books:
- “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare” by Gareth Porter
- “Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA” by Tim Weiner
- “All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror” by Stephen Kinzer
- “The Twilight War: The Secret History of America’s Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran” by David Crist
- “The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower” by Robert Baer
FROM AMAZON: Why did the CIA overthrow Iran’s democratically elected government? And why has the United States treated Iran as one of its biggest enemies for four decades? Is the Trump administration’s “Maximum Pressure” campaign working, or will it precipitate a war with Iran?
In The CIA Insider’s Guide to Iran: from CIA Coup to the Brink of War, former CIA Officer John C. Kiriakou and investigative journalist and historian Gareth Porter explain how and why the United States and Iran have been either at war or threatening such a war for most of the forty years since Islamic Republic of Iran was established. The authors delve below the surface explanations for the forty-year history of extreme U.S. hostility toward Iran to blow up one official U.S. narrative after another about Iran and U.S. policy.
Against the background of Iran’s encounters with heavy-handed British and Russian imperialist control over its resources, this book shows how the U.S. began its encounter with Iran by clearly siding with British imperialism against Iranian aspirations for control over its oil in its 1953 overthrow of the Mossadegh government, then proceeded to actively support the Saddam Hussein regime’s horrific chemical war against Iran.
The book shows how a parade of politically-motivated false narratives have taken U.S. Iran policy progressively farther from reality for three decades and have now brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran. It explains how Donald Trump’s trashing of the nuclear deal with Iran and seeking to cut off Iran’s oil exports creates a very high risk of such a war, demanding major public debate about changing course.
The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis also includes appendices with key official documents on U.S. policy toward Iran, with particular emphasis on the major official statements of the Trump administration’s “Maximum Pressure” strategy.
My Goodreads Review:
The CIA Insider’s Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War
by
John Kiriakou
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Gave me an idea on the USA’s views about Iran.
View all my reviews
