BusinessNews Publishing - Summary: The Secret War with Iran: Review and Analysis of Ronen Bergmans Book

Since 9/11, the U.S.-led War on Terror has focused on al-Qaeda (and the theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan). However, for the last 30 years, Iran has been the worlds leading sponsor of global terrorism. In fact, since the Revolutionary Guard took power in 1979, the regime in Tehran has been waging an asymmetric proxy war against Israel, the United States, and the West.

The Islamic extremists that govern from Tehran recognize they cannot confront the Western powers directly. Therefore, they have skillfully trained, sponsored, and directed a network of proxy terrorist organizations, most notably Hizballah, to attack Israel and American interests. The regime is careful not to cross certain redlines conspiring directly with al-Qaeda, for instance but it has nevertheless clandestinely offered support and cultivated ties with numerous terror groups allied against the United States and Israel.

The Iranian regime has been behind countless assassinations, kidnappings, and terror attacks across the globe. Targets include not just Israelis and Americans, but also critics of the regime and members of the Iranian opposition in exile. Unfortunately, many European countries (where a large number of the strikes take place) pursue criminal investigations and prosecutions reluctantly for fear of incurring Iranian reprisals.

The Iranian regime is intent on spreading its revolutionary ideology. Initially, Ayatollah Khomeini, who deposed the Shah in 1979, opposed nuclear weapons. However, todays Iranian leaders have concluded that acquiring nuclear weapons is essential to deterring American efforts at regime change. Becoming a nuclear power would also further Irans ambitions to dominate the Persian Gulf, and its long-term goal of eliminating the state of Israel. Despite Americas recent National Intelligence Estimate, which insisted Iran had put its nuclear weapons program on hold in 2003, the Iranians continue to pursue a nuclear weapons capacity.

Iran is approaching a critical stage in its nuclear program. The CIA and Mossad (Israels much vaunted but overrated intelligence agency) have frequently failed to anticipate and adequately respond to the difficult to penetrate Islamic extremist networks. The West can only hope that its intelligence agencies are up to the enormous challenges that lie ahead. The stakes are high.

Israel, obviously, would view a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat. It has vowed that it will never allow its enemies to acquire nuclear weapons that could destroy the state of Israel. However, U.S. or Israeli air strikes aimed at thwarting Irans diffused nuclear program are an extremely risky proposition that would almost certainly unleash a wave of Iranian-sponsored terror retaliation across the globe.

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, has succeeded more than his predecessor Khomeini in exporting the Islamist revolution. Hizballah is the dominant political and military force in Lebanon and it is capable of reining havoc upon Israel. Hamas, which is increasingly tied to Iran, now rules in Gaza. And terror forces trained and sponsored by Irans Revolutionary Guards continue to attack American troops in Iraq. Further, North Korea and Syria have forged economic and military alliances with Tehran. This all adds up to the fact that Iran is a rising power that poses an increasing menace to the West. Israel, the United States, and the world community must be vigilant.

In 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini assumed power following the collapse of Irans monarchy. Within months, an angry mob of Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy, seizing dozens of hostages, which led to the 444-day hostage crisis that destroyed Jimmy Carters presidency.

Prior to the Iranian Revolution, the Shah had developed close ties to both the United States and Israel. In fact, Israel and Iran were in the process of forging a military partnership. The Iranian Revolution, however, turned friends into enemies virtually overnight. Even so, Israel continued to export arms to Iran. Many of these weapons would end up killing Israelis.

Ayatollah Khomeini insisted upon a return to pure Islam uncorrupted by foreign influences, not just for Iran, but for the larger Middle East and beyond. The Ayatollah preached fanatical sermons that demonized the United States and Israel. He had no economic or social agenda for his country. Instead, the Khomeini revolution turned to mass murder, and purity laws. Jews in Iran were subject to constant fear and often grave danger, opposition leaders at home and abroad were targeted for assassination, and the Iranian Guard mobilized to export their revolution abroad. Chaos, anti-Semitism, and anti-Americanism reigned in Khomeinis Iran. Even today, the roughly 25,000 Jews living in Iran face harassment and restrictions on worship.

In 1980, soon after Kohemeini assumed power, Iraqs Saddam Hussein invaded his neighbor, Iran. The secular Saddam obviously viewed the revolutionary regime as a threat to his own rule, particularly since he feared that the majority Shiite population in his own country, which he brutally repressed, might ally themselves with Shia Iran.

Ironically, despite Irans vicious anti-Semitism, and an American-led boycott of arms sales to Iran, the state of Israel covertly supplied arms to Iran for several reasons:

• It didnt want to disrupt ongoing military, intelligence, and diplomatic ties.
• Israeli suppliers wanted the revenue arms sales generated.
• Israel feared the prospect of Saddam winning the Iran-Iraq War.
• Israel armed both sides in the hopes that Iran and Iraq would weaken each other.

• In fact, the secret Israeli operation to arm Iran, known as Operation Seashell, made the Iran-Contra scandal seem modest in comparison.

Iran, however, would soon turn Israeli-supplied weapons against Israel and the West.

Israel handed Iran something of a strategic victory when it invaded Lebanon in 1982. Israel claimed the invasion was necessary in order to create a security zone and eliminate the Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanese territory that were raining down on Jewish civilians. However, the invasion, which was only supposed to advance the 40 kilometers necessary to remove the rocket threat, soon became an occupation.