The Persian Puzzle
by Kenneth Pollack · first published 2004
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3HN commenters
2010–2026first – last mentioned
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In his highly influential book The Threatening Storm, bestselling author Kenneth Pollack both informed and defined the national debate about Iraq. Now, in The Persian Puzzle, published to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, he examines the behind-the-scenes story of the tumultuous relationship between Iran and the United States, and weighs options for the future.Here Pollack, a former CIA analyst and National Security Council official, brings his keen analysis and insider perspective to the long and ongoing clash between the United States and Iran, beginning
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…compelled to protect the exports of crude oil from "friendly" nations. While continuing to blockade Iranian imports/exports. For more details on the political situation at that time, I recommend reading The Persian Puzzle by Pollack. https://www.amazon.com/Persian-Puzzle-Conflict-Between-Ameri... Additionally, to help explain how messed up the shoot-down was, Sources of Power by Klein. https://www.amazon.com/Sources-Power-20th-Anniversary-Decisi...
on “One of the greatest user interface disasters in history” ↗…other nation. For their own survival, they have to become independent of US economic and political interests. Notes: 0 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9ta... 1 - The book The Persian Puzzle explains much of the history behind why the US/Iran relationships have always been and will always be terrible. https://www.amazon.com/Persian-Puzzle-Conflict-Between-Ameri...
on “Trump agrees to suspend 'bombing and attack of Iran' for 2 weeks” ↗…familiarize yourself, for instance, on Mosaddegh's use of emergency powers after his reinstatement. If you would prefer to review this history in a less heuristically-based fashion, I can recommend The Persian Puzzle, which explores the full complexity of local politics in great detail, including Soviet participation in Iran as well. Among the other things that it includes is a great breakdown of how Khomeini manipulated…
on “In Syria, militias armed by the Pentagon fight those armed by the CIA” ↗I'm reminded of a remark in the book Persian Puzzle: > We English have had hundreds of years of experience on how to treat the Natives. Socialism is all right back home, but out here, you have to be the master. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812973364/
on “Africa's Forever Wars: Why the continent's conflicts never end” ↗