Empire of Shadows

By: Interview by Deborah and Jordan Tappis | Photographs by Peter Taras | February 16, 2010 | Politics

Do you think the botched Iranian elections damaged Ayatollah Khamenei’s legitimacy amongst the people of Iran? What are the short- and long-term consequences of the recent Iranian uprising?
Khamenei’s legitimacy has never been strong, nothing like Khomeini’s. Iran is a military regime, and we should look at its lifespan in terms of other military regimes. It could be around for a long time.

The Iranian opposition party seems to be intensifying. How do you interpret the recent demonstrations/riots throughout Iran, and what are your predictions for an outcome?
Frankly, I never thought I’d see things move so quickly in Iran. This is the best news there is in the Middle East. If the Iranians were to get rid of the current set of thugs in its intelligence ministry and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, it would be a lot easier to come to an accommodation with Iran. I should add we don’t need a regime change, in the sense that many of Iran’s clerics are enlightened by anyone’s standard. We could make a deal with them.

Why does the international community allow Pakistan, India and Israel to possess nuclear weapons, but not Iran?
That’s the question all Iranians ask themselves. (The obvious answer is that Iran spent too many years as a state sponsor of terrorism to trust it with a nuke.) I, myself, worry more about Pakistan’s nukes than a nuclear-armed Iran.

When interviewed by Chris Matthews this past September, you said there was a 50/50 chance that Israel would attempt a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites within a year. What is your assessment of that risk today?
People keep telling me the odds for war are greater now. Iranian regime types tell me they would welcome an Israeli strike; it would strengthen the regime and shut up the opposition.

Have we made progress since 9/11 in reducing the terror threat to the U.S. and its citizens?
I think the fact that we’ve tightened up visas has helped, [and] shifted FBI resources to counterterrorism. The last couple months, the FBI has uncovered serious threats. So the answer is yes. But are we immune from an attack? No.

Why haven’t we captured Osama bin Laden and how much of a threat is al-Qaeda today?
It makes you wonder. The United States spends the equivalent of half of Israel’s [gross domestic product] on intelligence, yet we don’t have a clue where the man is. If indeed he’s alive, he’s in hiding in one of those blank spots on the map.  Al-Qaeda continues to be a threat because it’s going to get through and set off a bomb in a mall. Americans will again be shaken, and the chances of making stupid policy mistakes, like invading Iraq, will go up.

What do you think of the actions the U.S. has taken to improve airline security in response to the “underwear bomber’s” attempt to bring down a Northwest Airlines flight over Detroit on Christmas Day?
It’s better than it was pre-9/11, but we do need to figure out how to combine databases that can be accessed at airports. We absolutely must know who’s about to enter our borders. A lot of countries yet remain open, free societies.

We’ve known about al-Qaeda in Yemen for years, but America is only now taking action. Whose fault is that?
Politics. Washington. The invasion of Iraq. Yemen is largely one of those blank spaces on the map, nearly impossible to police.

In your opinion, what is the greatest threat currently facing America?
Global warming. Mass migration of people out of hot zones.

How would you describe the state of the American intelligence community?
Still is disarray. When the FBI and CIA are able to share databases, I’ll change my opinion.

When was the last time you felt your life was in danger?
Driving down the Grapevine to L.A.

Are you working on a new book?
My wife and I have just completed a two-voiced memoir. She was in the CIA, too.

Bookmarks: Page 2 of 2 pages  <  1 2