SWJ-El Centro Fellow Robert Killebrew has a new op-ed at War on the Rocks - Iran’s Cartel Strategy: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Western Hemisphere. In the piece, Colonel Killebrew assesses the convergence between TCOs and the IRGC/Quds Force in the Western Hemisphere.
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There are a number of false premises in this piece by COL Killebrew but perhaps the most glaring is this one:
"Hostility toward the United States is fundamental to the ideological outlook of Iran’s ruling theocracy, which considers itself at war with the U.S. "
This false premise is effectively put to rest by former Bush administration National Security officials Flynt and Hillary Leverett in their recent book "Going to Tehran" in which they itemize a number of efforts in the past in which Iranian presidents have made to try and improve relations with the United States but that it has been U.S. administrations that have "pocketed" this goodwill while maintaining the hostility.
The Leveretts should know, Hillary was the one dealing with the Iranians when their support was critical toward getting the National Alliance to cooperate with the U.S. during the onset of Operation Enduring Freedom.