Persian Puzzle

In the essential "Persian Puzzle" (Random House - 1st Edition de Luxe in gorgeous gunmetal Union Blue with Gold gilt designed by Victoria Wong. ) Military Spy Guy, Foreign Armies Persian Gulf Dept, Ken Pollack shares that his Iranian epiphany was truly double.

First off, back in the days of Realpolitik, the horrible Iran - Iraq war had just ended. Twisting the armistice into a victory (uncharacteristic for the Mullah's particular victimistic/mohammedist martyrdom death cult) The Islamic Republic vowed to

"...never be defenseless again."

Instead of refreshing or rebuilding shattered units with fresh armor, heavy weaponry like artillery and ground attack choppers - Iran was dragging her feet with

"prolonged and bizarre negotiations with a whole variety of arms manufactures
over rather minor issues that dragged out..."

and retarded desperate replenishment.

Iran began a crash bling and book learning course on snap best used as stand off weaponry against targets like Carrier Battle Groups. Not really gearing up for a remix with their fellow despotic neighbor that had invaded their turf, trashed the place - leaving it as barren and blasted as the surface of the moon - and bled an entire generation dry.

Pollack's parables of preacher practiced pragmatism presents that back in Operation Enduring Freedom - some elements in Iran openly aided and abetted the Great Satan's sweet Taliban Smackdown while high level liasons sweetly whispered sweet nothings right out of Realpolik's Lexikon - Rapprochment.. At the same time other elements in Iran's crazy High Command were stalking, tracking, targeting and turning America's Afghanistan assets of all kinds - intell or logistical. Rapprochment la mort?

When the Islamic Republicly alledgedly 'practically' freaked as America Unbound utterly regime changed the living daylights out of their semi sunni fellow illegitimate leader with the largest Arab army in history in 20 days, The NIE2007's Mullah's eschewed nuke chicanery.

Practical indeed. 'Guadacanal' was like a 6 hour tank ride away from Iran's strategic Zagros mountain passes, and still other elements used Al Qaede resources (kept safe and sound in a compound not unlike the one that Mookie Al Sadr and H'ssan Nasrallah shared as roomies back in the day) like an Al Qods type Green Beret Special Forces to launch ye olde A.Q. simultaneous bombings in Saudi.

Is Pollack's prophesy of pragmatic self ensnaring practical preachers coming true right now? A face to face 'dialogue' or as really marque'd - "4th Round of Iraq Stability Talks" likely to be a victim of self sabotage? The tete' a tete' may be on as Iraq's Foreign Minister (who has a super phat dossier marked IRAN on his desk - next to a dual core Dell, Ipod dock and a AEK-919 K "Kashtan") hopes

"It doesn't mean there wouldn't be in the future further meetings at different
level, maybe even ambassadors or higher than ambassadors."

Iran's Foreign Mullah Ministry Fanboy Mohammad Ali Hosseini bears dripping, rotting fangs - certainly certain topics may develop the regimes Shi ite Crescent from Persia to the Med in happy hegemony. To snag that dreamy goal:

"We would like to emphasize the fact that there must be a plan for the pullout
of American forces from Iraq."

The fiesty "3rd Round of Talks" with Ambassa Crocker were short and bittersweet as the Great Satan's regime killing regime changing General Ray Odierno pointed out Iran's involvement with the murderous sha ria law loving, Mahdi Army while surging the living daylights out of Mookie's minions - practically running the wanna be mullah's asset right out of the combat zone and into an arguably safer environment like a seminary.

Evidently such robust activity rendered high level discussions and dialouge, as spokescat Philip Reeker puts it:

''frank and serious.''

Will the upcoming '4th Round' unveil another of Pollacks's proverbs? Consider: of all the books out on Iran since 2004 - Dr. P's has been totally correct in nearly every idea or prediction - even when he remarks that nobody really knows how the heck dysfunctional despotries think or react. Indeed - they will scramble to survive and provoke at the same instant.

Almost funny. Amar Hakim, secretary-general of Iraq's largest political party finds little to laugh about.

"We joke around here that we don't want to be stuck in a war between the 'Axis
of Evil' and the 'Great Satan' ."