The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran (125 page)

spy network in Iran approved, 69

and
Stark
incident, 227–28

on supporting an Iranian insurgency, 71

on tanker war, 163–64

U.S. marines sent to Lebanon, 114, 120

U.S. marines withdrawn from Lebanon, 150–51

Red Sea mining, 235–37, 265

Revolutionary Guard:

agents in Iran report on facilities of, 76

Ahmadinejad and, 499

arms purchases in 1990s, 396–97

in attacks on Saudi Arabia, 300–310

bunkers constructed around Strait of Hormuz, 397

as business venture, 468–69, 558

CIA recruits members, 74–75

on contacts with Iraqi Shia, 460

Crist’s sea-based force targets, 286

and Crocker mission, 431

diplomats from, 434, 484

excesses of, 77

extrajudicial killings, 410

and al-Faw Peninsula, 166, 356–57

formation, 91–92

in hostage taking, 154

increased presence near Shatt al-Arab, 514–15

and
Iran Ajr
seizure, 293–99

and Iran-Contra affair, 181, 186, 188, 191, 194–97

in Iranian mining campaign, 237–38, 241, 244–45, 247, 254–55, 263–66, 293–95, 318, 326–27, 396

in Iran-Iraq War, 92–94, 96, 370

Israeli attacks on, 552

Jundallah attacks on, 563

Khatami and, 412, 414

and Khobar Towers attack, 403, 413

Lang’s team focuses on, 360

in Lebanon, 122–23, 125–28, 131, 133, 134

“Martyrdom” exercise, 262, 263, 302

Mecca uprising plan, 262–63, 301

navy of, 207–10

and protests of 2009, 546

and shooting down Iran Air Flight 655, 363–70

small boat attacks by, 267, 334, 356, 396, 406–7, 559–60

Tehran University protesters attacked, 411, 493

tension with Iranian military, 209, 288–89, 346

and U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, 464–67, 472, 558

weapons shipped to Palestinians, 436

See also
Quds Force

Rezai, Mohsen, 122

on CENTCOM Persian Gulf exercises of 1995, 398

election of 2009, 545, 546

in end of Iran-Iraq War, 370

improved relations with U.S. opposed, 389

in Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia, 301, 302, 304, 306, 309

in Iranian mining campaign, 237–38, 241, 242, 244–45, 247

joins Revolutionary Guard, 92

on U.S. invasion of Iraq, 466

Rezaian, Mohsen, 366, 368

Rhode, Harold, 434–35, 449, 451

Riahi, Touradj, 73–74, 83, 301, 302–3, 304, 310, 374, 375, 376–78

Rice, Condoleezza:

becomes secretary of state, 487

on Bush lacking appetite for attacking Iran, 495

and Bush’s “axis of evil,” 441

on Crocker mission, 430

on engagement with Iran, 419, 436

extends goodwill gesture to Iran, 489

on Iranian interference in U.S. occupied Iraq, 525, 534

Iran policy, 443–47, 474–75, 501, 503–7, 509

Iraq policy, 422

relationship with Bush, 421, 487

and “road map” document for normalizing relations with Iran, 479

as unwilling to present disagreements to Bush, 442–43

on using People’s Mujahideen of Iran, 459

Richter, Stephen, 372–74, 376

Rinn, Paul X., 322–34

Roberts, Samuel B.
(ship), 321–36

Rodman, Peter:

on Ahmadinejad’s election, 499–500

and Ghorbanifar plan, 450

Gulf Security Dialogue venture, 516–17

on Iran and terrorism, 433, 436

and Iranian-provided EFPs, 524–25

on Iraq and September 11 attacks, 427

on organizing Iranian exiles, 502

on Rice’s Iran policy, 443–44, 446

Rogers, William, 363–64, 365, 367, 368

Ross, Dennis, 391–92, 542, 543, 544

Rumsfeld, Donald:

on Abizaid’s Iran strategy, 516

on Ahmadinejad’s election, 499

and Bremer, 472

and Bush’s freedom agenda, 486

and Chalabi, 469

and
Cole
attack, 419

on counterattack against Iranian interference in Iraq, 526

Defense Department shaken up, 419

desire to pull forces out of Iraq as quickly as possible, 473, 481

on Iranian influence in Iraq, 470, 471, 473

and Iranian-provided EFPs, 524, 525

Iran policy, 420, 444, 445, 446, 474, 475

Iraq policy, 420, 422

management style, 416

meets with Saddam Hussein in 1983, 99–100

on “Old Europe,” 488

plan for global war on terrorism, 426, 427, 444

on plan to attack Iran, 418–19

on regime change in Iran, 454

and September 11, 2001, attacks, 423, 424–25

and tanker war, 164

al-Sadr, Muhammad Baqir, 467

al-Sadr, Muqtada, 518–22, 529, 536, 559

Safavi, Yahya Rahim, 431, 466

Saudi Arabia:

al-Qaeda attacks of May 2003, 480–81

assistance to Iraq from, 206

bilateral defense arrangement with U.S., 170, 172

and George W. Bush’s freedom agenda, 487

Central Command welcomed by, 56

democracy lacking in, 435

and al-Faw Peninsula operation, 166

and Gulf War of 1990–1991, 386

and Integrated Air Defense Center for Excellence, 558

and Iran-Contra affair, 204

Iranian attacks on, 300–310, 374

on Iranian interference in U.S. occupied Iraq, 528

Iranian Mecca uprising plan, 262–63, 301

and Iranian mining campaign, 248–49

on Iranians in Iraq during U.S. invasion, 470

Iranian sleeper cell in, 401–3

and Iran-Iraq War, 95–98, 102, 105, 167

Khobar Towers attack, 402–6, 409, 411, 412, 413, 443, 618n14

and National Intelligence Estimate on Iranian nuclear program, 508

Patriot missile deployment, 557

and Red Sea mining, 236

relations with Iran in 2000s, 563–67

Shia population, 171

in tanker war, 159–63, 164, 206, 210, 217

U.S. bases refused by, 40

U.S. plan to defend oil fields, 38–39, 41, 44–45

U.S. surveillance aircraft based in, 314, 326, 609n30

and U.S. financial restrictions on Iran, 507

Sayeed Ali, 123–24, 126–30, 135, 155

Sazegara, Mohsen, 28, 90, 91, 92

Schwarzkopf, H. Norman, 88, 371, 372, 385

Scowcroft, Brent, 380, 383–84, 387, 388

SEALs:

in Crist’s sea-based strategy, 288, 289, 292, 335

Crist’s view of, 284

Evancoe, 283

Flanagan, 282, 606n16

in Franks plan to attack Iran, 418

in
Iran Ajr
operation, 296–98

SEALs

in plan to kill al-Zarqawi, 438

in Rostam oil platform operation, 311–12

in Sirri oil platform operation, 341–42, 612n15

in U.S. invasion of Iraq, 461, 463–65, 472

Secord, Richard, 186, 195, 203

Security Council Resolution 552 (UN), 161

Security Council Resolution 598 (UN), 371

Security Council Resolution 1737 (UN), 507, 532

Security Council Resolution 1803 (UN), 507

Security Council Resolution 1929 (UN), 549

September 11, 2001, attacks, 423–28, 430, 485

Shahlai, Abdul Reza, 562, 564–66

Shakuri, Gholam, 565, 566

Shalikashvili, John, 393, 399, 490

Sharon, Ariel, 108–14, 123, 124

al-Sheibani, Abu Mustafa, 520, 521

Shelton, Hugh, 416, 417, 422, 423

Shia Islam:

in attack on U.S. embassy annex in Beirut, 151

Badr Corps, 467

in Bahrain, 171, 563

concern about Shia crescent across Arab world, 171

in fragmenting of Lebanese army, 150

in Iranian Revolution, 12–13

Iranians make use of, 401

Iran sees itself as defender of, 571

in Iraq, 86, 388, 452, 460, 467, 468, 470, 472, 483, 512, 518–20, 528, 529, 536, 558, 559

Israelis attack base at Nabi Chit, 145–46

Israelis imprison Shia, 154

in Lebanon, 106, 107, 113, 114, 118, 122–31

al-Qaeda as anti-Shia, 428, 444

and suicide bombers, 129

ties between Lebanese and Iranian, 124, 125

in Yemen, 562

Shulsky, Abe, 427, 451, 452, 472, 479, 493, 507, 523

Shultz, George P.:

on attack on U.S. embassy annex in Beirut, 152–53

on attack on U.S. marines in Lebanon, 139, 140, 141, 150–51

on CIA kidnapping plan, 157

in interagency effort to halt weapons to Iran, 205

and Iran-Contra affair, 180, 185, 186, 189, 198–99, 201, 204, 596n8

on Israeli invasion of Lebanon of 1982, 112, 115

on Kuwaiti request to reflag its tankers, 213, 214, 215, 599n38

and tanker war, 162–63

on U.S. bilateral defense arrangements with Gulf countries, 170

on U.S. marines in Lebanon, 116

Zarif meets with, 455

Soviet Union:

Afghanistan invasion, 34, 39, 60, 66–67, 163, 165–66, 181, 373

Armish-Maag plan against, 62

as arms supplier to Iraq, 96

Casey’s opposition to, 66–67

CIA agents in Iran keep watch on, 80

CIA assessment of Soviet-Iranian relations, 68

and Iran-Contra affair, 192, 201

on Israeli invasion of Lebanon, 110

Kuwait requests reflagging tankers as Soviet, 211, 212, 213–14

nuclear arsenal, 46

Reagan on, 50, 63–64

seen as threat to Middle Eastern oil, 36, 38, 67, 166, 176

Syria as client, 108–9, 119

U.S. Navy’s code broken, 143

U.S. plans for invasion of Middle East by, 44–47, 59–60, 78

Stark
incident, 220–29, 233, 263

Staunch, Operation, 101–2, 205

Stiner, Carl, 119, 120, 133, 156–57, 590n47

Strait of Hormuz:

CIA aircraft monitor, 315

Iranian blockade of Iraq, 167

Iranian bunkers constructed around, 397

Iranian military buildup on islands near, 399

Iranian naval districts in, 210

Iranian Silkworm missiles around, 80, 218, 233, 259, 288, 314, 335, 352, 356

Iranian threats to close, 6, 48, 74, 161, 569

“Martyrdom” exercise, 262, 263, 302

Masirah Island in defense of, 40

mines for closing down, 236, 237, 238–39, 297, 316

Ras Banas in defense of, 41

Reagan on defending shipping, 163

Roberts
attack, 321–36

slipping
Guadalcanal
past, 260–61

strategic importance of, 1

U.S. plans to defend against Soviet attack, 44, 45, 59

U.S. warships at entrances to, 230

Suleimani, Qassem, 519

in attacks on Saudi diplomats, 564, 566

headquarters, 521

operations in Iraq, 536, 537, 558, 559

and Shahlai, 562

on taking fight to Americans, 466

U.S. government targets, 532

U.S. Special Forces attack, 528–29

and Yemeni insurrection, 563

Sullivan, William, 17–22, 25, 579n36

Syria:

Abizaid on enticing it away from Iran, 515, 516

Hafez al-Assad, 107, 110, 113, 123, 515

and attack on U.S. marines in Lebanon, 144

and Israeli invasion of Lebanon, 111, 112

Lebanese rebels supported, 133

Quds Force opposes protests in, 566

Saudi Hezbollah in, 402

seen as next target in war on terrorism, 473

as Soviet client, 108–9, 119

terrorism sponsored by, 152, 426, 427

troops sent to Lebanon, 107

U.S. reconnaissance plane attacked, 148–49

Taherian, Mohammad, 431, 479

Taliban:

Iranian diplomats killed, 428, 437

Iranians opposed to, 431, 432, 435

Iran provides intelligence on, 479

rout by U.S., 439, 440

September 11 perpetrators opposed to, 428

victory in Afghan civil war, 429

Wolfowitz on action against, 426

Tannous, Ibrahim, 114–15, 118, 119, 120, 121

Tenet, George, 409, 418, 427, 445, 449, 454

terrorism:

in Bonn framework for Afghan government, 435

George W. Bush briefed on threat of, 418

Iranian sponsorship of, 67, 391, 392, 394–95, 418, 427, 430, 432, 448–50, 456, 470, 501, 572

Khalilzad-Zarif meetings about, 478

Khatami rejects, 410, 412, 428

Quds Force accused of, 493

September 11, 2001, attacks, 423–28, 430, 485

state-sponsored, 426–27

U.S. demands that Iran renounce, 411, 413

weapons of mass destruction in, 426, 427

See also
war on terrorism

Thomas, Marc, 296–98, 311–12

Toufanian, Hassan, 76, 586n28

Trost, Carlisle, 216, 249, 268, 271–74, 282, 290, 331, 363

Tuttle, Jerry O., 143, 146, 147, 149

Twetten, Tom, 187, 313, 373, 593n12

United Arab Emirates (UAE):

and Gulf Security Dialogue, 517

Integrated Air Defense Center for Excellence in, 558

and Iran-Contra affair, 205

and Iran-Iraq War, 97

Iron Magic exercise, 398

Patriot missile deployment, 557

in tanker war, 210

U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq:

bad feelings against neocons as result of, 498

Bush and, 439, 459, 485, 488

Iran and, 461–70

Iranian concern leads to back-channel overtures, 455–60

Iran’s influence in post-Saddam Iraq, 453, 460, 466–74, 481–84, 509–10, 512–13, 518–37, 558–59

Iraqi governing council formed, 483

Karbala training center attack, 562

Obama on, 539

overthrowing Saddam Hussein seen as having positive effect on Iran, 452–53, 455, 475

Pace’s new plan for winning, 511–12

planning for, 454

the surge, 512

U.S. as bogged down in Iraq, 484, 495, 500

U.S. counterattack against Iranian interference, 525–37

U.S. withdraws, 571

Wolfowitz urges, 425, 426, 427

U.S. marines in Lebanon:

attack on, 131–38

debate over mission, 115–21

Reagan orders, 114

retaliation for attack, 139–51

withdrawal, 140, 150–51