The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict With Iran
Page 90
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 o
f, 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
Vance, Cyrus, 11, 16, 20, 21, 29–30, 39, 578n13, 582n23
Velayati, Ali Akbar, 94, 370
Vessey, John “Jack,” 51
on attack on U.S. embassy annex in Beirut, 152
on commander of CENTCOM, 55
Crist appointed to CENTCOM by, 164
on Iranian blockade of Iraq, 168
on Iraqi army, 95
and Syrian attack on U.S. reconnaissance plane, 148–49
on U.S. marines in Lebanon, 111, 112, 117, 141–47
Vincennes (ship), 363–70, 377
Voice of America, 69, 70, 497–98
Warner, Volney, 53, 54, 55–56
war on terrorism:
Bush on, 427, 540
Chalabi on Iraq as ally in, 469
covert action, 540
Gingrich on, 433
Iran, Iraq, Taliban, and al-Qaeda lumped together in, 435
Iranians fear they are targets, 434, 475
matrix of global terrorist network, 426
regime change in Iran seen as part, 451–55
Rumsfeld on, 444
Syria seen as next target, 473
Wolfowitz on Iraq and, 425
Webb, James, 250–51, 258, 272, 289, 603n43
Weinberger, Caspar, 52
on attack on U.S. embassy annex in Beirut, 152
on attack on U.S. marines in Lebanon, 139–46, 149–50
on Chinese missiles in Iran, 218
and CIA aircraft, 313
and Crist, 269, 281, 286–87, 290–92
includes Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force in CENTCOM, 53–56
on intelligence gathering for sea-based force, 286
and Iran Ajr seizure, 296, 299
and Iran-Contra affair, 180, 185–86, 188, 190, 198–99, 201, 206, 250, 596n8
on Iranian blockade of Iraq, 168
and Iranian mining campaign, 240, 242–43, 245, 249–50
and Iran-Iraq War, 96, 97
and Israeli invasion of Lebanon, 107, 109–12
on Kuwaiti request to reflag its tankers, 213, 214, 599n43
and Lyons, 257–58, 272, 603n43
and McFarlane, 117, 119, 175, 176
Persian Gulf policy, 51
on Poindexter, 185
principal aides, 52–53
and Red Sea mining, 236
and regional response to CENTCOM, 56–57
as reluctant to use military force, 52, 142
and Stark incident, 226, 228, 229
on supporting an Iranian insurgency, 71
and tanker war, 162, 163
on U.S. bilateral defense arrangements with Gulf countries, 169, 170, 172, 595n35
Weinberger, Caspar
on U.S. marines in Lebanon, 117, 119, 120
on Vincennes to Persian Gulf, 363
Webb appointment, 250–51
Window of Opportunity, Operation, 30, 257–59, 270–72
Wolfowitz, Paul, 420
on Crocker mission, 430
and Free Iraqi Forces, 448
and Ghorbanifar plan, 449, 450
on Iranian nuclear program, 393
Iran policy, 445
Iraq as concern, 420–21
leaves Bush administration, 487
and September 11, 2001, attacks, 425
and U.S. invasion of Iraq, 425–27, 459
on U.S. support for Iraq in Iran-Iraq War, 96
on using People’s Mujahideen of Iran, 459
Zarif, Javad:
on al-Qaeda in Iran, 437–38
on Bush’s “axis of evil,” 441–42
on funding of CIA covert operations, 401
negotiations with U.S., 384, 387, 434, 435, 455–59, 477–80
on reality of U.S.-Iranian power relations, 57
1
and U.S. aid after earthquake of 2003, 483
al-Zarqawi, Abu Musab, 438
Ziegler, Howell Conway, 245, 264, 265, 276–78, 294, 314
Zinni, Anthony “Tony,” 406–9, 417, 418, 453, 482
Navy SEALs seize the Iranian oil platform Rostam following shelling by American warships, October 19, 1987. The attack was in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack that damaged a U.S. flagged oil tanker. (U.S. Special Operations Command)
An American helicopter and surface minesweepers search for Iranian mines in the Persian Gulf, December 1987. Iran laid nearly one hundred mines in international waters, threatening to disrupt the entire world’s economy. (Department of Defense)
National Security Adviser Colin Powell updates President Reagan on the morning of April 18, 1988, about the military retaliation against Iran for the mining that nearly sank the frigate Samuel B. Roberts. (Reagan Library)
Iranian oil platform Sassan burns following an attack by the U.S. Navy and Marines. The large complex served as a base for Iranian operations against American convoys. (Department of Defense)
The Iranian warship Sahand before and after being hit by nearly twenty bombs and missiles by U.S. naval ships and aircraft, killing almost a third of the crew. (U.S. Navy)
The American air force housing complex, Khobar Towers, following a bombing by Iranian surrogates, June 1996. (Department of Defense)
The commander of U.S. Central Command, General Anthony Zinni, developed new set of military plans against Iran following the bombing of Khobar Towers and increased harassment of American warships in the Persian Gulf by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. (Department of Defense)
President George W. Bush meets with his foreign policy team in the secretary of defense’s office during the invasion of Iraq, March 25, 2003. Their war plans failed to take into account the impact Saddam Hussein’s removal would have on the larger Persian neighbor. (Getty Images)
Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats interdict U.S. boats trying to move up the Shatt al-Arab, April 3, 2003. The Iranians were supporting a massive influx of Iranian and surrogate forces moving into Iraq during the American-led invasion of Iraq. (Author’s collection)
U.S. troops raid a compound used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, 2007. (Department of Defense)
Soldiers uncover a cache of explosive formed projectiles (EFPs) in Iraq. Iran’s Quds Force provided these deadly devices, which killed and wounded several thousand American troops, to their Iraqi allies. (Department of Defense)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Richard Meyers (left) and Central Command commander John Abizaid (right) testify before Congress. Both men grappled with growing Iranian influence in Iraq and increased covert military activities across the Middle East. (Department of Defense)