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The Iranian Time Bomb: The Mullah Zealots' Quest for Destruction

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Michael Ledeen's essential thesis in this book is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is an unchanging, intransigent, and implacable enemy of modernity and of the West. Since the revolution that brought the Mullahs to power, US policy has naively hoped that forces of moderation would gain the ascendancy and that a negotiated common ground would be found. Nearly thirty years later, Iran retains its hardened position, torturing its people, engaging in international terrorism, and developing a nuclear capability to dominate the region. Ledeen argues that since the Islamic Republic has not changed, it is time for US policy to promote regime change in Iran.

This is all well and good, but the key question is how to accomplish this goal.

The author proceeds from the assumption, articulated by Machiavelli, that "tyranny is the most unstable form of government". This being the case he argues that not much is needed to oust the mullahs, writing, "The Iranian people need three things from us to catalyze their wide-ranging protests into an effective revolutionary force: hope, information, and some material support".

Hope, according to Ledeen, is provided by nothing more than a declaration that the United States wants regime change in Iran, transmitted into the country by radio such as the Voice of America.

Information, in the author's view, also depends on radio broadcasts and the Internet to let the Iranian people know what's going on in their country, and to provide "how to" information from leaders of other revolutionary movements.

The needed material support to bring about the downfall of the regime includes nothing more than "satellite phones, laptops, servers, phone cards, software to beat the regime's `filtering' of the Internet, and so forth". Ledeen helpfully points out that "Such material should be distributed to the key groups: students, teachers, workers (especially truck drivers and oil and textile workers), key religious leaders, both inside Iran and to their supporters outside".

Sorry. This seems just a bit too easy.

Particularly after Ledeen's effective portrayal of the government as ruthless, tenacious, and highly organized in its grip on power, this analysis seems to exhibit the same naïveté that he is so critical of in the US policy of the last thirty years.

And there are other problems with this book.

Many controversial statements are made without supporting documentation, and this cannot help but erode the credibility of the author's argument.

This is unfortunate. Ledeen is correct that the Islamic Republic represents a profound threat that must be confronted before it is too late. It is too bad that his book is not likely to persuade those who do not yet understand this.

Michael Ledeen thinks that Iran's "mullocracy" can be toppled without U.S. force, and that American's military choices are limited to a focus on Iran's nuclear program or general bombing to destroy Iran's fascist government. He also believes that the only exportable U.S. "weapon" is "the American democratic revolution."

Like former federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy, I disagree. If the U.S. tackles Iran militarily, its campaign should not be hobbled in advance. Moreover, Iran is one of world's states least likely to sprout an American style democracy.

Everything else in this book, though, is not only intelligent, but necessary to U.S. national survival. Democrats and Republicans alike have got to stop playing footsie with the Islamic theocrats, and pretending that some miracle will moderate Islamic fascism.

There are many reasons for Islamic stridency, not least of all the history, theology and ideology fundamental to all forms of Islam, Shi'ite and Sunni alike (as explained brilliantly in Dr. Andrew Bostom's The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims and his forthcoming The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History).

But among the most pertinent reasons just now is the refusal of U.S. governments for the last 30 years to even examine the problem. The former President most at fault is Jimmy Carter (The Real Jimmy Carter: How Our Worst Ex-President Undermines American Foreign Policy, Coddles Dictators and Created the Party of Clinton and Kerry), but certainly, others have done their bit, more than accommodating Islamic radicals whom they wishfully insist on terming "moderates." Especially Bill Clinton, (The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House) but also Ronald Reagan--who was far too consumed with defeating communism to see the next (far more dangerous) ideological war had already started--not to mention many State Department and other officials, wearing blinders, nighttime light blinders, that is.

Pretending we can negotiate with people who want to destroy the West only empowers them.

I strongly recommend reading Islamic religious history in books like Bostom's. But Michael Ledeen also offers a critical political analysis of the modern American weakness, a collective refusal to see the elephant sitting right in front of us.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

Concise, well-written, well-organized so that the situation in the M.E./Iran and its neighbors becomes quite clear. The author has done great research and a complete job. Has sparked my interest in foreign policy. Great job.

This work is exceptional. Having consumed a variety of books related to Iran this one is well written and addressed the dymanics of internal Iranian politics well. It is an eye opener in terms of the dissident movement that already exists in Iran and a plan for overcoming the current issues with Iran WITHOUT military action.

I am uncomfortable with the central theme of "The Iranian Time Bomb." Michael Ledeen compares the religious fanatical leaders of Iran with their significantly more secular counterparts in the former Soviet Union. The Communist thugs, however, enjoyed life and were not even slightly interested in committing suicide on behalf of the cause. Outright cynicism was the norm at the end of the regime. They seemed more interested in drinking the best vodka, eating premium caviar, and entertaining their mistresses than wiping out the West. The author may want to instead remember the last hours of Adolph Hitler and his loyal inner circle. What would have likely occurred if they possessed weapons of mass destruction? I think we already know the answer to this question. Just how nihilistically inclined are the Iranian mullahs? Are they willing to annihilate the whole planet? Do they love death more than life?

The polling data indicating, "that upward of 70 percent of Iranians want greater freedom and better relations with the United States", legitimately encourages Ledeen. But do these people control the military? When push comes to shove, will they be able to disable the weapons pointed at our direction? We know this much: the Iranian regime has unofficially declared war on the United States. Constantly the mullahs push the envelope a little further. Our own elected officials, including the present administration, have for far too long looked the other way. Ledeen provides Americans with the information they so desperately need. Is he overly optimistic about reforming the current reactionary government of Iran? Whatever, the United States is very hesitant to preemptively order its military forces to strike at Iranian targets. At the very most, we will fund revolutionary activity within the country. This is, alas, why Michael Ledeen's book is so important. We are simply not going to do anything more then what he suggests! There is another work I highly recommend that will further help one to understand how the United States got itself trapped in this mess. It is the 1985 book by Amir Taheri entitled, The Spirit of Allah: Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution.

The Iranian Time Bomb - reveals disgustingly inefficaciousness political bluders when dealing with Iran. No democratic government can deal or trust an Islamic country. Iran, Islamism, Hezbollah, Hamas, are not open minded, conservative, freedom loving leaders. The ruling Islamic mullahs have the intent, will and power to take over countries by terror acts, and they will continue to do so until they have conquered the world, and they believe the U.S. is next to fall. There should be no dealings, even oil shipments, with Islamic countries. Islam is not a religion, but a pretense. It is an evil political feudal fascism disguised as a religion. Americans and free people everywhere needs to be alerted and educated to this serious threat on our freedoms. We cannot simply accept Islam as just another peaceful religion, never. This book should be required reading in every high school, college and university, and by the public.

Those who are not yet aware of the existential threat from Iran must read this important book. It's not going to be the "light entertainment" that so many crave, but without this knowledge a person is lacking in a basic understanding of the most important and most dangerous political forces in the world today. Read the book and pass it around to all of your friends!

Having met Ledeen many years ago in Miami when working on a very difficult problem of commercial aircraft being used to import drugs from South America, I was impressed with his ability to use his experience in working with and understanding bureaucrats, bad guys, bullies, and buffoons to try to come up with ways to solve a serious threat to national security as well as the security of the airline that was being used as a "mule" for bad guys who knew how to manipulate a dysfunctional dynamic.
Having read and reviewed his earlier book about a similar dysfunctional system known as the CIA The War Against the Terror Masters: Why It Happened. Where We Are Now. How We'll Win. I wanted to see what Ledeen's take on Iran and issues we face today in confronting a regime that declared war on the USA in 1979, and is still at war with us even if few politicians have the will to acknowledge that fact.
Ledeen has done a good job of explaining the Iranian involvement in using terrorists to do its dirty work, as well as getting into the complexities of dealing with a nuclear Iran while Europe covers its eyes again.
While I don't hold out as much hope as he does that the forces favoring Western-style democracy can carry the day given the fact that half of the population was born after the "Islamic Revolution" he makes some good arguments which makes buying this book worthwhile. Of course there are those who will continue to point to the CIA involvement in Iran in the 50's as somehow more evil than the KGB's involvement there at the same time, but those are the same people who attribute Khomeini's hatred of the Shah as being based on the Shah's secret police, when in fact Khomeini's biggest beef with the Shah was appointing females as judges and trying to introduce Western notions of freedom in a society that had elements such as the Mullahs who wanted to take Iran back to the "good old days" of Mohammed.
A good book that hopefully will help those who are not blinded by their hatred of the USA be able to understand the issues involved in the Iranian conundrum as Europe sleeps again.

Michael A. Ledeen's book should be required reading for the US Department of State, accurately referred to as Foggy Bottom. Those who think him an alarmist will eventually learn.

History has shown over and over that appeasement is a dangerous strategy. In an articulate, well-laid out and easy to digest document the author has loudly rang an alarm bell that cuts through the fog that so often clouds our present foreign policy. Let the past speak loudly and guide our actions of the future.

Read it and remember