The devil we know part 1 pdf download

His experience as a CIA agent who is extremely familiar with Iran, it's culture and history, he lays out a very very well reasoned analysis as to why our positions toward Iran are counterproductive, and why war with Iran would be an absolutly terrible idea. Even thought it was written in , the general truths With the current political situation today, and the politicians beating the war drums about Iran, Robert Baer seems to be a very drowned out voice of reason, but also a speaker of truth.

Even thought it was written in , the general truths remain the same as to the nature of the threats coming from Iran, their attitudes, our attitudes, and exactly how dangerous the nation can be. He explains with a lot of facts and analysis as to why Iran is not run by a bunch of religious wackos, but rather by a group of extremely intelligent, calculating, dangerous people, who are also very rational actors.

He analyzes Iran's defensive strategies, their investments in people and partners, their ability to act through proxies, and just how dangerous they can be if they are not approached properly.

This is not just a good read, it's a must read for any politican or anyone interested in foreign affairs with respect to the Middle East. Unfortunately, many of these shifts counter Baer's assertions and thereby undercut a substantial amount of the faith that you can put into the predictive capability of the rest of the text.

While there were portions to agree with in this section, there was also huge tracts where I was mentally saying, "Well, I guess that's one way to look at it, but While not entirely wrong, through this portion, the whole thing read like it was written as a comically simplistic rebuttal to history; a way to look at all the things that have gone wrong throughout the Middle East and 'tsssk, tsssk' the silly policy decisions of the US with a lion's share of the blame going to Bush's invasion of Iraq.

While this isn't a hard exercise, its also not particularly productive when it comes to putting together policy recommendations for the future. The whole book also suffers from an overuse of the 'Man on the Street' narrative and seemingly infinite variations of the phrase, "My time with the CIA Establish an international consortium to set the price of oil, redraw the borders from Sykes-Picot, pull American forces out of the ME entirely, Allow Iran to develop their nuclear weapon program but immediately place all M.

In general, I would imagine there are better ways to spend your time. Jun 07, Bernard M rated it it was amazing. This meant there were readers eager to acquire a copy of this gem of an introduction to Iran, its ambitions and perspectives. Baer, a former CIA operative, fluent in several of the critical languages, mines his contacts and leverages his decades-long experience to provide a cogent, part anecdotal, part analytical account of the transformative period following the revolution.

Reading the book is prompted by the present disproportionate preoccupation with the current nuclear arms agreement negotiations, as this myopic focus displaces consideration of broader more fundamental issues about our relationship with Iran.

One is the recognition that entirely apart from the potential danger of a nuclear Iran, are the immediate challenges arising from a non-nuclear Iran.

It is this vacant space the Obama administration and Congress have ignored, failing to even entertain discussion of the formation of a comprehensive and coherent foreign policy. Baer posits that if we do not adjust our perception of our adversary and appreciate the changes that have occurred; if we continue to demonize Iran, we deprive ourselves of the objectivity necessary to evaluate existing dangers more accurately, and as importantly, seize opportunities for improved relations.

The work contrasts Iran favorably with our vulnerable Sunni allies, Saudi Arabia, and others and the fragile Gulf states with whom we are enmeshed; and whose interests we unquestioningly promote while eschewing engagement with the pivotal actor in the region. Finally, as a corollary, the Epilogue articulates in broad terms the policy choices available to the U.

Baer supports his position by nine specific steps that could be taken to diminish tensions with Iran that would be mutually beneficial bilaterally and for the region at large. Several are controversial and will spark immediate objection, but should be examined and considered nonetheless. While this book provides an advantaged starting point for those trying to work through the fog obfuscating an understanding of the present climate of hostility and distrust, my hope is that Baer will soon revise this fine work, and bring current his well seasoned and pragmatic insights, as they will certainly contribute to a more intelligent and enlightened appreciation of our critical relationship with this regional hegemon.

May 05, Sean Sharp rated it liked it. I suppose that the author, Robert Baer, holding significant credibility, having spent two dozen years with the CIA, might be an acceptable basis to skimp on citations.

The first quarter of the book, in fact, is downright alarmist in its portrayal of the rise in Iranian political stature. Without a basic working knowledge of the subject, a reader might even consider a few early sections to be borderline revisionist in its presentation.

Early chapters aside, the book eventually mellows out and culminates in a very respectable Epilogue that outlines several relevant points the West should consider in its future dealings with Iran, not least of which includes reassessing our relationship, tenuous at best, with the Saudis and their Jihadi cohort.

Baer very correctly points out that negotiating with Iran and its militant Shia networks throughout the region is at least a tenable alternative, whereas even communicating with the conservative Sunni sect seems impossible, at best. Jan 29, Tripp rated it really liked it.

Robert Baer has an answer for you in his latest book, the Devil We Know. The good news is that he has a good, if difficult to achieve, answer. The bad news is that he often buries it with digressions and some sweeping assertions. Still, he has proposed something I doubt the Obama administration will do, but I greatly hope they consider, which is to ally with Iran.

Sounds crazy, yes? Baer spends a good number of pages arguing that Iran is not some addled theocracy run by maniacs, but is in fact a Robert Baer has an answer for you in his latest book, the Devil We Know.

Baer spends a good number of pages arguing that Iran is not some addled theocracy run by maniacs, but is in fact a forward looking, modern society that is ruled by pragamitists and not the delusional madmen we are led to believe.

He also argues that it is the dominant power in the region, thanks to our activities in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf, and that it will only get stronger.

Confronting them will be costly and will likely fail. So the realpolitik answer is simple, alleviate their security concerns with the United States and become a partner, or even an ally. This will ensure that the oil supply remains protected, which is the principal interest of the United States in the region. To do so comes with costs, such as letting Iran run, behind the scenes at least, Iraq and most of the Gulf States.

He also argues that they should be allowed to become the stewards of Mecca and Medina, which sounds fine except that it means the abandonment of the House of Saud. The tricky thing with all of this is that it will make all but our closest allies believe that we are unreliable. As Baer notes, this happened before, when the US dumped Taiwan to start a new relationship with Mainland China, and it was a challenge, but it was done.

Baer lays out a rather grand plan to ally with Iran that comes with quite a few costs. The US should mend relations with Iran, as it gains little from opposing it, but should try to do it for less than Baer asks. Mar 25, David rated it really liked it. This book surprised me. Given the title, I expected Baer to delve into the true evil lurking behind the mysterious nation of Iran.

Instead, he exposed the true rationality in much of their foreign policy. That being said, this book was written before much of the upheaval caused by the democracy movement in Iran. I would be very interested in Baer's take on Iran given those events. That being said, the book gives a very different picture of Iran than I epxected, certainly based on my own memories This book surprised me.

That being said, the book gives a very different picture of Iran than I epxected, certainly based on my own memories of the hostage crisis. Baer is a breezy at times, but that makes the book more readable. He mixes his foreign policy views with anecdotes about the Middle East that are usually fascinating. He takes the reader on a tour of the Middle East, showing how Iran is affecting each region. Whether or not you agree with his specific conclusions, in the end he makes some very salient points: 1.

We don't really understand Iran; 2. Iran has changed and is acting somewhat rationally; 3. Iraq and Afghanistan are untenable areas for the U. We ought to explore adding Iran as a partner rather than maintaining it as an enemy. We did that with Russia and China and it is worth exploring with Iran, although, again, the brutal response to the Iranian elections sets Baer's argument back a bit. Still, a very interesting read. Aug 08, S. Baer argues for recognizing Hezbollah and a reapprochement with Iran, inevitably including a downgrading of relations with Israel.

I'm not sure how realistic this is; a country's foreign relations are not a Risk-game of picking and choosing partners, they reflect economic and social relationships. To the degree that the "Israel lobby" exerts influence over Congress, any Congressperson suggesting the US switch its Middle-East alliance to Iran over Saudi Arabia and Israel is probably going to comm Baer argues for recognizing Hezbollah and a reapprochement with Iran, inevitably including a downgrading of relations with Israel.

To the degree that the "Israel lobby" exerts influence over Congress, any Congressperson suggesting the US switch its Middle-East alliance to Iran over Saudi Arabia and Israel is probably going to commit political suicide--at least until Mar 28, Ryan rated it it was amazing.

Bob Baer is to geopolitics what Stephen J. Gould was to evolutionary biology: easily accessible with only an introduction to the relations at hand, while giving the reader a thorough dousing of the complexities hidden behind the headlines. Baer was a CIA operative for a classified number of years, gathering information in some of the most remote and inhospitable places on the planet who now consults for movies, books, business ventures and probably the CIA and other intelligence services as well Bob Baer is to geopolitics what Stephen J.

Baer was a CIA operative for a classified number of years, gathering information in some of the most remote and inhospitable places on the planet who now consults for movies, books, business ventures and probably the CIA and other intelligence services as well. For anyone concerned about US sabre rattling in the ME, and especially for those not concerned, Baer distills some of the inner workings of the Persian hierarchy and lays bare the fact that Iran is playing a different game than our policy makers would have us believe.

Although Baer is still an outsider, a westerner to the Persians, his fluency in Farsi and Arabic allows him an anthropologist's insight into the psychologies of people we normally paint with our own motivations.

If you want to understand what the future of US relations entails in the ME, this is an indispensable piece of writing. Mar 30, Phil rated it liked it Shelves: While I found his examination and commentary enlightening, I found myself skeptical of a lot of his assumptions.

I base this on the fact that, while he has a great deal of first-hand experience in the Middle East and Iran, he is not an accomplished or recognized scholar on the subject. Baer does paint a pretty complicated picture of Iranian foreign policy and modus operandi.

In short, his recommendation is While I found his examination and commentary enlightening, I found myself skeptical of a lot of his assumptions. In short, his recommendation is that the US make some sort of peace with Iran. Given the alternatives, this seems like the best solution.

However, until we change the way we treat Israel like they can do no wrong , Iran is going to be difficult to work with. Hillary's got her work cut out for her. But, it's editorialized, as you would expect. I really liked his CIA book which had more of a narrative to it. He should really stick with memoirs.

Jan 06, Greg rated it it was amazing. Excellent book about the middle east, and in particular, Iran. Talks about the growth of Iran's power, and how our failures in Iraq have strengthened Iran into the new super power of the east. However, despite the media's portrayal of Iran as a bunch of crazy terrorists, the truth is that Iran is one of the more moderate countries in the middle east especially when compared to the dictatorial regimes that are our official allies, like Saudi Arabia.

Iran is not like the rest of the middle east, Excellent book about the middle east, and in particular, Iran. Iran is not like the rest of the middle east, for two main reasons. One is that it is not Arab, and does not have the same historical hate of Europeans. Two is that Iran is Shia, and Shia are not terrorists they're pretty much all Sunni. Overall conclusion is that we would be better off trying to get along with Iran than fighting it. The conflict seems to be though, that Iran wants to assert itself as a superpower; we want their respect.

Therefore, neither party wants to be seen as subordinate. Oct 29, Mack Hayden rated it really liked it Shelves: politics , world , america , history. One of the better books I've read about the interplay between Middle Eastern and United States politics and aggression.

This was written while the Iraq War was still in full swing, Bush II was on his way out of the picture, and neocons were setting policy. So I'd love to get his take on where the Obama Administration took things because most of his prescriptions for better relations with Iran line up with where things wound up only to now be under threat of disavowal.

There's a perfect smatter One of the better books I've read about the interplay between Middle Eastern and United States politics and aggression. He's realistic and nuanced about the good and evil all parties have engaged in; one of the best quotes in here is that there are no moral absolutes in the Middle East, just lesser evils.

Definitely read this if you want to get up to speed on tensions between Iran, its neighbors, and the US and how we could best alleviate them. Apr 16, Brian H. We also publish: full documentari. The Great Library for all. The Internet Archive is a bargain, but we need your help. If you find our site useful, please chip in. We were not able to get photo access to the interior - so your photo is especially helpful. On the night before his execution, he calls for God saying, "Bismillah" "In the name of God" in Arabic , and with the help of angels, regains his soul from Shaitan the devil in Islam.

They love to control, indwell and possess bodies. Humans, the phrase possessed with devils or possessed of a devil occurs eleven times in the Gospels example: Matthew Google Scholar. Dodwell, William. In Answer to Mr. By William Dodwell M. Rector of Shottesbrook, Berks, Oxford, , The One by Whom Scandal Comes. Lansing: Michigan State University Press Edwards, Jonathan. New York: The Library of America, , — Hastings, Adrian.

Oxford: Oxford University Press, , Milton, John.