01 October 2007

Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States

by Trita Parsi

From the publisher:
"This is an important piece of work. It is original and fills a much needed gap in the literature. For anyone working in this field it would be essential." — Gary Sick, Columbia University

"This book is outstanding and important." — Nikki Keddie, author of Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution

"In Treacherous Alliance, Trita Parsi makes a persuasive case that since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has consistently used ideology to achieve hardheaded national interest objectives, rather than sacrifice national interest on the altar of extremist ideological goals. This is an extremely important point to bear in mind as Iran''s relations with US and Israel deteriorate and the prospect of yet another Persian Gulf conflict looms. This work, based on extensive interviews with decision makers in three countries, contributes both to our historical understanding and our current policy debate." — Francis Fukuyama, author of America at the Crossroads

"A penetrating, provocative, and very timely study that deciphers how U.S. policy in the Middle East has been manipulated both by Iran and by Israel even as relations between these two oscillated between secret collusion and overt collision." — The Honorable Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter

"A brilliant interpretation of one of today’s most enigmatic conflicts. In a sober and original analysis, Dr. Parsi unearths the true nature of the tension in the triangle Iran-Israel-USA as a manipulation by all parties — especially the Israelis and the Iranians — of ideological differences to conceal what can be a solvable strategic dispute. This is a study about the manipulation of ideology and religion in the struggle for mastery in the Middle East." — Shlomo Ben-Ami, Israel’s former foreign minister and author of Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy

"Trita Parsi has written an outstanding book, filled with fascinating detail and trenchant analysis. Treacherous Alliance discusses Iran and Israel in dispassionate and smart ways, which is rarely done in the United States." — John Mearsheimer, University of Chicago