The Devil We Know

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A frighteningly prescient look at Iran’s unchecked growth as a hidden superpower, and the threat the nation will soon pose to the United States—and the world. “The most important book on the Middle East to appear in many years”—Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Intelligence Wars As ex-CIA operative Robert Baer masterfully shows in The Devil We Know, Iran has maneuvered itself into the elite superpower ranks by exploiting Americans’ false perceptions of what Iran is—by letting us believe it is a country run by scowling religious fanatics, too preoccupied with theocratic jostling and terrorist agendas to strengthen its political and economic foundations. The reality is much more frightening. Baer mixes on-the-ground sleuthing and interviews with key players to demonstrate that Iran, far from being a wild-eyed rogue state, is a rational actor—one skilled in the game of nations and ruthlessly effective at thwarting Western colonialism. For U.S. policy makers, the choices have narrowed: either cede the world’s most important energy corridors to a nation that can match us militarily with its asymmetric capabilities (which include the use of suicide bombers)—or deal with the devil we know. The alternative—to continue goading Iran into establishing hegemony over the Muslim world—is too chilling to contemplate. By mixing anecdotes with information gleaned from clandestine sources, Baer superbly demonstrates that Iran, far from being a wild-eyed rogue state, is a rational actor—one skilled in the game of nations and so effective at thwarting perceived Western colonialism that even rival Sunnis relish fighting under its banner. For U.S. policy makers, the choices have narrowed: either cede the world’s most important energy corridors to a nation that can match us militarily with its asymmetric capabilities (which include the use of suicide bombers)—or deal with the devil we know. We might just find that in allying with Iran, we’ll have increased not just our own security but that of all Middle East nations.The alternative—to continue goading Iran into establishing hegemony over the Muslim world—is too chilling to contemplate.