Former Iranian Officer Explains the Games Mullahs Play

A Revolutionary Guard who reported to the CIA believes a tough ultimatum to the Iranian regime is long overdue.

August 8, 2008 - by 'Reza Kahlili'

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Previously at Pajamas Media: “Former CIA Agent in Iran Comes In from the Heat”

One must never forget that the Islamic government of Iran is being run by hard-line clerics. The games they play with new faces and voices, or good cop/bad cop, are an ongoing show designed to keep the West confused and falsely hopeful enough that one day there will be a diplomatic breakthrough.

It is with this mindset that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, continually works to create a wedge between the American people and their politicians by giving out mixed signals, creating a false hope for a negotiated settlement over the enrichment process and U.S.-Iranian relations.

I know. Using techniques taught to me by the CIA and with my code name Wally, from a front-row seat in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, I compiled my reports on Iranian deception in the middle of the night, knowing that capture would bring torture and a horrible death for myself and my family, but my hope was that I could be of some help to free Iran from the mullahs and their network of terror.

The city of Qom, located southwest of Tehran, is one of the most important centers of theology to Shia Islam; it is from these theological seminaries that the country is run. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a member of the Assembly of Experts (the body that chooses the supreme leader) and the advisor to President Ahmadinejad, runs the Haghani School that teaches the most radical Shiite beliefs, including the belief in the imminent coming of the 12th Imam who is called “Mahdi.”

The teachers and students of this school run some of the most important political and security institutions in the Iranian government, including the Ministry of Intelligence. Every minister has been associated with the Haghani School and involved in organizing death squads to kill the opposition and coordinating terrorist activities against the West. Ayatollah Janati, the powerful chairman of the Guardian Council, is also associated with that school.

Their deceptions work in many ways. One example was in July 1987 when the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, was in progress. Khomeini sent a public message for the pilgrims to avoid any kind of clash and to keep the peace. But my source in the intelligence unit of the Guards informed me earlier that Imam Khomeini had actually ordered an armed uprising in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj.

Many members of the Guards, Basijis, and thugs with weapons such as knives and machetes were sent disguised as ordinary pilgrims by Iran Air. The plan was to start a demonstration using slogans against Israel and America, encourage other Muslims to join the demonstration, and then incite an uprising against the Saudi monarchy. I immediately reported the details to the CIA. Not long after that, the Saudis started checking the flights arriving in Saudi Arabia from Iran and many pilgrims were sent back after the discovery of weapons on board. The Iranian regime went ahead with its plan and started the demonstration during the pilgrimage. However, the Saudi police were ready for them and at the end of the day hundreds died and more were wounded. The mullahs, angry about the interference with their planned demonstration at the pilgrimage, ordered a number of bomb attacks on Saudi agencies in and out of the country, along with the assassinations of Saudi diplomats in retaliation for the pilgrims’ deaths.

I also informed the CIA of my findings that an Iranian consulate convoy transferred arms and explosives, via an Iran Air flight, to the Iranian consulate in Dubai. Because it was a diplomatic convoy, they were not searched. This took place while the Iranian envoy in Dubai was relaying messages of friendship and cooperation to the government of Dubai.

All the while the mullahs have been supported by the Russians and the Chinese. I reported to the CIA that the Russians were selling arms to the Guards and training the new intelligence apparatus in the Islamic Republic of Iran, while also reporting that the Chinese were selling Silkworm missiles and artillery, and training the Revolutionary Guards’ naval units in a base in China.

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"Reza Kahlili" — the pseudonym of an Iranian currently residing in the United States — is writing a book about his experiences as a CIA agent in Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

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19 Comments

1. Cyrus:

I didn’t see any new or superior information in this article. all information and analys coming from public area not from a CIA agent!

Aug 8, 2008 - 6:13 am 2. Frank Logan:

The info may not be new to people who have been paying attention, but it is to the great majority of your fellow citizens. This article needs to be e-mailed to everyone in your address book, to make them aware of the threat to security that the Mullahs represent.

Aug 8, 2008 - 6:51 am 3. Cyrus:

The Iranians want the U.S. in Iraq for a very long time because if the U.S. left, that means part of Iraq for sure will come under the control of Al Qaeda and thus the Iran Iraq war will continue from where it had left off.
Speaking of Iraq, they are really ungrateful to the United States for getting rid of Saddam and the rest of the semi literate hicks from Tikrit from power.
The Iraqi treasury is awash in surplus cash but they won’t help the U.S. foot the bill for mainaining security in their country. Let the Kurds have their own country is what I say!

Aug 8, 2008 - 11:13 am 4. barrybarryquitecontrary.com:

Reza Khalili wrote: “The mullahs believe in one thing only: Islam conquering the world through the reappearance of the 12th Imam. They have chosen their path. The question is: have we?

Yes, I believe America has chosen its path too. 50% +/- of Americans at every level of society, from the common man to the 24/7 mainstream media mouthpieces, to the highest offices in the government have at best chosen the path of ignorance and denial of the threat we now face. At worst, they are complicit in the spread of this very threat.

My family signed The Declaration of Independance and has fought in every war in America since the American Revolution. I understand the significant price that was paid by the men and women that came before me to scratch and claw and fight for a democratic republic, “…of the people, by the people, for the people.”

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Excerpted from the Gettysburg Address – A. Lincoln

This fact remains: That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Excerpted from the Declaration of Independence signed by my relative, Robert Morris of Pennsylvania

It becomes more clear each day, the fact that we can vote no longer guarantees that we have a representative government. And most importantly, our ability to “alter or abolish” the government through a democratic republic process has been so greatly diminished that it is virtually non-existent. The forces that desire a socialist state rather than a democratic republic have gained critical mass in America which is evidenced by the very fact that Barack Hussein Obama has garnered such celebrity and indeed position to accomplish these socialist ends. Although the Mullahs seek to establish a caliphate, tyranny called by any other name is still tyranny.

The current reality is such that the global forces of tyranny are truly an axis of evil much greater than the sum of its parts. Russia, Iran and China are the most obvious forces of evil conspiring against our great land, but sadly, our enemies come from both within our borders and without, extending to every corner of the globe. Our task at hand is much greater than the tyranny we faced in the American Revolution. I’m afraid we will never be able to fight such a simple and clear cut enemy of freedom and liberty again. Barack Obama declared in Germany “…we are citizens of the world” and based on this insidious mindset we must know fight a new American Revolution on a global scale. America has set her path and it will take great diligence and sacrifice by right minded patriots to bring her back on course if it is even possible. God help us!

Aug 8, 2008 - 11:46 am 5. fred:

I think “Cyrus” is an Iranian who has inserted himself into this discussion to try to sow doubt about “Reza Kahlili” and what he has to say. I say this because of his misspellings and awkward grammar, plus “Cyrus” is a famous Persian king from antiquity. Plus, he taunts us about the new oil prosperity of Iraq and what we are funding for the war over there. Never forget that Iran DOES NOT WANT US IN IRAQ. They are not at all “grateful” to us for ousting the Baathists. They knew better than most that Iraq was no longer capable of invading Iran. This is an example of a poor execution of an Iranian trained in Russian “dizinformatzia” and failing badly at it.

Hizb’allah has agents all over this country. Iranians working for the Islamic Republic have been in this country for a long time. I had such as a room mate in college back in 1980-82. They come here and blend in for the purpose of observing us and sowing confusion. They get into our country and our government through our universities.

We will regret having let Iran off the hook. It is going to cost millions of lives in the future. Ironically, the only way for Iran as a nation to survive the coming firestorm is for us to pre-emptively strike at their nuclear weapons’ programs, their air defenses, their naval forces, and killing Hizb’allah where ever they may be found. Otherwise, we will have to retaliate with massive nuclear weapons’ strikes against their country, effectively wiping their country from existence. That is what will happen if we do not destroy their weapons soon. When they get them, they will use them, and it will be too late.

Aug 8, 2008 - 5:19 pm 6. kabud:

it is adviceable to read Gingerbread race.
——
“There’s never been anything inconsistent about the idea that bin Laden would be providing most of the people in this, with Iraqi intelligence helping logistically and otherwise being behind it.” The important aspect of Woolsey’s thinking is that the Islamic “fundamentalist threat” is at least belatedly perceived as consanguine with and fraternal to the “rogue regimes” that Russia has been financing, arming, and inciting against the West with one hand, while offering the West protection from these very regimes with the other.

And if I am wrong, and the World Trade Center attacks had in fact came from Iran, Syria, or Libya? From opposition groups in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, or Pakistan? From the Palestinian refugee camps? Or even from Afghanistan, with its history of political opportunism and tribal backstabbing? No matter. Whichever “rogue regime” they came from, Moscow has been supporting it; and whatever the “rogue regime” may say to clear its name will be drowned in the twin chorus of Western indignation and, more important, of Russian solicitude. And even if, for now, America still feels patriotic and wants to fend for itself, who better than the Russians to protect old helpless Europe from the menace of Islamic terrorism.

http://www.jrnyquist.com/text/navrozov.html

Aug 8, 2008 - 9:59 pm 7. Cyrus:

Fred, I don’t know what kind of Cyrus you referred in your comment because here there are two Cyrus but I am Cyrus1 who wrote”I didn’t see any new or superior information in this article. all information and analys coming from public area not from a CIA agent!” Aug 8, 2008 - 6:13 am

yes I am Iranian and I stated many times that in my comments.I am not a part of Iranian regime but I spent many years in jail and in sulitude confinment for my point of views.

what I am saying is an CIA agent have to have superior information not gathering information from public area and write as a special agent. I didn’t see any secret or classsified information in his article.
I love pajamasmedia and our friends. I love regime changes in Iran even by military forces but it doesn’t mean accept any article or jonior information or analys as a superior report by CIA agent. pajama is not hollywood and no need to showoff. that is set.

Aug 9, 2008 - 7:11 am 8. Jack:

It is clear that Russia and China are both in bed with the mullahs.Our leadership needs to get rid of the mullahs and stop this nonsense or Iran with a nuclear bomb will destroy our livelihood. It is scary how Iran is run with the people in charge. I agree with Fred on Cyrus,he must be one of those radical Muslims pretending to be on our side.

Aug 9, 2008 - 9:13 am 9. RS:

Cyrus:

Why do you think a CIA agent would reveal secret or classified information? Look at Valerie Plame’s book - half of it is redacted and crossed out because of sensitive material. I don’t know of any CIA agent, past or present, who has revealed secrets or classified material. To do so would cause their arrest.

And just what regime changes in Iran do you “love?” These mullahs and the current government have repeatedly said they were going to destroy Israel and their allies. They believe it is their religious duty to do so. How can you love a regime whose goal is to destroy us?

Maybe you’re jealous and envious of someone who has the ability to articulate exactly what is going on, so you have to call it “jonier” information, whatever that is.

What are your special views that caused you to spend many years in jail and “sulitude” confinement? Whose jail? Why would you ridicule someone who’s trying to inform people of a growing and present danger to the world?

Aug 9, 2008 - 1:08 pm 10. Cyrus:

RS,
Everybody knows that Iranian regime looking to atomic bomb even recently Mohammad El Bradee pro Iranian said” Iran can make bomb within 6-12 months” that is closer time from CIA and MOSAD and NIE reports!!
about support of terrorism in all Middle East countries and interfered in peace process between Israel and plestinian, Iranian have same behavior. all governments in west just talking but we did not serious actions.
look at US as superpower and Security Council of UN. they had no strategy and Iran with a foolish president like Ahmadi Nejad can play with them.
in US during 3 decades all Democratic and Republican governments just gave Iranian intensives, had negotiation and words war with Iran. they didn’t do anything and this is what Iranian regime want it. they refere to their foreign enemies but put pressure on inside.

what I am saying is real information and real action. we have to stop play with words and have a executive plan to remove Iranian regime. we don’t need to state “Gun Boats”, “Stick & Carrot” or “Frog in Hot Vessle” policies against Iran because they are laughing to us and call us “Paper Tiger” an ” a Dog who can only Barking”. what I want is stoping such a policy and change our behavior with serious actions. I thing before Iranian regime change we need change ourelves because with this adminstration only we can continue existing path. I don’t beleive with such article we can see real change in US policy or any flexibility or reform in Iran. only thing that can lead us to true is what Mc Cain said during his speech’ Bomb Iran” that is set.
please do not accuse me and try to understand what I am saying. we need to real information from inside, superior analysis and executive decision makers that can help us to reality before something happen!!
I believe if US and rest of the world do not remove the Iranian regime by military action until end of this year Mullahs will attack to US and Israel very soon. it can be on 2009 but with the Alqade or Hezbollah’s hands.

Aug 10, 2008 - 4:49 am 11. Jack:

Cyrus you are a moron.you are repeating exactly what the article points out but then discredit those same facts in an earlier post!

Aug 10, 2008 - 9:25 am 12. David:

This article is a warning to the sleepyheads in Washington. I wonder if our politicians are going to wake up and take action. Have you guys seen this:

Iran has carried out missile tests for what could be a plan for a nuclear strike on the United States, the head of a national security panel has warned.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee and in remarks to a private conference on missile defense over the weekend hosted by the Claremont Institute, Dr. William Graham warned that the U.S. intelligence community “doesn’t have a story” to explain the recent Iranian tests.

One group of tests that troubled Graham, the former White House science adviser under President Ronald Reagan, were successful efforts to launch a Scud missile from a platform in the Caspian Sea.

“They’ve got [test] ranges in Iran which are more than long enough to handle Scud launches and even Shahab-3 launches,” Dr. Graham said. “Why would they be launching from the surface of the Caspian Sea? They obviously have not explained that to us.”

Another troubling group of tests involved Shahab-3 launches where the Iranians “detonated the warhead near apogee, not over the target area where the thing would eventually land, but at altitude,” Graham said. “Why would they do that?”

Graham chairs the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack, a blue-ribbon panel established by Congress in 2001.

The commission examined the Iranian tests “and without too much effort connected the dots,” even though the U.S. intelligence community previously had failed to do so, Graham said.

“The only plausible explanation we can find is that the Iranians are figuring out how to launch a missile from a ship and get it up to altitude and then detonate it,” he said. “And that’s exactly what you would do if you had a nuclear weapon on a Scud or a Shahab-3 or other missile, and you wanted to explode it over the United States.”

The commission warned in a report issued in April that the United States was at risk of a sneak nuclear attack by a rogue nation or a terrorist group designed to take out our nation’s critical infrastructure.

“If even a crude nuclear weapon were detonated anywhere between 40 kilometers to 400 kilometers above the earth, in a split-second it would generate an electro-magnetic pulse [EMP] that would cripple military and civilian communications, power, transportation, water, food, and other infrastructure,” the report warned.

While not causing immediate civilian casualties, the near-term impact on U.S. society would dwarf the damage of a direct nuclear strike on a U.S. city.

“The first indication [of such an attack] would be that the power would go out, and some, but not all, the telecommunications would go out. We would not physically feel anything in our bodies,” Graham said.

As electric power, water and gas delivery systems failed, there would be “truly massive traffic jams,” Graham added, since modern automobiles and signaling systems all depend on sophisticated electronics that would be disabled by the EMP wave.

“So you would be walking. You wouldn’t be driving at that point,” Graham said. “And it wouldn’t do any good to call the maintenance or repair people because they wouldn’t be able to get there, even if you could get through to them.”

The food distribution system also would grind to a halt as cold-storage warehouses stockpiling perishables went offline. Even warehouses equipped with backup diesel generators would fail, because “we wouldn’t be able to pump the fuel into the trucks and get the trucks to the warehouses,” Graham said.

The United States “would quickly revert to an early 19th century type of country.” except that we would have 10 times as many people with ten times fewer resources, he said.

“Most of the things we depend upon would be gone, and we would literally be depending on our own assets and those we could reach by walking to them,” Graham said.

Aug 10, 2008 - 9:53 am 13. Jack:

Israel needs to attack Iran now while Russia is busy with Georgia.We need to teach a lesson to both Russia and Iran or we will be running out of time&options.

Aug 10, 2008 - 5:20 pm 14. osogrizzly:

Aaah, the Faraday Cage. Cure for the common EMP attack.

Aug 10, 2008 - 8:37 pm 15. Cyrus:

jack,I am not a moron because if I was a moron I have to work with existing adminstration or some analysist like you. I repeated many times in my comments that we are friends and we are in the same path(please faster, remove the regime by changing from inside or by military attack) but it does not mean by making a long story with a scenario under the title of ” Former CIA agent in Iran comes in from the heat!!”. for reaching to our goal we do not need to make a “360 Cooper” or another “Hot Zone”.
what we need is access to superior information and accurate analysis. these are only keys which can help to decision makers in US and Israel about Iran.

Aug 11, 2008 - 6:59 am 16. David:

“what we need is access to superior information and accurate analysis”
Dude you are confused.Go watch CNN or NBC.Or read your own posts again,that should give you superior information! LOL

Aug 11, 2008 - 11:58 am 17. David:

Iran mullahs need a good spanking:

Iran will not back down on its nuclear stance despite the threat of tighter sanctions, Iranian media quoted a government spokesman as saying on Sunday.

Aug 11, 2008 - 5:22 pm 18. Jack:

Is anybody surprised why the Iranians won’t go for the incentives and don’t care about sanctions?
I don’t think so.Wake up America.

Aug 11, 2008 - 6:52 pm 19. arash:

I agree with the author….the mullahs are the evil reincarnated- they are the most evil, vile, bloodthirsty, ruthless, and on and on with the adjectives- you get my point.
we must cut the head of this monster soon- not by bombing only the nuclear sites- but by taking out the revolutionary guards, basiji, and their heads of goverment- I guarantee that with this, the iranian people will take back their country.
a revolution from inside is very unlikely- since the mullahs will kill anyone who poses a threat to them- I wonder where is carter to criticize the mullahs about the carnage and torture which they have carried out against our nation???
carter can take his noble peace prize with him to hell! he, arguably, is the cause of islamic radicalism or at least, it’s spread.

Aug 23, 2008 - 2:00 pm

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