Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare

by Gareth Porter

In Manufactured Crisis, investigative reporter Gareth Porter shows how Israel and the George W. Bush administration successfully waged their campaign claiming that Iran was trying covertly to acquire a nuclear weapon. Porter shows in detail that most of the so-called evidence for such a weapons program was of dubious origin, including the documents that allegedly originated from the laptop of an Iranian nuclear scientist. As Iran and the United States have engaged in serious negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, this book has provided crucial background material for those who want to make an independent assessment of the record, rather than relying on highly politicized allegations.

Genres: Politics, Iran, History, Middle East, Nonfiction, Journalism, Israel

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Gareth Porter is an American historian, media commentator and analyst who specialises in U.S. foreign policy & national security issues, particularly those relating to South-East Asia or the Middle East.

Reviews

[John Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished. Another one of those books that should be read by every American. Journalist Gareth Porter documents the blatant lies, obfuscations, and fabricated "evidence" contrived by the US and Israel to convince their citizens that Iran was working behind their backs to build nuclear weapons. News flash: there really isn't any evidence Iran is building nuclear weapons. The stories in the US media about IAEA reports were mostly the OPPOSITE of what the reports actually said. Porter cites numerous US government documents, as well as news stories in various world newspapers, including Israel's own Haaretz and Jerusalem Post. Perhaps the greatest irony in the whole sordid scenario is the fact that it is actually the United States who is in defiance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Article IV clearly states that countries have the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and that no other countries in the treaty should prevent that aim. (Technically, Israel can't defy the NPT because it never signed the bloody thing, and it has always refused to allow IAEA inspectors into its country to inspect its own sites building nuclear weapons it likes to claim it doesn't have. How's that for sick irony?) Anyway, a book chock full of important information. It's pretty dense at times as Porter recounts the details of all the events that have led us to the current impasse, and this density doesn't exactly make it the easiest or most fun read ever. Still, it's important more people read this book to help, once again, make it through the lies propagated by their government about another country. Porter's conclusion: Israel and the US have conspired, though sometimes for different reasons, to paint a false picture of Iran's nuclear program. Remember the Iraq WMD lies?

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gareth Porter has documented the history of Iran's nuclear program and the US and Israel opposition to it, in doing so documenting the western world's historical amnesia vis-a-vis an important part of its relationship with Iran. The analysis of how the US opposed the Islamic Republic's diminished nuclear enrichment program inherited from the shah in the wake of the hostage crisis, and in keeping with its decided support for Saddam during the Iran-Iraq war, is excellent. Porter dates the beginnings the US's technology denial policy and opposition to nuclear enrichment with the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution and the decision by Israel to designate Iran as a strategic adversary. After the intelligence failure of Iraq's WMD and the catastrophic consequences of the US false case for war to prevent a nuclear armed Iraq, one would think that US, Israeli intelligence assessments concerning Iran's alleged covert aspirations for WMD would be put under greater scrutiny and skepticism. But it is a narrative that remains largely unquestioned by the western media and elite. Porter traces the origins of the "alleged studies" and unravels the "possible military dimensions" of Iran's enrichment program. He covers the concomitant propaganda campaigns that have acted to keep the IAEA's Iran nuclear file open indefinitely and which, in turn, have kept open a backchannel to war for Israel and the US. It a remarkable book which debunks many myths, not least the central one: That the mad mullah's are on apocalyptic quest for a nuclear bomb. Meticulously research account of how the US Iran policy has been crafted.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book traces the Iranian nuclear program from before the 1979 revolution until today and the approaches of other powers to hinder and mischaracterize it. Various planted pieces of "intelligence" and newspaper stories are thoroughly debunked, and the motives behind the various actors are debunked. A must read for anyone who wants to understand the issue nad why it has been behind war scares for the past several years.

[Fred Dameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because this is a technical read. The final take away is: since the Regan administration all, intelligence concerning Iran has been presented to decision makers biased towards a preconceived idea as to what it should say. On the surface this is OK but think about it. If the Intelligence Estimate, IE, is already slanted towards what the party in power wants to hear. If any other interpretation is not presented. If the people who are writing the IE know that not presenting an IE that fits preconceived political thought you will rewrite or get fired. How do decision makers get actual information on what is happening. If the writers of the IE only present information that fits the ruling parties preconceived notions and, ignore any information that does not fit the preconceived idea; are the decisions that Washington is making actually in the best interests of the country?

This book only deals with Iran but, the same question can be asked of all the IE's that have been written since Regan. We know that the IE's on Iraq were skewed. Current IE's on Afghanistan are they also skewed? Thinking about North Korea nine months ago there nuclear program was a nonissue. Today the Dooms Day Clock is sitting at 1 minute to midnight mostly because of N Korea. Are we acting on IE's that support direct action against the North at the expense of other information that does NOT support this conclusion? And if so is Gen Dunford's estimate of 10 million dead accurate? How many U.S. troops die based on IE's slanted to support direct action against the North when there is actually no need.

This book does not ask these questions. But what it does show is that U.S policy towards Iran since 79 has been to punish them for the U.S. Embassy seizure. By only punishing Iran we have actually pushed Tehran towards more nuclear research. By trying to remove all of Iran's nuclear ability the U.S. is in violation of nuclear treaties that provide for peaceful use of atomic energy. This book shows that we have become the bully on the block and that this is not a recent transformation. This has been going on steadily since the 80's. This Nation is better than that. We the people must demand better of our government. We must demand that leadership uses actual IE's that have dissenting views and the use those to make decisions. Not just get fed what you want to hear. Even the NAZI's knew better. Propaganda is fine just don't believe your own lies. Right now our government believes it's own lies and that is bad for all of us.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mandatory reading for every American, please. Timely as ever. (Library book so intermittent access is reason for long read time not content quality)

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything one could want to know about Iran's nuclear program and how it has been treated by the West. The final few chapters on the politics in Israel and the U.S. are the really interesting bits.