Q&A with author Tom Gabbay discussion

I just posted a blog on the subject at The Huffington Post. You can find it at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-gabbay...

Please leave any thoughts you have, pro or con, in the comments section.

Hi Tom, the link didn't work directly; there was an error message, then a suggestion of a thing to try, and search results, and the top choice there is your article.. FYI.

Hi Katie

You're right - sorry about that. Here's the corrected link"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-gab...

Excellent, much better.

And I liked your blog post, it is so awful how it seems like we've done the worst possible thing at the exact moment designed to cause the most permanent and profound damage. Horrifying!

It's true, although while researching for the book, I came to the conclusion that, while the 1953 CIA coup was a mistake and has been the root of so many problems we face today, it's difficult to completely condemn it. The Soviet Union, which had just exploded their first atomic bomb, was a real threat and would probably have made a move on Iran if given the chance. In retrospect, I guess we should have supported the democratically elected government. Of course, it's a lot easier to make that judgment now.

Yes.. and it's interesting too, that was back pretty recently after WWII ended. I don't know my history very well, but seems the struggle could still have been going on about whether to dismantle the military-industrial complex or not? I wonder if that decision was enmeshed with that context or not?

Almost certainly. Truman declined to interfere in Iran. It was only when the Eisenhower administration entered office, with the Dulles brothersrunning foreign policy - Allen at CIA and Jon Foster at State - that they gave the CIA power to conduct covert ops. Before that the agency was mostly pushing paper around Washington.

Wasn't it Ike who was among the few to warn against the US making permanent the military-industrial complex? I'm wondering if he thought this CIA action would make it possible to close it down, or if it wasn't relevant, or if he'd resigned himself by then to its becoming permanent..

I think Ike realized by the end of his term how quickly the Military-Industrial Complex had grown his eight years, and how it might change US policy. When there is that much money put into weaponry, at some point you're going to use it, even if it isn't really necessary. His famous warning came in his farewell speech.

Oh, ok. Thanks. I have a lot to learn .. Books like yours are a great way to energize the journey!

Have a great holiday weekend!

You too. Nice chatting with you.