Is Iran Next? In These Times details how neoconservatives and Zionists are plotting a change in Iran

In its latest cover story, In These Times provides one of the most detailed analyses to date of the neoconservatives’ agenda for U.S. policy in the Middle East.


In “Is Iran Next?” author Tom Barry focuses on neoconservative Douglas Feith, undersecretary of Defense for Policy and the No. 3 civilian at the Defense Department who is working with policy groups, pressure groups and think tanks to reshape U.S. foreign Middle East policy—“one that mirrors or complements the policies of the hardliners in Israel.” Post-9/11, Feith coordinated the now-disputed intelligence linking Iraq to international terrorism and more recently his Office of Policy has held a series of secret meetings with leading neoconservative and Zionist supporters of regime change in Iran.


“Feith’s Office of Policy, which was creating dubious intelligence rationales for the Iraq war, was also establishing a covert national security strategy for a regime change in Iran – most likely through a combination of preemptive military strikes (either by the United States or Israel) and support for a coalition of Iranian dissidents,” Barry states.


Barry also details how the FBI is investigating Feith’s office for espionage for allegedly sharing classified documents, including “a draft National Security Presidential Directive outlining a more aggressive U.S. national strategy regarding Iran,” with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Israeli officials. The espionage case is important, states Barry, because it raises concern about the involvement of neoconservatives in U.S. Middle East policy and their close alignment with Israeli hardliners.


Barry also writes on the striking overlap between current policymakers and those who were also involved in Iran-Contra; the existing ties between right-wing neoconservatives and Zionism; and the tangled web of neoconservative leaders, public policy groups and think tanks who are dictating current U.S. Middle East Policy.


The neoconservative position on the Middle East, as exemplified by Feith, advocates a regional restructuring starting with regime change in Iran. As we face the upcoming presidential election, this article provides information critical to understanding the possible future of U.S. foreign policy.