Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran

by Kenneth R. Timmerman

Book Overview

In his chilling new book, New York Times bestselling author Kenneth R. Timmerman blows the lid off the greatest threat America faces: the Islamic Republic of Iran. Using his exclusive access to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400053684
• ISBN13: 9781400053681
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Crown Forum
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

Quite Scholarly Despite Its Rush to Stores

Thanks to the Washington Post, I now know how to review books without actually reading them, and furthermore, how to take nine paragraphs to say the simple, oft-repeated talking point, "Conservatives are nuts." The aforementioned media outlet would do well to consult the author's footnotes before accusing him of viewing Iran asthmatically, or any other way. Also, to take a shot at someone for giving their book a catchy title is asinine. I suppose the Post would prefer that Michael Moore change the name of his blockbuster documentary (so-called) "Fahrenheit 9/11" to "A Negative Critique of the Bush Administration's Handling of Terrorism Before and After September 11th, 2001." That said, I myself am somewhat skeptical of substantially sized books on VERY current events when they come out. I ask myself the question, "How well could the author have authenticated himself in so short a time?" However, my skepticism does not determine reality, as the Washington Post's apparently does. Timmerman's book is exhaustively annotated for anyone who would dedicate the time to do the research. His bibliography provides as fine a path to verification as any. Whether or not the Washington Post's book reviewers are disposed to think critically about world affairs fortunately has no bearing on the course of history (or of the future). Read this book. Borrow it, if you must.

The Mullahs Are Comming!

Kenneth Timmerman, an author known for his right leaning books and connections to the neo-conservative right wing truley surprised me with this book. After the "election" of a new radical President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard) in Tehran and the restarting of Iranian efforts to become a nuclear power, this book becomes much more relevant. Timmerman outlines how the Islamic Republic of Iran has been openly and secretly skirting IAEA, International groups, American and European efforts to create an atomic bomb and aquire advanced weapons. Timmerman also shows how Iran and al-Qaeda are working hand in hand against their "Western infedel" enemies. The author utilizes his numerous connections to government intelligence figures and most spectacularly a high ranking Iranian official. He paints an excedingly scarier picture of what the Iranian regime will be capable of in the comming years. The exploration in the arms dealing connection with a fellow "Axis of Evil" member North Korea was incredibly intriguing and scary. At some point Iran may have a very advanced ICBM. I think one of the most interesting portions of the book was how the author connects al-Qaeda to the Iranian regime, he shows through documents from his informant Mr. Motamer that "Bin Laden is one of the very few people who can pick up the phone and talk directly with Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, in Tehran." (pg.174) In addition he describes Iran's external operations against the United States, Israel, and the West. Quite possibly the most unnerving portion of the book had nothing to do with Iran having "the bomb" or conducting terrorist operations against Americans. It was that American leaders have tried to cover up the facts and have had numerous major intelligence lapses that have only increased Iranian resolve to attack us. The current quagmire in Iraq is only exsaserbated by Iranian influence. With new tactics in terrorism and newly aquired super weapons, one must wonder why the US didn't pass over Iraq and strike at Iran. Because our armed forces are spread thinly across the world one wonders what can we do to resist increasing Iranian power.

Every allegation is founded in documentation, every revelation is backed by evidence

Countdown To Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown With Iran by investigative reporter and Middle East expert Ken Timmerman documents how the American intelligence community's arrogance, incompetence, and willful blindness have repeatedly kept us from dealing effectively or successfully with the Iranian nuclear threat. Countdown To Crisis reveals that the Iranian mullahs could already have enough nuclear material for 20 to 25 bombs; secret locations where Iran had been sheltering Osma bin Laden and Al-Qaeda forces who are collaborating with the Iranians to plain attacks against American and our allies; Iran's involvement in the 9/11 plot (including documents the CIA tried to withhold from the 9/11 Commission); an insider's account of how top Iranian leaders negotiated directly with North Korea's "Supreme Leader" to secure nuclear weapons assistance, and so much more. Every allegation is founded in documentation, every revelation is backed by evidence. Countdown To Crisis needs the widest possible readership it can achieve in order to end the political mismanagement that has so characterized the Bush administration's handling (and chronic mishandling) of the Iranian nuclear threat, the Iranian participation in global terrorism, and the brutality of the Iranian mullahs.

Multiple sources

This is the most compelling book on Iran to date. Author Kenneth Timmerman was watching Iran's nuclear program before most journalists and policymakers believed it was a problem. Nobody has matched the methodology of the author, an investigative journalist whose tradecraft is every bit as thorough as an old-school intelligence officer. That methodology is what makes Countdown to Crisis so important. Timmerman didn't build his powerful story on electronic searches, a data dump from a government agency, leaks from disgruntled officials or the testimony of a defector or two. He didn't write it in response to the crisis du jour. This book is the product of years of careful and patient work with multiple sources, including an array of defectors whom the author debriefed repeatedly in face-to-face encountered. Timmerman risked his life in forsaken corners of the world to draw out unmatched facts and insights about Iran's nuclear weapons program. He saw the danger before it arrived. Now it's here. And he has the story.

A Persian Carpet Of Lies

It seems that the current non fiction environment lends its self to high drama works that, regardless of subject manner, all lead in the direction that the issue covered in the book is the most import of issue to be dealt with over the next so many years. This author also has a history of putting out books that seem to have a rather close relationship to the conservative issue of the day. So given this was my bias coming into this book you would think I would have nothing but negative comments, I assumed the same. The fact is the book is an enjoyable and interesting read. The author details out the growing issue that another Middle Eastern country is working to gain a nuclear weapon and what it might mean to us. As much as it might pain me to say this, I agree with many of the authors claims. There is no other country today that has so openly and brazenly supported terror in the Middle East. Iran is a country that is working to gain more influence in the Middle East with hopes of becoming the leader of a Soviet Union style dictatorship over the Middle East to bring back the glory of the great Persian empire of the past. The leaders of the country are pursing a goal of the total destruction of Israel and a subjugation of the rest of us. The book talks abut the many missed opportunities and missteps that have lead us to this point and gives the reasons why we are going to be dealing with them in an adversarial relationship for many years to come. Overall I really enjoyed the book. All over hype and drama aside, the author details out a threat to us as Americans if for no other reason then Iran is a country focused on objectives that a detrimental to our own and they happen to be in the most sensitive location on the planet today. I had to put aside my bias toward the author and in doing so I came away the better.