Based on firsthand reporting in Iran and the United States, The Iran Agenda explores the turbulent recent history between the two countries and shows how it has led to a showdown over nuclear technology.

In addition to covering the political story, Erlich offers firsthand insights on Iran’s domestic politics, popular culture, and diverse population He also interviews the former Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, as well as the members of Southern California’s large Iranian expatriate community and reports on their efforts to shape Iran’s future.

Praise for The Iran Agenda

Yankton Daily
Journalist Warns Against Attacking Iran
By Nathan Johnson
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Link

San Francisco Chronicle
What’s fueled the U.S.-Iran war of words
By Ruth Rosen
Friday, October 19, 2007
Link

San Francisco Bay Guardian Online
A theocratic democracy? Reese Erlich discusses moronic policy, complicated politics, and hopes for the future in Iran
By Tim Redmond
Thursday September 20, 2007
Link

The Portland Alliance newspaper
Iran; an agenda towards understanding
By Therresa Kennedy
Oct. 1, 2007

ISBN: 0977825353
Paperback
Polipoint Press 192 pages
Published October 01, 2007 $14.95

Hand-knotted silk carpets. Deep purple egg plants and yellow saffron rice. Blenders, coffee pots and tea sets. Reese Erlich begins The Iran Agenda: The Real Story of U.S. policy and the Middle East Crisis with a relaxed walk through the labyrinthine passages of the bazaars of Tehran. His book on international politics and American corporate/military greed is never dry nor uninteresting. Erlich’s tone is measured, almost humble, with a charm and seriousness that invites further reading. His language is concise, never pretentious or exaggerated.

Erlich presents the dilemma caused by the global competition for diminishing oil and natural gas resources that has resulted in 50 years of the American government’s political interference in Iran’s affairs. In chapter after chapter, he details this American intrusion and exposes the efforts to appropriate Iran’s natural resources. The growing animosity between Iran and our government creates a collective peril. If we are to avoid catastrophe, our government must proceed in a more respectful, “Clintonesque” manner. Iran, known until 1939 as the Persian Empire, is a rich and ancient culture which celebrated its 2,500th birthday in 1971 under the Pahlavi regime. Throughout his book, Erlich emphasizes the importance of maintaining positive international relations with this complex and highly religious culture. Without being judgmental about the rights of women and children, Erlich presents a people rich in intellect, education and ambitious for freedom and social and political change. Erlich largely ignores the stories circulated via the Internet of executions of Iranian women and girls for minor infractions or acquittals of men who rape and kill. While these issues are of importance, Erlich chooses not to focus on them. Instead, Erlich offers regular Iranian men and women the opportunity to voice their concerns, hopes and fears about a country that they passionately love and, yet, fear as well. The reader finds that their concerns, fears, and hopes are virtually identical to our own. One of the Erlich’s important messages is that Iran’s repressive government — not its people — dictates much that happens. The people there, much like those of America, have little say in the war-like posturing of their government. The people of both countries genuinely want peace. The Iranian blogs indicate this as strongly as the American blogs. Erlich shows us that cultures can be vastly different yet similar. Moreover, he presents a multitude of different American political, corporate and military issues, and how they pertain to Iran. He refutes the insulting stereotypes and the fear of those who are different that led to George Bush’s famous and stupid reference to Iran as an “axis of evil.” Reese Erlich’s book will enlighten many who think they have the answers. This well-researched book offers logical, clear conclusions for the current Middle East crisis. It should be mandatory reading for all those in D.C. and for all political science majors. This is an important addition to a complex and controversial topic.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2007

Contact:
Darcy Cohan
415-339-4111
darcycohan@p3books.com

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Will the Bush Administration bomb Iran? Half the warships in the U.S. Navy currently sit within striking distance of Iran. Rhetoric is heating up in Washington. Journalist and author Reese Erlich takes a look at the real story behind the looming conflict.

In THE IRAN AGENDA: The Real Story of U.S. Policy and the Middle East Crisis (PoliPointPress, $14.95, October 2007, ISBN: 978-0-9778253-5-6), Erlich shows how the Bush Administration plans to subvert the Iranian government and lie about it to the American people. He traces the troubled history between the two countries that has led to the current showdown over nuclear technology, and he reports from Iran and northern Iraq to uncover details of how the U.S. has funded ethnic minorities to carry out guerrilla raids and terrorist bombings inside Iran.

“The Iran Agenda is vital reading for anyone concerned about U.S. foreign policy.” – Walter Cronkite

In addition to covering the political story, Erlich offers firsthand insights on Iran’s domestic politics and diverse population. He also interviews the son of the former Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, and members of Southern California’s large Iranian expatriate community, and reports on their efforts to shape Iran’s future.

In his previous book, the best-selling Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn’t Tell You, (co-authored by Norman Solomon, and with contributions from
Howard Zinn and Sean Penn) Erlich presciently exposed the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or Al Qaeda ties to Saddam Hussein. He showed how the U.S. media failed to report the full spectrum of facts to the public.

In addition to co-authoring Target Iraq, Reese Erlich produced the 2001 radio documentary, “The Struggle for Iran,” narrated by Walter Cronkite and broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR) stations. Erlich reports regularly for NPR and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio. He also writes for Mother Jones, the San Francisco Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, and St. Petersburg Times. He is the winner of a 2006 Peabody Award for his work as a segment producer on Crossing East: Our History, Our Stories, Our America, aired on Public Radio International.