Understanding the Middle East

I have been reading The Devil We Know, by Robert Baer. From one review:

The reality, according to Robert Baer in his new book "The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower" (Crown Publishers, 288 pages, $25.95) is much more complicated and subtle -- and dangerous. He says we must deal with reality -- with "The Devil We Know" -- or find our access to Persian Gulf oil eliminated.

The Shia regime in Iran is halfway to winning its undeclared 30-year war with the U.S. which began with the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 by using proxies such as Hezbollah and the Kurds, forging alliances with Russia and China and exploiting the Muslim divide of Shia and Sunni factions, Baer says.

He's a former CIA operative whose character was played by George Clooney in the movie "Syriana," based on Baer's book "See No Evil." He has extensive contacts throughout the Middle East, including Israel, which he says is pursuing a realistic approach to Iran since its defeat by Hezbollah in the 34-day 2006 war in Lebanon. Baer quotes -- on Page 109 -- an assessment from the Winograd Commission Report, the official Israeli investigation into the 2006 war: "A semi-military organization of a few thousand men resisted for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and size and technological advantages."

The neocons who thought that conquering Iraq would alter the balance of power in the Middle East in Israel's favor have done precisely the opposite. The way they went about it, by destroying both the Iraqi army and the moderate Shia clerics, have handed Iraq to Iran on a platter. Iran now controls Iraq by proxy.

The context for the current Israeli invasion of Gaza is that the foes of Israel have been emboldened by Israel's defeat by Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, in 2006. The Israelis may well think that they had to engage in the current conflict and win it to tilt the balance back towards the middle. But what if they don't win it?

Baer's book also gives me the impression that Iran would be perfectly happy to have us spend our efforts and attention on preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Iran is well on its way to accomplishing their plans for regional empire, which do not require nuclear weapons for success.

Why do we still have our head stuck in the sand? (I confess, less charitable images for head placement come to mind.)