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Source: http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2008/10/interview_with_robert_baer.html
Iran: Empire by Proxy
[RealClearWorld] Kevin Sullivan - According to former CIA case officer Robert Baer, whose latest book is The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower, "What you have in Iran is a country that is very good at projecting power throughout the Middle East. What they are attempting to do, whether they succeed or not, is essentially build an empire in the Middle East....Past Persian empires have always done this through invasion and occupation. It's more like an empire by proxy." "The fact that Iran can take control of the Gulf's oil resources ostensibly puts them in charge of the world's economy. You might argue that the American military will be there to prevent this, but that's provided we stay." Does the decline in the price of oil hinder Iran's imperial ambitions? "Not in the least. Throughout the 90s, when oil was at $20, $12 and even $11 a barrel, Iran was increasing its aid to Lebanon....And, an empire by proxy is relatively cheap. We're talking about small arms, not tanks and airplanes."