A REPLY TO JAMES GOODE'S REVIEW OF OFIRA SELIKTAR, FAILING THE CRYSTAL BALL TEST: THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION AND THE FUNDAMENTALIST REVOLUTION IN IRAN (PRAEGER, 2000)

Abstract

As neither the reviewer nor the author contacted me before reporting critically on my work during the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis, I appreciate IJMES's offer to state my position. Subsequently, I have been in touch with both James Goode and Ofira Seliktar. The latter told me 1. She made a decision not to conduct any interviews because interviewees are apt to offer self-serving or faulty memories and because she might face “threats.” 2. Although she felt sorry for the way I was treated in the book, she seemed to place greater blame on the academics advising the State Department who put forward the “reigning academic consensus” (New Left and moralpolitik) that captured Foreign Service minds (especially mine) and led to destructive policies. I'll bet that few Middle East Studies Association members realized they could have such power over policy-making.