CIA: Undercover lover (Aljazeera – Riz Khan)

Are spy romances merely the stuff of films – or does life sometimes imitate art? What happens when espionage and romance mix? And what roles do CIA operatives play around the world?

Robert Baer on US-Iran Relations (Hardtalk – BBC)

Robert Baer is a former Middle East specialist with the CIA. He says America is slowly facing up to the truth that Iran is a regional superpower. President Bush has likened direct diplomatic engagement with Iran to appeasement of Hitler. But Washington has sent a top US diplomat to meet Iran’s nuclear negotiators. There is also talk of an American diplomatic representation in Tehran. What is behind this apparent change of strategy?

The Cult of a Suicide Bomber

Robert Baer, former Middle East CIA undercover operative and the author whose bestseller See No Evil was the basis for the Syriana movie, and the man George Clooney’s character in the movie is based upon.

Robert Baer returns to his former center of operations, the Middle East, to trace the origins of the modern day suicide bomber. In this poignant documentary, Baer reveals the fascinating story of the world’s first suicide bomber, 13-year-old Hossein Fahmideh who was martyred in the Iran-Iraq war and is now a hero in Iran; and visits his highly decorated grave in the graveyard of martyrs just outside Tehran.

Iran’s Grip On America’s Future

To watch the full video, click on the image.

Robert Baer (born July 1, 1952) is an American author and a former CIA case officer assigned to the Middle East. He is TIME.com’s intelligence columnist and has contributed to Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Baer is a frequent commentator and author about issues related to international relations, espionage and U.S. foreign policy.

The Iran problem

Victor Davis Hanson, the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Robert Baer who spent 20 years at the CIA as a field officer covering the Middle East, discuss Iran and Iranian nuclear program with Hoover research fellow Peter Robinson.