ahmadinejad has a lot of support because khomeini supported him.licitly is not supporting him anymore, ahmadinejad has lost his base. that's why he's trying to steer people's nationalist sentiments. that's why he's trying to have a new support base for himself. ahmadinejad has certain people around him who -- in the same time, in the way they organize and thuggishly behave, they remind one of -- >> in this bewildering situation, one of the things you've often said our our show is, don't forget this regime has some support, poor people, rural people, some people very religiously minded. do you feel like it's any support? is there any indication of that? >> the regime is losing support every day. last year it had more support than now. because the situation has become really untenable. all the ingredients that led to the demise of mubarak and ben ali in egypt and tunisia, they exist in iran. higher unemployment rates, inflation, an educated population who feel they're disenfranchised and their votes don't count. people used to say when the monster go

so without attacking khomeini directly, he's undermining the whole system of belief that puts khomeini ahmadinejad popular? he was popular as mayor, for parts of his presidency as this simple clean guy who was not corrupt as far as people knew. that's why he dresses in this very simple way. does that image still hold? >> no. i don't think so. ahmadinejad has a lot of support because khomeini supported him. now that khomeini explicitly is not supporting him anymore, ahmadinejad has lost his base. that's why he's trying to steer people's nationalist sentiments. that's why he's trying to have a new support base for himself. ahmadinejad has certain people around him who are like a cult and have cultish beliefs. at the same time in the way they organize and in the way they thugishly behave, they remind one of cosa nostra. >> in this bewildering situation, one of the things you've often said our our show is, don't forget this regime has some support, poor people, rural people, some people very religiously minded. do you feel like it's any losing its support? is there any indication of that?

my sister spent six years in the '80s in khomeini's regime. she had mock execution and went through torture. this is a typical iranian family story but at the same time they never gave up hope about the future of iran. and the future... the future of a better iran. they always fought for a better iran. they inspireded me. while i was in prison when they arrested me in 2009, when i was in prison i was inspired by the memory of my family. by the memory of my father and my sister. >> jon: you write about also feeling the pressure to live up to them because they had been so brave. did that weigh on you or did that also give you strength? >> it both... it was... it gave me a strength because i talked a lot to my father and my sister about their time in prison. when i came out of prison a lot of people asked me how come you're relatively unscathed? you look at this unscathed. that was mainly because of my imaginary conversations with my father and my sister. and because their memories, their love, it gave me inspiration. you know, i've never been a

i can't keep my sentences straights but our enemies in iran led by their if a nautical ayatollah khomeini have perpetrated another attack on the people. when are you going to intervene president obama. iran supports hezbollah and they refuse to wear ties even when formal ties are called for. this is garden elegance at best and bordering on casual friday. you monster! i'm sorry i'm so worked up with fashion, folks, it's just that iran has imposed a necklace ban for men. this is an outrage. people of iran rise up, throw off your chains and then throw on your chains. [laughter] without a necklace how is a man supposed to communicate hisser have rility? a chain is the universal language that says to women,ly not call you after we have sex. [ applause ] folks, and this is just the latest component of iran's quote "moral security plan designed to combat the western cultural invasion and enforced by more than 70,000 moral police on the streets. ". they are like the fashion police when would stone the fashion police. [laughter] not only has iran band necklaces, they are also prohibiting shorts. t

i heard khomeini call the u.s. the great satan. that was the end of the conversation. it cannot have conversation with the great satan. he was indoctrinating his followers into hitting americans. for my torture when he called me an american even though i am not, i'm a canadian citizen, he called me an american, that was the worst insult. he did not regard america as a country like others. he regarded america as the great satan. americans are better than that. the u.s. hopefully is better than the ayatollah khamenei. i do not think they should demonize the government. i see that president obama cleverly as not doing that. he always emphasizes on having a dialogue with the iranian people. even dialogue with the iranian government because you have to have dialogue even with the most flawed people. there are no evils. there are only four people we should have conversations with. tavis: obviously and think like you did make it out after 118 days. you were freed. one of the things that occurred that give you reason to believe that they would come is the day your captor refer

any conflict in civilian in afghanistan in iraq in lebanon on in the policy of you know in what khomeini in yemen by providing weapons and money to because islamists challenges the games so it can't be ignored so you run energy claims for had your money in the middle east and you know that's true chill and the strait of reason is a challenge for the civilized world i would say and in this regard we call all our allies to include us. put the pressure on the surging first of all to stop the slow captivities like providing look at still hizbullah and hamas. in so many simular to kill each other and so forth and so forth they're not talking about stopping the million to a new club what wrecked their emily to the no clearly you are no we can be a knight male not just full slate of for any civilized society this noncommercial logy i'm calling to impose that i bitterly said on first of all you know region and then all over the world it isn't a say only couple political team we should deal with it so we have the opportunity to discuss anything to call our allies to pressure and i be political pr

he was stationed in iran when khomeini came in. he was station chief in moscow. he was station chief of berlin during the cold war. he ran the cia war against the russians in afghanistan. he was the one who was in charge of the smuggling of the arms and one of howard's most remarkable stories when he was in iran when khomeini took over, the revolutionary guard found him shortly after he was paying off a double agent who was in the shah's secret police and started stomping him to death and they were well on their way when howard pulled out a gun and killed them both and he made his way to the embassy and he didn't complain about his injuries because he wanted to stay on the job. eventually got out and when he got out and back to america and the doctor looked at him and said, the only time i've seen internal injuries like this was a head-on car accident and those guys are dead and he lives in incredible amounts of pain. he's a very, very brave man. but in any event, bob and howard really tireless in helping me, you know, get things right. >> well, among the people

the revolution when the ayatollah khomeini came to power, one of the watershed moments of modern history in a bad way to the set by the communists, the marxists and iran there were behind the ayatollah she's going to bring democracy and change to iran. first thing when he came to power two months after line up ground double the left, of the socialists in iran either thrown in jail or executed. so it is a cautionary tale and word of warning when you are going to bat for sure via islami you don't know what you're getting into. >> host: let me go back to the arab spurring, a term i've always been suspect of the devotee three countries that you just mentioned, and of course israel. as you look at what is unfolding, certainly to the north and now to the south of israel is this the beginning of arab spring or long islamic winter in your view? >> guest: i think it is the latter. if you look at each of these countries affected by the so-called arab spurring, the biggest likely beneficiary are islamist and each of you have the muslim brotherhood and libya and you have the brotherhood and al qaeda

as long as you're not -- as long as you're not khomeini, we will let you govern how you wish., did we, do you believe, know what was going on internal to syria and just turn a blind eye? or did our intelligence agencies not know? >> we were not very well informed. there was a terror in syria. a repressive state. but not a war between the syrian regime and its people. then, on a certain day in march, some kid, some poor kids, under 15 years of age, went out in the southern town of denar and wrote some graffiti on the walls. the regime was so afraid, it couldn't tolerate this and it went to war against its own people. every act of repression, every act of repression on the part of the regime, strengthened the will of the syrian people and their defiancdefiance. >> which is actually a remarkable turn of events. usually acts of terror like that will lead to dissipation of opposition. >> exactly. that's why in mine opinion anyway, it's not a very original thought, that's why the syrian regime returned the body of this young poor boy to his people, to his family, tortured and mutila

the irony in the revolution when the ayatollah khomeini came to power, one of the watershed moments ofthe modern history in a bad way, she was helped by the socialist, communist, the marxists, the left they were behind the ayatollah. democracy and change to iran. first thing he did when he came to power about three months after windup, roundup of the left, all of the socialists in iran had a big difference in jail or executed since the cautionary tale and word of warning for the left and you're going to that for the surely a islam you don't know what you're getting into. >> host: let me go back to the ear of spring, a term i've always been suspect if i were to take three countries, egypt and iran and of course israel. as you look at what is unfolding certainly to the north and now to the south of israel is this the beginning of an air of a spring or a long islamic winter in your view? >> i think it is the latter. and if you look at each of these countries affected by the so-called era of spurring, the biggest most likely beneficiary are islamists. in each of you have the muslim brother

it's not in our national interest to help what may be another iran with khomeini and ahmadinejad come to powe and especially when we are releasing oil at a time when that oil should be saved in case it all goes to blazes in the middle east and we don't have any coming from there. now, i'm not crazy about the exceptions, either. the search and rescue, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance, aerial refueling, operational planning because this administration is probably going to describe everything they do as falling into those ceptions, but it's a step in the right direction. and some have said, and i know their hearts and i know they mean well, we want to support our troops and i don't like it when people say let's back out and cut funding when troops are in harm's way. i have talked to enough troops who want somebody in washington to say, this is insane. don't get us involved. because they are good soldiers and when they get their orders, they are going to salute and go follow through on the orders. we are the body that must step forward and say, enough. mr. president, we are n

figures, india's culbert action the opening of consulates to borrow a phrase from the ayatollah khomeini on north of their border, so it's kind of defensive actually, their strategy. they don't mind. they are not the bad guys. they are just protecting themselves or protecting afghanistan by using the surrogates. i would -- there's been a lot written on that. i think that another element that hasn't been as much written about certainly not known i was a disappointment with the u.s. and lack of faith in liability. everybody will tell you about the negative things that happened when we lost interest in afghanistan and pakistan when the russians were driven out. and so that is well known. but another episode that isn't as well-known, and i remember it well because i was involved in the period, and i witnessed this myself but it happened in 2005 and a devotee of the audience is thinking 2005, what happened in 2005 that should have disappointed anybody or promoted lack of faith in us well, it is when nato was given command for operations in afghanistan and they said that is the beginning of th

. >> did you see the picture in the paper over the weekend of president karzai and the ayatollah khomeini sitting down at a meeting pledging friendship support for one another? savitt i didn't see the picture but i was aware of the meeting. >> is it true that the ied and in effect in iran are still coming across the border into afghanistan and killing americans? >> i believe they are, sir. >> did you hear of a statement of the leader, the taliban field commander told the daily beast of his reaction to mr. obama's speech, quote, my soul and the soul of the thousands of taliban have been blown apart happy. i had more than 50 encounters with u.s. forces and their technology the the biggest difference in data war leznoff technology, but the more powerful islamic ideology and religion. are you aware of the statement by the taliban? >> i am, sir. is the president's announcement of this winstrol make your job -- if confirmed, i assure you will be -- harder, more difficult and challenging or easier? >> senator, that is a difficult question to answer. >> i'm sure it is. that's why i asked it. >> n

. >> did you see the picture in the paper over the weekend of president karzai and the ayatollah khomeini sitting down at a meeting pledging friendship support for one another? savitt i didn't see the picture but i was aware of the meeting. >> is it true that the ied and in effect in iran are still coming across the border into afghanistan and killing americans? >> i believe they are, sir. >> did you hear of a statement of the leader, the taliban field commander told the daily beast of his reaction to mr. obama's speech, quote, my soul and the soul of the thousands of taliban have been blown apart happy. i had more than 50 encounters with u.s. forces and their technology the the biggest difference in data war leznoff technology, but the more powerful islamic ideology and religion. are you aware of the statement by the taliban? >> i am, sir. is the president's announcement of this winstrol make your job -- if confirmed, i assure you will be -- harder, more difficult and challenging or easier? >> senator, that is a difficult question to answer. >> i'm sure it is. that's why i asked it. >> n

it's not in our national interest to help what may be another iran with khomeini and ahmadinejad come to power. and especially when we are releasing oil at a time when that oil should be saved in case it all goes to blazes in the middle east and we don't have any coming from there. now, i'm not crazy about the exceptions, either. the search and rescue, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance, aerial refueling, operational planning because this administration is probably going to describe everything they do as falling into those exceptions, but it's a step in the right direction. and some have said, and i know their hearts and i know they mean well, we want to support our troops and i don't like it when people say let's back out and cut funding when troops are in harm's way. i have talked to enough troops who want somebody in washington to say, this is insane. don't get us involved. because they are good soldiers and when they get their orders, they are going to salute and go follow through on the orders. we are the body that must step forward and say, enough. mr. president, we a

trying that since the clinton administration when the clinton administration classified an anti-khomeini and ahmadinejad, as of now, group called m.e.k., their initials, they're an anti-totalitarian regime group and there are over 3,000 residents of a camp in iraq. we as a nation gave them our sovereign promise. we'll make sure you're safe and secure. when we turn things over to the elected government of iraq, we were assured by that government that they would take care of that promise and they would keep the residents at camp ashroff safe. and yet last -- well, i guess nearly a week ago when a group of six of us met with the prime minister of iraq there in baghdad and tried to discuss the issue of the iraqi military going to camp ashroff and killing over 30, perhaps 35 residents of the camp, wounding perhaps 100 or more from reports from a video dana rohrabacher had seen. i did not. he said it was clear these were unarmed civilians that were killed by the iraqi military. that's not the promise we made to those people in the camp. it's not what president maliki made to the iranians in th

it's not in our national interest to help what may be another iran with khomeini and ahmadinejad comespecially when we are releasing oil at a time when that oil should be saved in case it all goes to blazes in the middle east and we don't have any cong from there. now, i'm not crazy about the exceptions, either. the search andescue, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance, aerial refueling, operational planning because this administration is probably going to describe everything they do as falling into those exceptions, but it's a step in the right direction. and some have said, and i know their hearts and i know they mean well, we want to support our troops and i don't like it when people say let's back out and cut funding when troops are in harm's way. i have talked to enough troops who want somebody in washington to say, this is insane. don't get us iolved. because they are good soldiers and when they get their orders, they are going to salute and go follow through on the orders. we are the body that must step forward and say, enough. mr. president, we are not responsible to

it's not in our national interest to help what may be another iran with khomeini and ahmadinejad come to power. and especially when we are releasing oil at a time when that oil should be saved in case it all goes to blazes in the middle east and we don't have any coming from there. now, i'm not crazy about the exceptions, either. the search and rescue, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance, aerial refueling, operational planning because this administration is probably going to describe everything they do as falling into those exceptions, but it's a step in the right direction. and some have said, and i know their hearts and i know they mean well, we want to support our troops and i don't like it when people say let's back out and cut funding when troops are in harm's way. i have talked to enough troops who want somebody in washington to say, this is insane. don't get us involved. because they are good soldiers and when they get their orders, they are going to salute and go follow through on the orders. we are the body that must step forward and say, enough. mr. president, we a