This new network, like that old one, has the United States of America in its sights. The reality is actually closer to the opposite. Not only did no international network of Marxist-Leninists exist in the 1950s, no international network of political Islam exists today. Such remarks cannot be regarded as anything but political propaganda. Once again, let us go back to the paper of Anthony Lake, originally published in Foreign Affairs.
Lake lists the following reasons for containment of Iran.
But no clear evidence of Iran being a sponsor of terrorism has been identified. It is only natural that Iran would become concerned about the rapid military expansion of the GCC nations. Immediately following the Gulf War, the need for arms control in the Middle East became a hot topic. President Bush even went so far as to announce an arms control plan. In reality, however, the arms situation is regressing.