Richard Perle

Richard Perle

Richard Perle (born ca. 1942) is resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank founded 1943. According to the CV found there, Perle earned a B.A. by the University of Southern California and a M.A. in political science by the Princeton University. His research interests are cited as "defense, intelligence, national security, Europe, the Middle East, and the Russian region".

He is Chairman and chief executive officer of Hollinger Digital, Inc. and director of the Jerusalem Post.

From 1969 to 1980, he worked as U.S. Senate staff.

From 1981 to 1987, he was Assistant secretary of defense for international security policy in the Reagan administration.

In 1992 he produced the PBS feature The Gulf Crisis: The Road to War.

In the administration of George W. Bush, he has been chairman of the U.S. Defense Policy board since July 2001. The Defense Policy board is linked to the Department of Defense. On March 27, 2003, Richard Perle resigned as leader of this board. Some sources say this is linked to involvement of his company in Iraq post-war business.

Perle is said to be the person behind the US policy on Iraq (see also: U.S. plan to invade Iraq). He believed that Saddam's control of the government was weak, and that an invasion of Iraq would remove Saddam from power within weeks.

In an interview for "Saddam's Ultimate Solution", the July 11, 2002 episode of the PBS series Wide Angle, he said:

Saddam is much weaker than we think he is. He's weaker militarily. We know he's got about a third of what he had in 1991. But it's a house of cards. He rules by fear because he knows there is no underlying support. Support for Saddam, including within his military organization, will collapse at the first whiff of gunpowder. Now, it isn't going to be over in 24 hours, but it isn't going to be months either.

He is co-founder of the right-wing Project for the New American Century (PNAC). He is known for a negative view on the United Nations and multi-lateralism, pushing for world-wide superiority of the USA.

He is author of many articles and the books Hard Line (1992) and Reshaping Western Security (ed.) (1991).

External links

• Website about Richard Perle at the AEI
• Lunch with the Chairman, an article by Seymour Hersh for the New Yorker, Mar. 17 2003
• Saddam's Ultimate Solution: Host Transcript, Wide Angle, July 11, 2002 - interview with Richard Perle