PODCAST IMMERSION

 

I was privileged to participate in an Allen County Public Library event Monday 14 September 2026. The event was part of series, Pages & Voices, the library began in 2024. “Pages & Voices is a podcast from the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It features local authors and explores the stories behind their books and writing. The library describes it as “a podcast celebrating local authors.

The podcast features local authors and is produced at the Main Library’s Access Fort Wayne studios with host Senior Librarian Meg Bell and producer Librarian Production Coordinator Kay Gregg.”

With this above formal intro in place, let me share my personal experience doing the podcast with Meg and Kay. It was a lot of fun.

Meg guided the discussion covering a variety of topics including why I wrote Operation Peregrine and the other two books in the series; is seduction a reality in the real world of espionage or mostly a writer and movie ploy to gain attention; how did you actually go about the writing process; what’s next; and several other questions about the world of ‘smoke and mirrors’.

During the discussion I was pleased to set the basis for the Operation Peregrine series ‘story’ on three essential points. First, the Operation Peregrine series gives historical insight into one of the most secret and critical parts of the Cold War. Second, the series is not a novel; the series is historical fiction telling a story shrouded by national security realities. Third, while presenting this look behind the espionage curtain, the purpose is to give the reader an entertaining experience of how, in part, we won the Cold War.

The Library plans to publish this podcast in December as part of their 2026 season. Check our website or social media for the December date.

 

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 Essays written by Gary Bowser, a True Believer, sharing his thoughts regarding a wide range of topics based on his life and work experiences. Mr. Bowser is a retired military officer with over 50 years experience in the areas of intelligence and national security. He served two years in Special Operations during the Vietnam conflict. After that, he served overseas as a HUMINT Case Officer and directed a clandestine HUMINT organization as Operations Officer for over six years. Mr. Bowser also has extensive experience in the Washington D.C. arena as a DIA Directorate of Estimates Branch Chief.

You'll find more information about Gary Bowser and his books at www.garybowser.net.

 

 

THE IRAN THING 2026 – Is Either Side Getting It Right?

GROK Generated Graphic Depicting Iran Thing

The US-Iran 2026 confrontation has become a conundrum of claims, fake news, facts, and
propaganda playing out in two vastly disparate cultures with global consequence. The crucial
element in this “mess” is the shallow understanding of the driving forces behind the US and
Iranian decision-making processes.

Iran, since 1979, has been driven by an extreme Islamic Shia cult. Few in the West have drawn
insights from the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted from September 22, 1980 August 20, 1988. This
religious conflict between Sunni Iraq and Shia Iran was savage with over a combined million
casualties and massive economic destruction to each country.

However, these dramatic facts do not give the necessary deeper perspective into the fanatical
thinking of the Iranian theocracy. For example, the IRGC recruited children in the age range of
11-14 to fight on the front – the IRGC gave each child a “plastic key”, telling the child it was
their “key to heaven”. Then the IRGC marched the children into minefields to clear the mines –
the children were blown to pieces so IRGC troops could move through the ‘cleared minefields’.
Most of the Iranian leadership, then and now, are “Twelvers”, Shia believers in the idea the
Twelfth Iman will return to establish Shia dominance over the world. In order for the Twelfth
Iman to return, the world must experience extreme chaos. This type religious imperative tends to exclude ‘making a deal’ with the US.

On the US side, we have dealt a tremendous blow to Iranian military capabilities, have pushed
the Iran economy into shambles and potential collapse. The Iranian people face extreme
inflation, a shortage of basic goods, and are under the guns of the Iranian security forces. Yet
there is no clear path to an Iranian capitulation. More bombing and more economic pressure will cause the Iranian people immense pain.

History shows the IRGC fanatics are willing to endure immense pain. History since 1945 shows
a US electorate unwillingness to do all needed to force an enemy to unconditionally surrender.

There are no moderates in the Iranian power structure. The top political leaders in what the
US has deemed the ‘reasonable faction’ are former senior IRGC officers, many of them veterans of the Iran-Iraq War.

So here we are, two sides with “off ramps” that have potentially bad political results (the US) or
consequences which are incompatible with Shia religious beliefs.

In order to “defeat” an enemy – you must cause the enemy ”to lose HOPE” in ‘winning’ the
conflict.

HOPE now for the US appears to be the economic collapse or Iran and an uprising of the Iranian people. HOPE for the Iranian power structure, the IRGC, is to outlast the current US
administration.

Yes, the above comments do not suggest a solution. However, all things come to an end. What do you think should be a strategy to end the existing mess?

 

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 Essays written by Gary Bowser, a True Believer, sharing his thoughts regarding a wide range of topics based on his life and work experiences. Mr. Bowser is a retired military officer with over 50 years experience in the areas of intelligence and national security. He served two years in Special Operations during the Vietnam conflict. After that, he served overseas as a HUMINT Case Officer and directed a clandestine HUMINT organization as Operations Officer for over six years. Mr. Bowser also has extensive experience in the Washington D.C. arena as a DIA Directorate of Estimates Branch Chief.

You'll find more information about Gary Bowser and his books at www.garybowser.net.