A Case of Flattery in PCG?

Recently PCG's Joel Hilliker wrote an article discussing some diplomatic communications that occurred between the Carter Administration and Ayatollah Khomeini before he ascended to power. PCG has a long history of demonizing Iran since their leader Gerald Flurry dogmatically proclaimed Iran to be the King of the South in 1994. They demonize Iran in order to "prove" that God is with Gerald Flurry. In this recent article Hilliker proceeds to once again denounce Iran as "the head of the snake." He cites Gerald Flurry 

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has often pointed to Iran as “the head of the terrorist snake.” In the January 2008 Trumpet magazine, he wrote... (Joel Hilliker, Secret Talks With Ayatollah Khomeini, June 13, 2016.)

A quote from Gerald Flurry follows. But why does Hilliker cite his boss (and father-in-law) with this inflammatory phrase when it was Joel Hilliker himself who first used this inflammatory phrase within the pages of PCG's recruitment magazine back in 2001?

This ugly phrase was first used by PCG's leaders in the November 2001 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet which was written shortly after 9/11. Note how inflammatory his diatribe is. He alludes to Iran as a "monster," "the enemy" and "the head of the snake."

Present targets in the war on terrorism are only one tendril of the monster. Will the U.S. strike at its head? Here is how the war will end. ...

Iran is the one Mideast country with the power, the determination and the resources to be the king of the south. Its long-held objective is to become the undisputed leader in the region. Not only is it at the TOP of the State Department’s terrorist list because of its vast links to regional terror groups (including Hamas and Hezbollah), Iran has been stockpiling weapons and delivery systems (former Soviet nuclear warheads and weapons-usable nuclear material; thousands of tons of chemical blister, blood and choking agents; artillery mortars, rockets, aerial bombs and Scud warheads) and building production capabilities (manufacturing biological agents and long-range missiles; pushing for uranium-conversion facilities) for years. Make no mistake about it: Iran is the head of the snake. ...

In spite of that slap in the face, efforts to woo other Arab states into the coalition continue. The problem with this approach? It leaves the head of the snake intact! It is tiptoeing around the enemy! (Joel Hilliker, The Head of the Snake, November 2001.) 

If Hilliker is so eager to go to war maybe he should join the army and then society would be spared enduring his writings while he serves in the armed forces. However PCG actually bans their followers from military service.

Iran has no nuclear weapons at present so Hilliker's claim that Iran acquired "former Soviet nuclear warheads" seems to be incorrect. Also it is worth noting that later in 2003 Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a fatwa denouncing the possession of nuclear weapons as un-Islamic.

Why is Hilliker giving the credit for that inflammatory phrase to Gerald Flurry when he clearly wrote that phrase far earlier than the 2008 article he cites? Is this a case of flattery?