  We analyze properties of non-supersymmetric isometry-preserving perturbations
to the infrared region of the warped deformed conifold, i.e. the Klebanov
Strassler solution. We discuss both perturbations that "squash" the geometry,
so that the internal space is no longer conformally Calabi-Yau, and
perturbations that do not squash the geometry. Among the perturbations that we
discuss is the solution that describes the linearized near-tip backreaction of
a smeared collection of anti-D3-branes positioned in the deep infrared. Such a
configuration is a candidate gravity dual of a non-supersymmetric state in a
large-rank cascading gauge theory. Although anti-D3-branes do not directly
couple to the 3-form flux, we argue that, due to the presence of the background
imaginary self-dual flux, anti-D3-branes in the Klebanov-Strassler geometry
necessarily produce singular non-imaginary self-dual flux. Moreover, since
conformally Calabi-Yau geometries cannot be supported by non-imaginary
self-dual flux, the anti-D3-branes squash the geometry as our explicit solution
shows. We also briefly discuss supersymmetry-breaking perturbations at large
radii and the effect of the non-supersymmetric perturbations on the gravitino
mass.
