Gates: Time Is Not Right for Iran Talks (AP)

[Eugene]

Gates: Time Is Not Right for Iran Talks

By ROBERT BURNS
The Associated Press
Monday, January 15, 2007; 6:01 AM

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Stepped up U.S. military activity in the Persian Gulf is
to counter "very negative" behavior by Iran and undercut its belief that American
forces are overcommitted in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.

Gates said the time is not right for diplomatic talks with Iran, but left open
that possibility for the future.

-snip-

Gates, who as recently as 2004 publicly called for diplomatic engagement with Iran,
said the situation has changed. In 2004 Iran was concerned by the presence of U.S.
forces on its eastern and western borders, in Iraq and Afghanistan. More recently,
the Iranian government has come to see it differently, he said.

"The Iranians clearly believe that we are tied down in Iraq, that they have the
initiative, that they are in position to press us in many ways," he said. "They are
doing nothing to be constructive in Iraq at this point."

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011500251.html

[OneBlueSky]

1. the time is ALWAYS right for talking . . . as opposed to attacking . . . n/t