So, SecDef Now Thinks It's Not Right Time for Iran Talks?

[spanone]

Funny, two months ago Mr. Gates, as a member of the UNANIMOUS ISG report thought that talking with Syria and IRAN was an integral part of the Iraqi solution.

So Mr. Gates, Were You Lying Then or are You Lying Now??????

Gates: Time Is Not Right for Iran Talks

By ROBERT BURNS
The Associated Press
Monday, January 15, 2007; 8:24 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.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011500251.html

[peace13]

1. That is the trouble with these * rats!

They all want to talk with the end of a rifle first. No such thing as diplomacy anymore.

[montanacowboy]

2. We keep approving these wrong headed appointments

what did you expect from Gates?

[spanone]

4. I expected (foolishly I guess) congressional oversight. In retrospect, WTF was I thinking?

[MADem]

3. The Saudis told Cheney, and Cheney told Gates

The House of Saud does not want us rapproaching with Iran in any way, shape or form. They want us to keep them off balance, and they told Cheney if we didn't do that, they'd fund a Sunni insurgency in Iraq in a BIG way. We have our marching orders.

It wasn't a threat, it was a promise. And it wasn't a "state visit" that Cheney made last month, it was a two hour meeting, probably with the same ambiance as a visit to the principal's office is in Junior High School.

We're the mercenary military of the Kingdom over there, make no mistake: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/13/saudi.sunnis/index.html

Salute smartly, do what the King tells us, and carry on.