Posted on 06/02/2007 6:03:42 PM PDT by familyop
A diplomatic solution is the best way to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said.
"Having to take care of this problem militarily is in no-one’s interest,” he said.
Speaking Saturday at the sixth annual International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Gates expressed optimism about progress in curbing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions through the “Six-Party Talks.” He said he’s hopeful the diplomatic approach will prove successful in addressing Iran’s efforts, too.
Iran poses a threat to Southwest Asia and potentially Europe, particularly as it builds missiles of increasing range, Gates told defense and military leaders from 25 Asian nations during his keynote address.
During a question-and-answer session that followed the speech, Gates said the U.S. intelligence community generally agrees that Iran will be able to develop a nuclear weapon sometime between 2010 and 2015, and possibly even earlier. “There are those who believe that that could happen much sooner, in late 2008 or 2009,” he said.
Efforts to get Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities aren’t aimed at legitimate energy-production programs, he stressed. “I don’t think anyone begrudges Iran the capacity to have peaceful nuclear power under proper safeguards and supervision,” he said. “They key is whether they will have nuclear weapons.”
That’s a distinction Gates said is impossible to make due to the way Iran conducts its affairs. “The reality is … we really don’t know,” he said.
As a result, Gates called on the United Nations Security Council to “ratchet up pressure” on Iran, “not next year or the year after, but right now.”
In addition, he called for the international community to come together to strengthen sanctions against Iran so it has to make some hard decisions.
These sanctions would force the Tehran government to “begin to face some serious tradeoffs in terms of their economic well-being and their economic future for having nuclear weapons,” Gates said.
>> Why steam around the middle east with a boatload of fire power and then tell Iran it is not in our interest to put them back in the 7th century?
Speaking of boatloads... the more I think about this whole boatload of crap from Gates and Condi, the more I conclude that it’s a suck-up to the G-8. W wants to polish up his “legacy”, so he’s soothing everyone’s fears just in time for the summit (at the expense of Israel, and possibly our own safety and well-being).
Iranians are killing Americans in Iraq. I have a son who is active duty, and could be in theater at any time. That makes it as "in my interest" as it could possibly be.
Since when do we telegraph our intentions?
Since when are our intentions not to deal with those who have by any standard declared war on us?
Freakin’ spineless RINOs are now running foreign policy too. Just great.
ovrtaxt wrote:
No-one’s interest huh? I guess Israel doesn’t count?
Dimona’s in range.
How many curies stored there?
How big would the plume be?
No, even Israel benefits from a diplomatic solution regarding Iran.
A military solution is online, but as a last resort only.
Don’t wish for it. You won’t like it.
Yep, Israel is going to have to lead the way on Iran. We will have to join in afterwards. Bush has no political capital. None. Nada. His approval is going to match that of Olmert if he continues to bash the conservatives on immigration. Olmerts approval is like 7%.
To me. it looks like one provocation after another from Iran.
>> Israel is going to have to lead the way on Iran
Well then, good luck to Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it... ‘cause Olmert is *also* an incompetent pandering know-it-all who has squandered his political capital.
Maybe when Manhattan real estate goes up ... in a fireball? What might this doofus say about "taking care of this problem militarily" then?
Anyone who thinks Ahmadine-nutjob won't supply al Qaeda with a nuke is whistling past the graveyard.
Why yes it is.
“Dear Donald Rumsfeld - We’re really sorry. Please come back”
...
as president!
I have a dream...
Rumsfeld/Bolton ‘08
I can't find a link on this... anyone?
If the Democrats win in ‘08, there will not be an America , as we know it,in 10 years.
We will be more Balkanized than the Balkins.
Sec. Gates is a major disappointment. Sec. Rumsfeld was the wrong man for that war, but he was, and is, a patriot. This President has had the worst record in appointments of anyone I can remember. And did Gates HAVE to come from Texas? What is it about the Bush Family and its fixation on Texas? Bring on Newt! You’ll see superb appointments, particularly the appointment of a strong Sec. of Defense.
.
After the Attacks of 9/11...
CLINTON was quoted in the Press for about one day as saying:
“There may not even be an America around in 300 years”
...and then the quote was never seen from again.
CLINTON was quoted in the Press for about one day as saying:
“America apologizes to you, the People of Nicaraqua, for fighting on the wrong side against a Communist takeover of your country in the early 1980’s” (para)
...and then the quote was never seen from again.
(This was said while touring inside a Free Nicaragua during CLINTON’s Impeachment Saga)
CRONKITE was quoted in the Press for about one day as saying:
“America’s 11 South States should now secede from the Union”
...and then the quote was never seen from again.
(This was said in a Public Address at a Year 2000 World Conference in London, England)
Shouldn’t the Press be repeating these quotes over and over again,
...especially now with the CLINTONs just itching to get back into the White House, with the support of one WALTER CRONKITE, in this new time of war with our own Freedom directly at stake right here at home..?
.
I really wish that our nation would be much more careful and consider their words before they open their mouth.
The only link I found on the web for that was yours. You got a link?
The MSM isn’t going to quote anything negative that can be attributed to their Liberal allies, e.g, the Clintoons, Pelosi, traitor Murtha, etc. Therefore, it is up to us to quote them as often as possible. Conservative talk show hosts and their callers need to quote them on the air as often as possible. Our side has to get the truth out somehow. I think it would be great to plaster their words on billboards all across the country next to a picture of their smug faces.
.
I’ve been quoting these quotes from Freedom’s Enemies from memory, from the very time of their appearances ..on.. in AP, UPI or Reuters News Media.
And I’ve been repeating them over and over again here on
Freerepublic.com ever since.
Shortly after the quotes were made I too could not find them on line.
But thank GOD for the Internet that we returning Vietnam Vets didn’t have at our disposal long ago to battle that War’s continous misreporting by the likes of CBS News Anchor WALTER CRONKITE.
And thank you very much for caring.
AR
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