On Iran Robert Gates Tells It True

The other day at the National Defense University (probably on the same stage the Geek had the honor to stand a few times in past years) Secretary of Defense Gates answered a question. The question isn't important, the answer is.

It was an answer that showed a reality about our Secretary of Defense. He demonstrated a trait far too rare in Washington. He showed that he was (and remains) a realist. He has and continues to demonstrate the ability and the will to ignore ideology whether of the Left or the Right.

When asked about the search for a "moderate" in the Iranian government, Gates replied, "I have been involved in the search for the elusive Iranian moderate for 30 years." Without success.

He explained by referring back to the visit of President Carter's National Security Advisor to the new revolutionary regime of Iran. Gates was present at the conflab.

We will accept your revolution....We will recognize your government. We will sell you all the weapons that we had contracted to sell the Shah....We can work together in the future

The Iranians responded by demanding that we return the fugitive Shah for execution. Three days later the Iranian "students" seized the American embassy and commenced the more than four hundred day hostage siege.

Gates expanded his answer by noting,

Every administration since then has reached out to the Iranians in one way or another and all have failed....The reality is the Iranian leadership has been consistently unyielding over a very long period of time in response to repeated overtures from the United States about having a different and better kind of relationship.

There's the truth. From the man who has been in the best position to know.

SecDef Gates is on record repeatedly in recent months saying that the time is not yet upon us to exercise any military option regarding the Iranian nuclear ambitions. Ever the realist, Secretary Gates is probably not sanguine about the effectiveness of the current diplomacy plus sanctions campaign being conducted by the P5+1. He is probably convinced that the Iranian government will continue to pursue its quest for the bomb.

He is also realist enough to understand completely the limits of the military option whether it is targeted on the nuclear facilities or aimed at a larger constellation. He probably knows full well that bombing one's way to policy success is as unlikely as a Palestinian being elected Israeli prime minister.

The Geek strongly applauds Secretary Gates' candor at the NDU. The Geek gives a strong thumbs down to the MSM for having not given play to the Secretary's remarks. Perhaps the good folks of the media are given too much to ideology to take the risk of having reality intrude.

Now, the Geek has a question for Secretary Gates. "What should be done about North Korea?"