Looks as if someone got a tongue-lashing in the Oval Office. Unless you’d prefer to believe that some plans were drawn up with remarkable swiftness. An update on this story: “Gates says US is prepared on Iran’s nuclear plan,” by Calvin Woodward for Associated Press, April 18:
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert Gates asserted Sunday that the U.S. is prepared to take a range of actions against the Iranian nuclear program and told friends and foes not to fall for any perception Iran can catch Washington off guard .
Gates said a memo he wrote in January identified steps to be taken in defense planning after the Obama administration decided to increase pressure against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
It was not, he insisted, a “wake-up call” that set off a scramble by an unprepared government, as was suggested by sources who disclosed the memo’s existence to The New York Times….
Okay, okay! I will go back to sleep!