Admiral Mullen said they have enough fissile fuel to build a bomb. Estimates are they have about 2300 lbs and it takes about 2000 lbs to make one bomb.

Sec Gates says they aren't near to having a bomb, much less a stockpile of weapons. Having the fissionable material and having the technology to build a bomb plus a delivery system are very different things. I believe Sec Gates was pointing out there's time to reach a diplomatic way of keeping Iran from joining the "club" before other more drastic measures might be taken.

As I see it, one man is viewing this as a military problem and the other is viewing it as a diplomatic problem.