For more than four years European emissaries, U.N. officials and U.S. negotiators have been trying to convince the Ayatollahs to desist from building nuclear weapons. It hasn't worked.

Six months ago, U.S. arms experts estimated that it would be three to five years before the Iranians could build nuclear bombs. Last month Israel's Directorate of Military Intelligence revised its forecast for Tehran attaining a nuclear capability to "mid-2009." And last week, our diplomats complained that Beijing is continuing to ship equipment and technology to Iran that can be used to build nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In response to these gloomy developments, the United Nations, the Europeans and liberal U.S. politicians, fearful that the Ayatollahs might cut oil production, counsel caution -- and more talks.

Thus far, talking has gotten us nowhere. Given the history of previous "negotiations" with the radical Islamists running Persia, their stated goals for driving "infidels" from "the lands of the Prophet" -- and their unabated quest for nuclear weapons, we should be quietly supporting anti-Ayatollah movements inside Iran instead of further legitimizing the regime in Tehran with more talks.

Early this morning, I again encountered the young veteran who had buttonholed me at the hardware store earlier in the week. "Well," he asked, "did you find out if we're really going to sit down with the Iranians?"

"Looks like it's going to happen," I replied lamely.

He shook his head and said, "It just doesn't make any sense to me." I agree.