How do you engage in DIPLOMACY without talking? DIPLOMACY is all about negotiating. How do you negotiate wordlessly, silently?
Trump said "the time for talking is over". Right after Trump tweeted that Mattis said that diplomatic options were never over or something like that which sounded very much like a contradiction of what The Donald tweeted. So Mattis felt a strong need to restate what he said so that The Donald wouldn't get mad at him. Problem is what he said made no sense. It doesn't have to. As long as The Donald is satisfied that is all that matters. Whoopee! :(
