Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday cautioned Turkey against sending troops into northern Iraq as it has threatened, to hunt down Kurdish rebels it accuses of carrying out terrorist raids inside Turkey.

“We hope there would not be a unilateral military action across the border into Iraq,” Gates told a news conference after meetings here with Asian government officials.

Yes, I know it sounds like a Jon Stewart straight line, but then unilaterally invading Iraq is something the administration knows a good deal about.  Who better to give advice?