Preview for Return of the King....

[Rosie Gamgee]

Originally posted by IronParrot
Nuh-uh.

The encounter between Frodo and the Nazgul seems to be established in the film as a pretty clear provocation for Sauron's assault on Gondor.

That said, it could be that when Pippin takes the palantir, Sauron doesn't really have a durn idea where he is - but that is highly doubtful. You'd think he'd be able to tell which palantir is Isengard's and which is Minas Tirith's.

In any case, this issue is one that will have to be addressed. We'll know in three months.

Sauron knows that a hobbit has the Ring, because Gollum told Him, right? In the books it says that Sauron didn't think that anybody would try to destroy the Ring, cuz He never thought He'd miss it if it came to Mordor. So His Nazgul report that they sensed the Ring in Osgiliath, which is pretty close to Minas Tirith. Then, about the same time, or a little after, He gets a call on the palatir from- he thinks- Saruman. Now I don't think one can see faces when one looks in a palantir, cuz in the books Sauron thought at first he was talking to Saruman, and then asked "What are you?" because he could sense after a moment or two it was not him, but something else. Pippin tells Him he is a hobbit. Two different reports of a hobbit near Minas Tirith who potentially have the Ring. He sends a Nazgul over to investigate (that was in the book). Pippin gets to Minas Tirith, and (according to PJ in the preview) Denethor thinks he has the Ring, because of the riddle about the halfling and Isildur's Bane. So the he goes and gets on the palantir, and Sauron finds out that the Ring is in Minas Tirith and sends His army out to get it before someone can use it.
Sounds logical enough to me, although that is not how I interpreted the whole episode in the book. And then there is the fact that Merry and Pippin are in Edoras (obviously) when Merry says "Don't you understand? The Enemy thinks you have the Ring! He's coming for the Ring."