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WASHINGTON -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, said Sunday that the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated but the commanding general on the ground has not yet asked for more troops. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Adm. Mullen said the situation in the country has been getting worse as the Taliban gains strength. "I've said that over the last couple of years, that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated," he said. "Their tactics just in my recent visits out there and talking with our troops certainly indicate that."

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2009 – It is crucial that U.S., NATO and Afghan forces make progress in Afghanistan in the next 12 to 18 months, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told National Public Radio’s Steve Inskeep that security forces must reverse the trends in Afghanistan. “The Afghan people are tired of this, and my sense is that it has been eight years, and it has got to start moving in the other direction,” the admiral said on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”.” Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met Aug. 2 with...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received an update on the situation in Afghanistan during a meeting in Belgium. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and Army Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, briefed the secretary and chairman at Chievres Air Base. The trip was unannounced, and the secretary and chairman flew home yesterday. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe; Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander...

The top U.S. military officer says there is a narrow window of time in which to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and also to avoid a military strike on its nuclear facilities. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, said in Washington Tuesday dialogue is crucial but that time is running out. Admiral Mullen said he is very concerned about a state sponsor of terrorist groups, such as Iran, acquiring nuclear weapons. He said it would be "incredibly destabilizing" and could cause a regional arms race.

Mullen Advises 'Measured' Approach to Gay Policy The nation's top military officer said Sunday he has advised President Barack Obama to move "in a measured way" in changing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military. Obama as a candidate pledged to end the ban. As president, he has not said when or how he will take steps to do so, drawing criticism from gay rights activists and others. The president has pointed out that Congress in 1993 made into law a policy begun by President Bill Clinton. "It's very clear what President...

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed confidence today in the U.S. military offensive in southern Afghanistan but left the door open to additional troops in the country if the situation calls for it. Admiral Mike Mullen sought to clarify an apparent disagreement with National Security Adviser Jim Jones, who reportedly told commanders in Afghanistan not to expect any additional troops. Admiral Mullen said he would wait to hear from General Stanley McChrystal, the new head commander in Afghanistan, who is conducting a 60 day assessment

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2009 – U.S. military strategic focus is shifting from Iraq to Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at a news conference today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also said he is very concerned about Taliban advances in Pakistan, and that officials in Pakistan and the rest of the region must be patient and persistent. “We stand ready, and we have stood ready, to assist the Pakistanis in their fight against this common enemy of ours,” Mullen said. The chairman, who returned from a trip to the region last week, said the U.S. strategic focus...

OUR diplomats and generals can't understand why Pakistan's million- man military avoids confronting the Taliban as the extremists tear into the country's flesh. Admiral Michael Mullen, our chairman of the Joint Chiefs and a superb officer, spends almost as much time in Islamabad as in Washington. And his Pakistani hosts make endless promises. But nothing much happens as the Taliban and their allies gobble territory. This week's "offensive" to retake Buner province -- almost within shouting distance of Pakistan's capital -- is a relatively small-scale operation. Even Richard Holbrooke, our junkyard dog among diplomats, can't get the Pakistanis off the...

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is "very alarmed by the growing extremist threat in Pakistan and remains frustrated particularly by the political leadership's inability to confront that threat," his spokesman said Monday.

....The sources assert that the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen during his recent visit had conveyed a message to Pakistan’s political and military leadership that it was high time that the Pakistani government acted against these militants. He also made it clear that if Pakistan government showed any reluctance the US itself would launch air strikes against the hideouts of these al-Qaeda militants. According to these sources, Admiral Mullen warned that US could use daisy-cutters to crush these elements in what he called a ‘decisive operation,’ which could start any time.

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2009 – Building trust between the United States and Pakistan tops the agenda as the two countries and Afghanistan move forward, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said following meetings in Pakistan’s capital city yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama’s special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad. The three spoke at a news conference following their meeting. “This commitment is a long-term commitment that I hope will generate a surplus of trust, as that is absolutely vital,” Mullen said. U.S....

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2009 – The global financial crisis is adding a layer of uncertainty that could exacerbate problems in many parts of the world, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on NBC-TV’s “Today Show” this morning. “This global financial crisis in the months ahead could have a significant effect on security around the world,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told host Matt Lauer during the interview. “That creates an additional sense of urgency [for leaders] in resolving that as fast as we can.” The chairman did not speculate as to where problems might crop up. Some obvious...

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 – Those in uniform must always remember their fallen comrades and their families, and those families deserve help in enduring their heartache, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here last night. “All of us know that nobody goes through life alone -- nobody,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told those gathered for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Honor Guard Gala. “[And] nobody should have to go through grief alone. It’s really that that TAPS does so well.” Bonnie Carroll started TAPS after her husband, Army Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, an Alaska National...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama was briefed Saturday by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen about the drug wars in Mexico and wanted to know how the United States can help. "Clearly one of the things the president was interested in was the U.S military capability that may or may not apply to our cooperation with the Mexicans," said a U.S. military official who requested anonymity because the discussions were private. "He was very interested in what kind of military capabilities may be applied." Mullen briefed Obama Saturday morning about discussions with Mexican military leaders about the drug...

Here is video of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Admiral Mike Mullen - talking with CNN's John King yesterday about President Obama's timeline for withdrawal of all U.S. "Combat" Troops from Iraq. Mullen says he is very comfortable with the plan decided on, and that Obama did listen to his commanders in the field in making this decision. It is hilarious to me that Obama is touting the withdrawal of all "combat" troops by August 2010 to cover himself on his campaign pledge to pull out of Iraq. The only thing is, he is leaving 50,000 Troops...

Mullen: Iran has fissile materials for bomb Top U.S. military official says an armed Iran would be 'bad outcome' March 1: Iran has reportedly been able to produce materials necessary to build nuclear weapons at a much quicker pace than world leaders expected. NBC's Patty Culhane reports. WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military official said he believes Iran now has enough fissile material to build a nuclear bomb. Adm. Mike Mullen issued that assessment after the world's nuclear watchdog said last week that it was wrong in earlier reports and now has evidence that Iran has enough enriched uranium to...

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that senior officers must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy, and he urged generals and admirals to tell civilian leaders when they believed the armed forces should not take the lead in carrying out policies overseas. Adm. Mike Mullen, who as chairman is the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, also called for more money and personnel to be devoted to the civilian agencies responsible for diplomacy and overseas economic development.

In his 2008 Thanksgiving Day message released today, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted the wartime similarities between today and the proclamation of the national holiday 140 years ago. Here is the text of Mullen’s message: Citing the many blessings bestowed upon the United States, these timeless words were delivered by Abraham Lincoln in his 1863 proclamation establishing Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday: “It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do...

The U.S. military’s top-ranking officer encountered one of Iraq’s most dangerous areas July 7 and saw first-hand the improvements Iraqi and U.S. forces have made during recent months. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received a glimpse of the success that has seen attack levels in Iraq fall to their lowest in four years - a 90 percent decline in attacks during the past year alone. The progress in security has allowed Coalition forces to focus more on other issues, military officials in Baghdad said. Less than 60 days ago, the streets of Jamilla Market...

Setting a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq would be “dangerous,” and troop reductions there should continue to be made based on security conditions on the ground, the nation’s top military officer said July 20. President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki this week agreed to set a general “time horizon" for bringing more U.S. troops home from the war, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” but he added that to his knowledge, the agreement does not include specific dates. “I think the consequences could be very dangerous in that regard,” he...