[R-G] Incoming US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman lays out concerns for US military policy

[Anthony Fenton]

  Jane's Defence Weekly  - August 08, 2007

Incoming US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman lays out concerns for US  
military policy

Tara Copp Washington Bureau Reporter

In a largely uncontroversial confirmation hearing on 31 July, the  
presumed incoming chairman-designate of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, US  
Navy (USN) Admiral Michael Mullen, gave Congress a blunt assessment  
of the challenges that he expects will shape US military policy in  
the near term.

These challenges comprise: the defacto April 2008 deadline to  
drawdown surge troops in Iraq and the strain of current operations;  
the troubling new alliance between Iran and the Taliban in  
Afghanistan; and the rising force projection capabilities of China.

"There is strain. We are stretched," Adm Mullen told members of the  
Senate Armed Services Committee of the affect that the now four-year- 
long Iraq operation has had on force capabilities.

The US military "remains the strongest in the world. But it is not  
unbreakable", said Adm Mullen.

Adm Mullen replaces US Marine Corps (USMC) General Peter Pace, whose  
continued tenure as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman would have  
required re-confirmation with the US Congress. That was a contentious  
event that US President George W Bush sought to avoid.

Instead Adm Mullen and USMC General Gary Cartwright, the nominee to  
be the vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, were given a warm  
reception from Congress.

However, several members of both the Republican and Democratic  
parties pressed Adm Mullen on withdrawal strategies.

In one exchange, Adm Mullen said regardless of withdrawal strategies,  
the US would be unable to maintain the 160,000 troop surge in Iraq  
past April 2008, due to current US military end strength, upcoming  
rotations and force structure. According to Adm Mullen, however, the  
surge has improved security. "Security is better ... Not great, but  
better."

Adm Mullen also said the growing alliance between the Taliban in  
Afghanistan and Iran is "a big concern".

"They have been pretty strong enemies," he added. "That strategic  
shift for them to me is a big deal".

He said he remains concerned about Iran's regional objectives, its  
pursuit of nuclear weapons and any potential threat to energy  
supplies in the Persian Gulf that he said would have "immediate  
global impact".

Adm Mullen also said recent investment by China into "high-end  
capability" surface ships, submarines and a potential aircraft  
carrier is concerning because of China's lack of transparency.

The new vessels provide "more capability than to just defend Taiwan",  
he added.

"China's defence budget is increasing by double-digit percentages per  
year. At issue is not the per cent of the increase, but the  
discrepancy between the official budget and what China actually does  
- the lack of transparency - which drives uncertainty and question of  
Chinese intent," Adm Mullen said.